If you’ve spent any time in the far Northern reaches of Europe, then you may be familiar with aquavit, which is the spirit of Scandinavia. For those language lovers like me, or if you studied Latin, then you may know of aquavit from the Latin term from aqua vitae, meaning "water of life." While aquavit isn’t exactly an everyday spirit in America that you’ll find at your local bar, it’s been distilled in Scandinavia for centuries. Aquavit is a neutral spirit, typically distilled from grain. However, it's different than other neutral spirits because of the dominance of caraway, an aromatic plant that can have a very sharp flavor. It has a citrusy, anise flavor to it. Spend a week in Norway, and you won’t be able to miss seeing aquavit everywhere.

In Iceland, which isn’t technically Scandinavian (rather Nordic), it’s all about Brennivin, a spirit that is often characterized as a type of aquavit. While caraway and dill are typically used in producing aquavit, Brennivin only uses caraway. It's the OG Iceland spirit, first introduced in the mid 1930s when the government partially lifted prohibition. The black label was used by Iceland in an effort to limit appeal and demand in favor of temperance, but it had the opposite effect. The rest is history, and Brennivin remains a uniquely Iceland spirit, and the signature spirit.

In Iceland, it’s typically served neat, and very cold. I interviewed Icelandic actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson a couple years ago, and I agreed with what he said about it being an acquired taste. As he further shared, many people in Iceland will have it with fermented shark. As I learned from Darri, around Christmas, Brennivin releases a limited edition winter aquavit, which they call "The Real Christmas Spirit," that is finished in former bourbon and sherry casks. Sign. Me. Up.

For me, it’s a hard pass on fermented shark. But as I started making cocktails with Brennivin, I liked using it in a similar way as gin. Anyone who knows me knows that the Negroni, which uses gin, is one of my favorite all-time cocktails, but also one of my favorite cocktails to make variations of. So I came up with an Icelandic Negroni, which replaces the gin with Brennivin, and uses another favorite ingredient of mine that’s popular in Iceland, rhubarb, but in the form of rhubarb bitters. Instead of Campari I used Aperol, making for a less bitter version of a Negroni. Consider this a gateway to the Negroni family of cocktails.

Brennivin Negroni

🍹1 oz. Brennivin
🍹1 oz. Aperol
🍹1 oz. Red Vermouth
🍹Rhubarb Bitters
🍹Lemon peel, for garnish

Method: To make it, you add all of the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir. Then strain into a rocks glass over ice, and garnish with a citrus peel. Skal!