The seventh annual Aquavit Week, the week-long celebration of the signature spirit of the Nordics, returns for 2018 from November 4 to 10th. Aquavit Week is devoted to celebrating the wonderful diversity of aquavit, its pairing possibilities with food, beer, and cider, and its exciting potential in cocktails. Learn more about Aquavit Week here!
Aquavit background
The Nansen Ski Club was founded in 1872 by a group of Nordic settlers, and has since become a ski institution — in fact, it is the oldest operating ski club in the country. A non-profit organization, it maintains cross-country ski trails in the area as well as its famous ski jump, which was recently restored to its former glory after being decommissioned in 1988. This interesting piece of New Hampshire heritage inspired the creation of Skiklubben Aquavit, a traditional Scandanavian spirit flavored with spices and herbs. The result is a delightfully warming dram, usually sipped neat or taken as a shot. Aquavit is a large part of Scandanavian drinking culture, consumed at celebrations and as an aperitif before dinners. Often, it is drunk as a finale to a drinking song called a snapsvisa, with a toast of “Skål!”.
Traditionally, aquavit’s main spice is caraway. Tamworth’s version includes a ginger twist for a floral piquant along with cardamom, star anise, and pink peppercorn. The flavorful shot is a perfect winter sipper, and can also be used as a seasonal twist on classic cocktails like a Manhattan or a Swedish Mule. The baking spices combine with the malty sweetness of root vegetables to create a surprisingly unique mixing tool. The whiskey base (a blend of bourbon, barley and wheat whiskey) also adds complexity, serving as a rich background for the balanced spice of the other ingredients.
Skâl!