Aquavit

A Danish Tradition

Aquavit from
Bornholm Distillery

Our Aquavit carries a wild story. It is distilled from an original caraway variety rediscovered in the wild on Bornholm in 2019 as part of the »Bornholm Herbs« project.

An ancient tradition

Snaps, brandy, aquavit... a dear child has many names. Regardless of what we call it, the drink has been a part of Danish life for many years. In the beginning, back in the 16th century, it was considered medicine. At that time, the drink was known as "aqua vitae" or "water of life."

The distillation process wasn't as refined as it is today. Therefore, various herbs were used to mask the taste of fusel. This could be, for example, dill or caraway. These flavour variations have become such a firm par of tradition that today they are written into the law. An aquavit must be flavoured with a distillate of dill and/or caraway seeds to officially be called aquavit.

Over time, the drink has evolved from being a medicinal elixir to becoming a social and festive drink – and a solid part of Danish culture. Today, snaps still play an important role in festivities. It's hard to imagine a traditional Danish Easter or Christmas lunch table without a bottle of snaps.

Wild caraway

As part of the »Bornholm Herbs« project, Thomas Guldbæk from gaarden - Bornholm Food Culture House rediscovered an old wild caraway variety on Bornholm.

The variety has likely been cultivated on Bornholm since the mid-1700s to supply all the distilleries, but was replaced by imports in the early 1800s. Since then, the variety has survived in private gardens and has naturalized in the Bornholm nature.

The rediscovered variety has now been propagated by Krogsholm Fruit Plantation, and at Bornholm Distillery, we have embraced it for use in our aquavit.

The old variety contributes with exciting and different flavour nuances, distinguishing it from the common caraway by having clear mint and marjoram notes. With its mild taste, our aquavit is a perfect match the next time you invite friends to an Easter or Christmas lunch.

You can buy a bottle of our AQUAVIT right here in the webshop.