We first discovered Akvavit when we lived in Southern Sweden quite a few years ago, and then in Denmark a year or so later. Akvavit is a traditional flavoured 'vodka like' spirit that is produced in Scandinavia, where it has been produced since the 15th century. Akvavit gets its very distinctive flavour from various spices and herbs, and the main spices used are normally either caraway or dill. Akvavit is usually around 40% alcohol. I guess that Akvavit would typically be called schnapps in English.

Skåne Akvavit is a Swedish brand of Akvavit. It is named for the province of Skåne in Southern Sweden in which it is produced, and which funnily enough is the province in which we used to live. Skåne Akvavit was first launched back in 1931. Skåne Akvavit is mildly spiced with hints of cumin, anise and fennel. And it has an alcohol content of 38%. Skåne Akvavit is a pale and light yellow coloured clear spirit.

You serve Akvavit chilled as a schnapps type drink, it's good to chill both the bottle of Akvavit and the schnapps or shot glasses in the fridge. Akvavit should always be served neat in small shot style glasses or schnapps glasses. You serve it neat so that you can taste and appreciate the distinctive flavour created by the various herbs and spices. In Sweden Akvavit is typically consumed at Midsummer, Christmas and Easter. It is typically partnered with pickled herring and potatoes, the Swedish surströmming, crayfish etc. Or else with the typical buffets that accompany the Midsummer, Christmas and Easter festivities.

Skåne Akvavit reminds me of a very warm and spiced vodka, it certainly has a very warm and spicy taste, and it's definitely 'warming' and probably even 'firey' as it goes down your throat and it hits your belly, no matter how chilled the glass of Akvavit may have been! The warming (and firey) sensation always lingers in my chest and stomach for a little while afterwards as well. I can't say that I can detect any of the individual spices in either the fragrance or the taste of the Skåne Akvavit - maybe just the anise, but certainly not the cumin or the fennel. I would say that it just has an overall 'warm and spicy' fragrance and taste to it, although it does have quite a clean and crisp taste and finish to it. I think that Skåne Akvavit lends itself really well to being the perfect winter or Christmas schnapps type drink, due to its warm and spicy taste, and the fact that it does actually do a fairly good job of warming your insides up!

I'm not really the biggest Akvavit fan, I normally just like to have one or maybe two glasses of this at a time, it's certainly not something that I can drink a lot of in one sitting. My husband however is a huge Akvavit fan, and he can always drink an awful lot of it in one sitting!

"Skål!"- which is the Swedish word for "Cheers!"