What is Sweden's national drink?

Aquavit Is the National Spirit of Scandinavia

It won't be long before you're presented with a glass of aquavit. Caraway has long been a common flavor in the region and was once considered a cure for indigestion.

Whats the most popular drink in Sweden?

What are some drinks in Sweden?

What does aquavit taste like?

What Does Aquavit Taste Like? Aquavit, especially when unaged, has a neutral background flavor similar to vodka. At the forefront are the flavorings, with caraway up top—think rye bread but in spirit form. The herbaceous flavor is supported by other aromatics like dill, fennel, anise, and clove.

What is a Scandinavian drink?

Aquavit is by definition a very Scandinavian drink. It is a spirit spiced with caraway and a variety of different botanicals. The Swedes, Danes and Norwegians have their own character of aquavits. Skåne aquavit is a very traditional Swedish aquavit which has a slightly milder taste than O.P. Anderson.

The Drinking Culture In Sweden Is Very Different

Is there Swedish wine?

Swedish wine, in terms of wine produced commercially from grapes grown in Sweden, is a very marginal but growing industry which saw its first beginnings in the late 1990s.

What liquor do Swedes drink?

Referred to as brännvin in Sweden, schnapps (or snaps) is the country's preferred distilled liquor from potatoes or grains. Drinking it is a right of passage woven into the Nordic country's history, particularly given the idyllic growing conditions for barley, rye and wheat, rather than grapes.

Can you buy aquavit in the United States?

Imports to the United States have also revived as Nordic distillers see new interest in the spirit. Under American regulations, all aquavit must be flavored with caraway, but the addition of other botanicals gives aquavit a very wide range of flavors. Below is a list of aquavits one may find in American liquor stores.

How do Swedes drink aquavit?

In Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany aquavit is chilled and often drunk in a single gulp from a small shot glass. This is usually attributed to tradition. It is not generally chilled in Norway, but enjoyed slowly. In Sweden commonly the aquavit is consumed immediately following a song, called a snapsvisa.

How do you drink aquavit Swedish?

In both the Scandinavian countries and northern Germany, aquavit is usually served chilled and unmixed, in small (tulip) glasses, and is usually accompanied by appetizers or sandwiches. Some drinkers prefer it in shots, a glass at a time, because they find the taste of aquavit difficult to accommodate.

What is a Swedish soda?

Sweden. Julmust is a soft drink that is typically consumed in Sweden during the Christmas season. The name is derived from Jul, the Swedish word for “Christmas,” and must, a common winemaking term for freshly crushed fruit juice that has not yet fermented.

What is drinking age in Sweden?

The store has a monopoly on retail sales of alcohol: it's the only place you can buy wine and spirits and beer with an alcohol content above 3.5%. You have to be 20 years or older to buy in stores, though in Swedish bars and restaurants the drinking age is 18. Most towns have one Systembolaget.

What drink is Sweden known for?

Drinks and brands

The main Swedish specialty is brännvin (literally "burn-wine"), liquor distilled from fermented grain or potatoes. Vodka is the highest grade of brännvin, with brands like Absolut Vodka and Explorer Vodka. Brännvin seasoned with herbs is known as akvavit.

Is Sweden strict on alcohol?

Sweden is very strict when it comes to access of alcohol. One has to be age 18 to be allowed to drink any alcohol. To buy beer or wine in a restaurant, pub or night club in Sweden one has to be 18, too; same if you want buy low percentage beer/cider (<3.5%) in supermarkets.

Is aquavit same as vodka?

So, what is aquavit? Essentially, it's a vodka- or gin-like spirit. By EU decree, aquavit must be distilled with caraway or dill and should have a minimum alcohol by volume of 37.5%, though 40% is usually the average.

Is aquavit similar to gin?

Much like gin, aquavit is defined in United States regulations by its primary botanical. While gin's star is juniper, with aquavit, it's caraway. Aquavit, a neutral spirit usually distilled from grain and flavored with botanicals, has been produced in Scandinavia for centuries.

Did Vikings drink aquavit?

Drinking aquavit is still a big part of the Scandinavian culture to this day, heavily consumed during the holiday seasons and special occasions. The toasting tradition has some awesome Viking roots.

What alcohol do Norwegians drink?

Beer and vodka are the only alcoholic beverages produced in Norway in any quantity. Norwegian vodka is of particular note and is produced by several distilleries and under several brands. Some akvavit, a traditional Scandinavian flavored spirit, is also made in Norway.

Is aquavit a digestif?

Today, aquavit is still viewed as a digestive aid during big meals, which makes it a common companion during Christmas and Easter lunches, as well as Midsummer feasts of smoked fish, pickled herring, pungent cheese, lutefisk, and crayfish.

What is aquavit made of?

It is distilled from a fermented potato or grain mash, redistilled in the presence of flavouring agents, filtered with charcoal, and usually bottled without aging. Various aromatic flavourings are employed, usually including caraway or cumin seed; lemon or orange peel, cardamom, aniseed, and fennel also may be used.

Are Swedish big drinkers?

With over 42 percent of all alcohol sales in Sweden, the typical Swedish drink recreational of today is a glass of wine. "And a big portion of it is bag-in-box wine", explains Eva Lenneman, curator at Spritmusuem in Stockholm. "Swedes are in fact the biggest BiB-drinkers in the world".

What beer is made in Sweden?

Gotlandsdricka is the only traditional homebrewed beer to survive the emergence of industrial brewing in Sweden. It is still made largely the same way as it was in centuries past. Its origins are on the island of Gotland, in the Baltic Sea east of the Swedish mainland, where it is also known just as dricke (drink).

Is wine popular in Sweden?

Bartoldsson told of recent changes. The wine scene is growing and there's a very positive feeling in Sweden now regarding wine making. It's in the second phase. In the late 1990s and early 2000's, everyone was trying to grow every grape variety.

How many wineries are there in Sweden?

Denmark now has about 90 commercial vineyards, compared with two in 2005, while Sweden has 50. A handful of bold pioneers are growing grapes in Finland, and the world's most northerly functioning vineyard overlooks Norway's largest fjord.

What do Swedish people eat?