Real Swedish Aquavit
Heritage
Åhus Akvavit is the culmination of over a century of locally honed distillation methods from its provenance and namesake, Åhus, a tiny seaside village in southern Sweden. For many decades, our distillery in Åhus was the country’s hub for aquavit production. Today, we make only one, Åhus Akvavit, a modern expression of our heritage and craftmanship.
Our Production Process
Sourcing
Botanicals for Åhus Akvavit are thoughtfully selected for flavor and quality. Some spices and herbs are farmed and foraged locally while other ingredients, like citrus, are pulled from locales around the world with climates suited to grow the best possible fruit. Once gathered, Åhus botanicals are dried and stored in our Spice Room, where they await maceration.
Maceration
Herbs, citrus peels and spices are individually soaked in a solution of pristine aquifer water and fine spirit distilled from locally grown winter wheat to extract flavor from the botanicals. Time, alcohol concentration and temperature are tailored for the maceration of each unique ingredient
Distillation
Once ready, the macerated components are distilled in copper to purify and improve the flavor profile. The distillation process is unique to each botanical, as we meticulously pull just the right slice of each spirit’s body from between the head and the tail.
Blending
To create the specific flavour profile of Åhus Akvavit the proportions of the different distillates are very important. With five individual botanical spirits and a base of neutral fine spirit, the unique flavor profile of Åhus Akvavit can now be blended together, producing a finished aquavit that has been lovingly crafted from the moment the first seed was forage
Bottling
The finished Åhus Akvavit blend is then carefully filled into bottles and ready to see the world.
TOWN OF ÅHUS
Our home, Åhus, is a tiny seaside village in southern Sweden. At the center of Åhus lies the Spiritchurch, the heart and soul of our town. Built in 1906, this four-story copper still distillery has been been home to generations of passion and craftsmanship and continues to operate today.
AQUAVIT HISTORY
Akvavit, aquavit, or aqua vitae (“water of life” in Latin), was created during the 15th century by monks as a medicine comprised of secret botanical blends, soaked and distilled into a clear spirit and believed to have mystical properties.
Used for over a century to cure both physical and spiritual ailments, aquavit’s alleged healing benefits were eventually dismissed as superstition and bottles migrated from apothecaries to dinner tables. Swedish families and friends raised tiny snaps glasses filled with the chilled spirit in celebration of life, health and happiness. To this day, no festivity is complete without it.
WHAT IS AQUAVIT?
Today, there are strict set of legal standards in order for a spirit to be a true aquavit. The primary flavor has to be caraway and/or dill, produced using a rectified spirit and at least 37.5% alcohol by volume. In order to be considered a true Swedish aquavit, it must also contain fennel.