Miller’s Norway distillery intros cask-aged akevitt

Marcin Miller’s Norwegian distillery Oslo Håndverksdestilleri (OHD) has released its first batch of cask-aged akevitt to complete its core product range.

Oslo Håndverksdestilleri has launched a cask-aged Akevitt to complete its core range

Akevitt has been produced in Norway since the 15^th century, a traditional potato-based spirit infused with local herbs and spices. It offers a predominant caraway flavour, but varies depending on locality.

For its recipe, OHD has sourced locally foraged ingredients including meadowsweet, heather flower, St John’s Wort, dandelion root, angelica root, yarrow, chamomile flower, sorrel, hyssop and horehound.

The spirit is then aged for 12 months in American oak casks to give the resulting OHD Akevitt a “light golden hue” and “full bodied character”.

Through its release, OHD hopes to “bring authenticity back to the akevitt category” which it says has been lost due to decades of state monopolies on alcohol production in the country.

The spirit is traditionally sipped slowly at room temperature and is customarily enjoyed during celebrations, including Christmas.

It is also enjoying renewed interest globally as a cocktail ingredient.

“Norwegian akevitt is a distinctive Scandinavian delicacy with a well-deserved reputation,” said OHD co-founder and partner, Marius Vestnes.

“It carries a sense of heritage and tradition of which we Norwegians are very proud. In completing our core range with Akevitt we now have engaging and exciting collection of Nordic spirits to offer.”

OHD Akevitt joins Vidda Tørr Gin and Marka, a Nordic digestive bitter, to complete the distillery’s core range. Both products were listed in SB’s Most Innovative Spirits Launches of 2016 countdown, ranked at 23 and 29 respectively.