Aquavit

Aquavit, also spelled akvavit, is a distilled spirit produced principally in Scandinavia, where it has been made since at least the fifteenth century, distilled from grain or potatoes and flavored with a mix of spices and herbs. Under European Union rules its dominant flavor must come from a distillate of caraway seed, dill seed, or both, though other botanicals such as fennel, cardamom, cumin, anise and coriander are commonly used as well. It typically contains about 40 percent alcohol by volume, with the European Union setting a minimum of 37.5 percent for a product to carry the name, and the earliest documented reference dates to 1531, when the Lord of Bergenshus castle sent aquavit to the Archbishop of Norway, describing it as beneficial for various ailments. Long associated mainly with Scandinavia and northern Germany, aquavit production has more recently spread to the United States and Canada, particularly since around 2010 in regions with Nordic heritage.