Devil Doc said:
Is it true that it's a Norwegian custom to drink the last one without water? Saw it depicted in an old movie about a Norwegian immigrant family living in San Francisco.
Doc
To use the Norwgian term of Huh???:
Hæææ??? ("æ" pronounces like the "a" in "lamb")
Aquavit is *NEVER* enjoyed with water!
Please read the above in a non-offencive way, as it is ment as a Norwegian straight-from-the-liver exclamation.
Here's the proper way of enjoying Aquavit:
1) A Løytens Linje or Taffel or any other mild Aquavit is enjoyed in shotglasses along with (darker) beer *with* a good and often fatty meal, like cod with liver and roe (a national Norwegian winter dish called "Mølje" ("ø" pronounces more or less like "ur" in "hurt"). Some people also combine Aquavit with a heavy red wine with the meal. Especially with pork belly and sauerkraut. Or any other national courses, like salt meat (sheep) with pork flesh ("bacon" that is salted but not smoked) and potato dumplings, served with a side dish of yellow pea soup. Another typical Aquavit meal is "Smalahove" or smoked, salted sheeps head.
2) The Non Plus Ultra (Latin for "nothing else than the best") is a drink that is enjoyed *after* a good meal in a whisky glass, and must be neat.
None of the Aquavits are "shotted". For the meals you take one sip of Aquavit and flush down with a mouthful of beer, specially after either a bite of the cod liver or a fatty fleshy piece of pork.
The NPU is enjoyed as a whisky, and as mentioned, not *with* meal, but after. Perfect to enjoy with a cigar. I myself make that one drink last as long as my Robusto lasts.
