House spirits then just two years old was one of the first american distilleries to make aquavit. Christian krogstad has at least two good reasons to make aquavit, a centuriesold scandinavian liquor, at his house spirits distillery in southeast portland. The case for drinking like a viking the daily beast. The house of the spirits, the unforgettable first novel that established isabel allende as one of the worlds most gifted storytellers, brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the trueba family. House spirits, portlands own microdistillers of aviation gin and medoyeff vodka, will open their doors to the public for a oneday holiday booze bazaar this saturday, december 9 owners and distillers lee medoff and christian krogstad will be onhand to tour, taste and talk with visitors, while other local distillers and cocktail aficionados will shake and stir new concoctions for trial. Krogstad festlig aquavit is named after head distiller christian krogstad who was first introduced to aquavit by his norwegian grandparents. Trust the crew from house spirits in the land of the serious foodies to come up with something completely different. Krogstad aquavit is the spirit of adventure, inspired by the first european explorers to reach america and later passed down from generation to generation.
They call it the perfect accompaniment to rich and savory foods. This is big and bold, with plenty of anise, licorice and caraway on the nose and palate, plus hints. Krogstad festlig aquavit is an exceptionally balanced spirit flavored with star anise and caraway seed. Gammal krogstad aquavit rating was calculated by to be 92 points out of 100 on 12011. This is big and bold, with plenty of anise, licorice and caraway on the nose and palate, plus hints of fennel, black pepper and cinnamon zing on the spicy. Mar 08, 2019 though aquavit is popping up in all corners of the country such as oregon with the popular house spirits krogstad aquavit and californias geijer spirits aquavitae, production is concentrated in the upper midwest, especially cities like minneapolis, which has a healthy appreciation for the scandinavian spirit. In the last few years the onceniche spirit has become a way for distilleries and.
Anderson the most widely available aquavits are krogstad, produced by house spirits in portland, ore. House spirits distillery was founded in 2004 by lee medoff and christian krogstad. Westward whiskey was founded in 2004 with a passion for northwest brewing culture and the american pioneering spirit. Christian krogstad only eats pickled herring when hes drinking aquavit. House spirits distillery, a microdistillery in portland, oregon, may be known for its gin, but this scandinavianinspired spirit, flavored with star anise and caraway seed, makes a more exciting. House spirits distillery, in the heart of portland, oregon, is an invitation to explore the tradition and the future of american craft distilling. Meet aquavit, a flavorful spirit no longer bound to europe eater.
Dec 01, 2017 no conversation about spirits in portlandand oregon as a wholeis complete without talking about pioneering house spirits distillery. Krogstad s bold, clean flavor is quickly becoming a new element in bartenders signature cocktails across the nation. Aquavit is on the rise, experiment with these 10 stellar bottles. Krogstad aquavit available at kessler wines and spirits in new york, ny. Not content to rest on their laurels with their lovely and iconoclastic aviation gin, medeyoff vodka, or krogstad aquavit, they decided to try their hand at the rum category. Everyone has their own unique tastes, but that seems to be especially true when it comes to aquavit. See the complete profile on linkedin and discover krogstad. Originally located in corvallis, oregon, its operations moved to portland, oregon the following year. While maybe not as complex spicewise as some, less is more with this one. Our friends at house spirits, producers of aviation gin, recently started producing this to fill the woeful shortage of good aquavit in this country.
The new distillery, which provides six times the distilling capacity and creates a muchexpanded tasting room and visitor experience. House spirits advocate ethically sourced ingredients, sourcing only the finest ingredients for their spirits. He uses krogstad in the mix but says most styles of aquavit will work. Aquavit or akvavit is a traditional scandinavian distilled spirit. Explore thousands of wines, spirits and beers, and shop online for delivery or pickup in a store near you. A preprohibition cocktail book, a tiki party in seattle and a lack of decent beer in hawaii all played a part in leading to the creation of aviation gin. Meet aquavit, a flavorful spirit no longer bound to europe. House spirits krogstad gamle aquavit is the barrelaged expression of their festlig aquavit, spending 1012 months in french oak wine barrels.
House spirits krogstad gamle aquavit barrelaged aquavit bevvy. After scandinavian spirit shortage, american distillers. Dec 20, 2017 house spirits then just two years old was one of the first american distilleries to make aquavit. To this day, krogstad and crew produce every spirit in house, dedicated to ethically sourced ingredients.
Stores and prices for house spirits krogstad festlig aquavi. The largest wine region in oregon is the willamette valley, lying between the cities of portland and eugene and home to most of oregons wineries. House spirits krogstad aquavit is an exceptionally balanced, toothsome spirit flavored with star anise and caraway seed. Ensure your merchant has the aquavit you are looking for users have rated this product 3 out of 5 stars. Aquavit is a spirit many consider a fine line in the sand separating the. Dec 01, 2017 the alambic still at house spirits distillery, products include medoyeff vodka, geneverinspired aviator gin, krogstad aquavit, rum, whiskey and an apothecary line of oneofakind liqueurs available only at the distillery. House spirits distillery was started in 2004 by lee medoff and christian krogstad, both of whom were beer makers in a town where you can hardly throw a handfull of malted barley in the air without it landing on a microbrewery. The recipe was inspired by aquavit that would be aged aboard norwegian merchant ships as they traveled to and from australia. Any content, posts or remarks that are deemed by krogstad aquavit to be. Stores and prices for nv house spirits krogstad aquavit, oregon prices, stores, tasting notes and market data. Krogstad aquavit is an exceptionally balanced, toothsome spirit flavored with star anise and caraway seed. American distillers go big making onceobscure aquavit.
The smoothness of the base alcohol and wonderful blending of the anise and caraway make this aquavit an outstanding example. House spirits krogstad aquavit is an americanmade aquavit, based on the classic scandinavian spirit. Best buy this is big and bold, with plenty of anise, licorice and caraway on the nose and palate, plus hints of. Christian krogstad was early to the craftdistilling game, opening the distillery in 2004 after years as a brewer and winemakerwith a passion for cocktails and food on the side. In that sense, its similar to a danishswedishnorwegian version of gin. Krogstad, from house spirits distillery in oregon, has a strong anise flavor and less of a carawayseed focus. The first known written reference to aquavit is in an official letter from a danish lord to the archbishop of norway in 1531. Mar, 2018 in the united states aside from aalborg, linie and the swedish brand o.
Repetitive spam unrelated to the spirits industry can and will be banned from the site. Oct 07, 2010 krogstad aquavit house spirits distillery, a microdistillery in portland, oregon, may be known for its gin, but this scandinavianinspired spirit, flavored with star anise and caraway seed, makes. A lovely dry expression of a flavorful molasses rum. Krogstad festlig aquavit the seattle spirits society. This spirit is carefully distilled at house spirits distillery, united states. It begins life as a neutral grain or potato spirit, just as vodka and gin do. Behind the scenes of house spirits distillery drink spirits. Made by house spirits, a pioneer among american aquavit makers, this crisp, crystalclear version shows plenty of star anise and is particularly cocktail friendly. House spirits advocate ethically sourced ingredients, sourcing only the finest ingredients for their. With friends visiting from brooklyn, my wife and i toured house spirits distillery this past weekend. As one of the early tenants of portlands craft distillery row, house spirits helped craft and shape the community and culture of portlands craft distilling scene. This producer makes an aged and unaged krogstad aquavit. Learn more about this and other spirits produced by house spirits distillery. Krogstad s bold, clean flavor is quickly becoming a favorite in bartenders signature cocktails across the nation.
Scandinavias aquavit lends a savory kick to cocktails. This is big and bold, with plenty of anise, licorice and caraway on the nose and palate, plus hints of fennel, black pepper and cinnamon zing on the spicy, mouthwatering finish. Distribution changes had made imported examples hard to find that year, and owner christian krogstad s norwegian background could not bear a holiday season without aquavit. This was a natural outcropping of the deep roots founders christian krogstad and lee.
Specializing in handcrafted, smallbatch spirits, and using only the best. It is commonly drunk in norway, sweden, denmark and finland. In oregon, house spirits began making an aquavit in 2006. House spirits description krogstad festlig aquavit is an exceptionally balanced spirit flavored with star anise and caraway seed. It threw me into a bit of a panic, says christian krogstad, norwegian cofounder of portland, ore. Infused caraway and star anise are the dominant spices. Its production facility and tasting room is located on portlands distillery row, in the central eastside industrial district. House spirits krogstad festlig aquavit, oregon, usa.
Scandinavian spirit aquavit lends a savory kick to cocktails. Krogstad aquavit is unaged, and consequently lighter than many aquavits such as linie. It is flavored with star anise and caraway seed, and the distillers suggest that its a perfect accompaniment to rich and savory foods. And if theyve never had aquavit, chances are theyve never had pickled herring. Her elegant prose weaves easily between the two different points of view in the book. Krogstad aquavit is adored for its star anise, spicy, toasty and coffee flavor notes. House spirits distillery is an american craft distiller based in portland, oregon. In the united states aside from aalborg, linie and the swedish brand o. It is then infused with various herbs and spices, notably star anise and caraway seeds. Krogstad aquavit get free shipping a club for spirits. Founded in 2004, house spirits is a portland, oregonbased craft distillery best known for its hugely. Krogstad aquavit is a tribute to the scandinavian drink based upon caraway and in this case includes star anise. American distillers go big making onceobscure aquavit npr.
In the spring, house spirits released a limited edition of gammal krogstad, which was aged for 10 months in rum and whiskey barrels, turning it into a golden hue. North shore distillerys aquavit isnt as intense as linie, though it has plenty of spiciness and hints of citrus. After scandinavian spirit shortage, american distillers give aquavit. So a few years ago when i was challenged to come up with an autumnal cocktail featuring our wonderful local aquavit, krogstad, i turned to the venerable new orleans classic, the vieux carre. Krogstad aquavit rating was calculated by to be 87 points out of 100 on 12011. House spirits distillery opens doors to its new home. Jumpstarting the aquavit renaissance the new york times. Kyle webster inherited this daiquiri recipe from his time working at house spirits, maker of krogstad aquavit, and he added it to the opening menu at expatriate. It was founded in corvallis in 2004 and moved to portland in 2005. This was a natural outcropping of the deep roots founders christian krogstad and lee medoff had in. Krogstad aquavit was named best aquavit in the 2012 san francisco world spirits competition. Traditionally, aquavit is served icecold out of the freezer. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Eaudevie eauxdevie in the plural is french for water of life and refers to a wide variety of fruitbased distilled beverages.
A once obscure spirit unless you have scandinavian heritage, new and oldstyle aquavit is exploding on the american craft liquor scene. Overall house spirits has a lovely portfolio which has never failed to be great. The distillerys flagship brand is aviation gin, which comprises 80% of its production. Founded in 2004, house spirits is a portland, oregonbased craft distillery best known for its hugely popular aviation gin. Jun 06, 2016 a preprohibition cocktail book, a tiki party in seattle and a lack of decent beer in hawaii all played a part in leading to the creation of aviation gin. Vino fine wine and spirits new york, ny 2127256516 united states. Nv house spirits krogstad aquavit, oregon prices, stores. Isabel allendes the house of the spirits is epic in its personal and political scope, and in its sheer beauty. House spirits krogstad festlig aquavit manor house cellar. The perfect fall cocktail includes not a drop of pumpkin.
Krogstad festlig won the double gold medal at the 2012 sf world spirits competition for aquavit cocktail recipes. As a leader in portlands worldrenowned maker community, westward whiskey is a real distillery, where real people put their heart, soul, and artistry into crafting products that delight and inspire. Krogstad christian distiller house spirits distillery. Anderson the most widely available aquavits are krogstad, produced by house spirits. By posting content on the krogstad aquavit page, you give krogstad aquavit the complete rights to use your content in any way we see fit, including using this content elsewhere. Based on a traditional scandinavian recipe, chilled krogstad aquavit is a perfect accompaniment to rich and savory foods.
Krogstad aquavit buy wine, spirits and beer online or. Krogstad aquavit is an american expression of a classic scandinavian spirit. House spirits distillery a leader of americas craft distilling movement. House spirits krogstad aquavit, oregon prices, stores. We had no aspirations for it, no expectations, he said. The house cocktail of the carousel bar at the hotel monteleone in new orleans is already. Its a very simple drink but beloved by many, webster says. This simple, classic approach was awarded best aquavit in the world at the san francisco world spirits competition. If someone has never had aquavit, its fun to introduce it to them. Krogstad s flagship brand, aviation american gin, was eventually. View krogstad christians profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. Apr 21, 2015 meet aquavit, a flavorful spirit no longer bound to europe. Amid a number of experiments over the years, they produce westward american single malt whiskey, volstead vodka, krogstad aquavit and their 2017 rum release, casa magdalena. Interview with distiller christian korgstad at house spirits.
Lee medoff takes a sample of spirit from the still at house spirits distillery, products include medoyeff vodka, geneverinspired aviator gin, krogstad aquavit, rum, whiskey and an apothecary line of oneofakind liqueurs available only at the distillery. The first known written reference to aquavit is in an official letter from a danish lord to the archbishop of norway in. The patriarch esteban is a volatile, proud man whose voracious pursuit of political power is tempered only by his love for. Mar 23, 2018 christian krogstad only eats pickled herring when hes drinking aquavit. House spirits distillery was founded in 2004, based in portland, oregon, they are well known for their aviation american gin, as well as their solid line up of liqueurs, whiskeys, vodkas, rums, and aquavits. Other aquavits from the region that also feature the. Interview with distiller christian korgstad at house. Expect a punchy, clean sweetness of star anise and caraway. Jan 09, 2018 everything you ever wanted to know about aquavit, the scandinavian water of life.