Aquavit is derived from the Latin aqua vitae, meaning “water of life.” The name comes from early distillers believing spirits to be a healing liquid, and the convention is shared by other liquors, such as the word whiskey stemming from Gaelic’s uisce beatha or brandy being referred to as eau-de-vie. A neutral spirit distilled from grain or potato (much like vodka or gin), aquavit is most commonly flavored with caraway as its dominant spice, though dill is prevalent as well. Styles of aquavit vary and often include other spices, such as fennel, coriander, citrus and anise.
