When it comes to uncommon spirits to keep on your shelf, there are few as under represented as the Nordic aquavit. Depending on your market, you might be lucky to find one to two on your local liquor store’s shelf. Which is really quite a shame, as Aquavit is complex spirit in the vein of gin. Rather than juniper, Aquavit is primarily flavored with caraway. From that base point, the sky is limit – with flavors as varied as angelica root, orris, citrus peels, sumac, cumin, and many others making appearances. While you could find an imported bottle, there are a growing number of homegrown aquavits to choose from – including Norden Aquavit.
Norden Aquavit is made in Detroit, Michigan, and is a blend of 10 whole botanical. Traditional in it’s caraway forward style, it’s distilled in an “One Shot” Alembic process where the botanical remain behind in the still. The product is released unaged, and retails for approximately $30 a bottle.
Norden Aquavit
Sight: Clear
Smell: Caraway immediately wafts out – but is quickly followed with touches of sage, orris, citrus rind, and corriander. The nose is powerful, and gives a bit of powdered sugar note too. Various other notes of herbs waft out too, but the nose is very well defined.
Sip: The mouthfeel is surprisingly light and smooth. It has a slight sweetness to it that covers your tongue. The caraway and spices begin to come out. Touches of dill and sumac, get complimented with corriander and a bit of juniper.
Savor: As the ending rolls through, it brings in more caraway and citrus rind. The ending leaves a slightly powdered sugar feel – but the coating is soft and inviting. Bits of other spices and herbs come though.
Norden Aquavit is a beautiful, inviting interpretation of aquavit. The caraway while forward is well balanced with the other spices and flavors – allowing them to come through on their own. The texture is smooth and soft, and has little to no burn. Those who enjoy gin, and are looking for something as complex, will find something to enjoy here.
In Cocktails and Overall
Just as importantly as how enjoyable Norden Aquavit is on it’s own, is how well it plays in cocktails. Experimenting with it – we found it went quite well in a summery strawberry sour and as an interesting stand in for gin. Be aware – there aren’t a lot of Aquavit recipes out there – so some experimentation will be required.
Overall, Norden Aquavit is a solid recommend for anyone who’s a fan of gin or looking to break out of the ordinary. For more info, check out Norden’s Website and their amazing spec sheet.
(Seriously – what I wouldn’t give for more fact sheets.)