A strong Scandinavian distilled spirit flavored with herbs and spices, typically caraway seed, similar to vodka but with more flavor.
From Latin 'aqua vitae' (water of life), a medieval term for any distilled spirit. The term was adopted by Scandinavian countries, especially Norway and Sweden, and became their signature spirit.
The phrase 'aqua vitae' (water of life) appears in different languages for different spirits—the Welsh say 'uisce beatha,' the Irish say 'uisge beatha,' and those words eventually became 'whiskey'—all from the same Latin root meaning alchemists thought distillation could create an elixir of immortality.
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