HOODSPORT, Wash. — Its name means 'The Water of Life'. And aquavit can make things pretty lively.
“Traditionally it's served straight but usually you keep something nearby for hydration, like beer," said Chuck Morris who owns The Hardware Distillery Co. with his wife, Jan. This craft distillery is located in Hoodsport, along the Hood Canal. And it’s one of the handful of places making aquavit, a Scandinavian spirit, in Washington state.
This couple makes theirs with a pear vodka base and the main flavoring is caraway seed. Additional ingredients can be everything from dill, to old family recipe ingredients:
"And then the finish is my grandmother's Christmas baking. Cloves, fresh orange peel and coriander. it's quite tasty,” said Jan as she poured samples of their Cardamom Aquavit. “But it's really strong. So beware everybody. Everything is strong."
Most aquavits are 80 proof. And the traditional way to drink it is to offer a toast and toss it all back at once.
“You take a glass, you look everybody in the eye, then you say skål, down it, drink it, let it flow in your mouth,” instructed Chuck to a roomful of tasters.
Aquavit is usually served with Scandinavian food: think smoked salmon, lutefisk. In fact, one traditional toast salutes the fact that it ‘helps the fish swim down’.
“Normally it's consumed between the third and fourth pickled herring to cleanse the palate,” said Chuck.
Between the constant toasting and the drinking it neat, an aquavit tasting seems far more fun than a wine tasting. And when was the last time you saw wine in a bottle shaped like a gnome? The aquavit in gnome bottles with hand dipped red wax seals are a best seller at The Hardware Distillery Co.
This distillery even takes a barrel of their aquavit across the Hood Canal during a big party called Fjordin-crossin':
It’s a Northwest twist on the Norwegian tradition of shipping barrels across the equator twice to make linje aquavit. The journey accelerates the aging process and makes the spirits extra tasty.
So visit this fjord (yes, Hood Canal is considered a fjord) to find the Scandinavian spirit starting to make a splash in the Pacific Northwest. Just don’t forget to skål before you toss it back.
"It's meant to be fun. And just greatly enjoyed by everybody,” said Jan.
The Hardware Distillery Co. | 24210 US-101, Hoodsport, WA 98548
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