Orkney Akvavit
Orkney Akvavit
A refreshing and revitalising Nordic distilled spirit with only the finest whole ingredients including; herbaceous caraway, citrus and rose hips. Orkney Akvavit and Aatta Gin are uniquely distilled eight times with the final distillation completed incredibly slowly for over 24 hours to intensify the botanical profile. Orkney Akvavit is not a gin though, Aquavit is a category of spirit, defined by a caraway or dill forward and botanical profile.
History
Akvavit (sometimes spelled Aquavit) is a traditional Scandinavian spirit which has been around for hundreds of years. In times where herbal medicine was common practice, it was suggested that using caraway and dill in a spirit would help digestion after large celebratory feasts. Akvavit has recently been growing in popularity around the world, with many in the states enjoying it in a traditional sense, and in unique cocktails.
The Orkney Islands used to belong to Scandinavia for a very long time - about the same amount of time they have been part of Scotland for now. Much of our history, traditions, language and folklore, including the stories of selkies which are on our bottles came from our connections to Scandinavia. We love to use our spirits as a way to tell people the tales and remind everyone of Orkney's unique history. You can really see why local Orcadians making the first Scottish Akvavit on the Orkney Islands makes perfect sense!
Botanicals and Tasting Notes
Botanicals Include:
Caraway
Whole Orange
Star Anise
Hints of Vanilla
Great Taste Judges Tasting Notes:
"Wonderful waves of bright yet warm caraway on the nose as the glass is swirled. Immediate impact of the spice on the palate, helped by the abv - powerful, but in perfect balance. Beautiful clarity and smoothness on the palate leading to pleasing length, clean and bright yet lingering. This is just brilliant at ever level, and every moment of experience. Repeated sips do not dull, and we want to keep sipping."
"Pure, clear with a nose of caraway. Smooth as satin. Excellently crafted with a fennel seed-esque edge to it. Full bodied but not harsh. A true achievement."
Our Favourite Serves
It's fresh, citrusy and very slightly spiced. Here's how we like it!
On it's own - this is how Scandinavians traditionally enjoy Akvavit. Serve ice cold. If you can, keep it in the freezer and serve in a frozen shot glass. Akvavit can also be enjoyed with a beer in the other hand - a bit like a chaser (but sip the spirit, don't shot it)
Like a Gin - There isn't really a spirit comparable to the flavour of Akvavit, but gin is definitely the closest, as they are both botanical spirits. Lately Akvavit has been growing in popularity, enjoyed as you would drink a good gin - with tonic, ginger ale or even lemonade. Our favourite is Franklin and Sons Rosemary and Black Olive Tonic - for a savoury twist.
Cocktails - Orkney Akvavit is incredibly versatile as it is so complex - meaning it has a lot going on, from citrus to herbal fresh notes, to spice. We are yet to find a cocktail it doesn't taste yummy in. Check out our Cocktails page and our News page for ideas.