A clear, strong spirit from Scandinavia, typically flavored with herbs like caraway or fennel and traditionally served ice-cold.
From Scandinavian languages, derived from Latin aqua vitae (water of life), the medieval term for strong alcohol. The Scandinavian form contracted this to akvavit and it became the distinctive spirit of northern Europe.
Akvavit represents one of history's great linguistic borrowings—Latin aqua vitae (water of life) was the original term for all strong spirits in medieval Europe, but Scandinavian merchants shortened and adapted it until 'akvavit' became their signature drink, replacing the original term entirely in that region.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.