Brennivín

A 500-ml bottle of Brennivín featuring its distinctive green color and black label.

Brennivín (Icelandic pronunciation: ) is a clear, unsweetened schnapps that is considered to be Iceland's signature distilled beverage. It is a popular Icelandic liquor and special-occasion alcohol shot, and the traditional drink for the mid-winter feast of Þorrablót. It is made from fermented grain or potato mash and flavoured with caraway, and for this reason can be considered an aquavit.^[1] The steeping of herbs in alcohol to create schnapps is a long-held folk tradition in Scandinavian countries. Brennivín has a unique and distinctive taste similar to vodka or Scandinavian akvavit. It is typically bottled at 80 proof.

Etymology

The word "brennivín" translates to English as "burning wine" and comes from the same root as brandy, namely brandewijn, which has its roots in the Dutch language (also compare German Branntwein). A variation of the same word is used in other North Germanic languages. In Swedish the liquor is referred to as "brännvin", in Danish as "brændevin" and in Norwegian as "brennevin".

Serving

Brennivín is typically served cold and in a shot glass. It is the traditional accompaniment to the uniquely Icelandic hákarl, a type of fermented shark meat.^[2][3][4]

Branding

The most popular brand of brennivín is produced by the Egill Skallagrímsson Brewery and is packaged in distinctive green bottles with a bold black label bearing the phrase "The Original Icelandic Spirit" or "The Original Icelandic Schnapps". The bottle's label once bore the letters ÁTVR, referring to Iceland's state-owned alcohol company that once produced brennivín in monopoly, but now features the coastal outline of Iceland.

Availability outside Iceland

Export of Brennivín from Iceland to the United States began in early 2014 by Brennivin America.^[5]

The American definition and image of schnapps is historically very different than that of Europe and rest of the world.^[6] The U.S. label for Brennivin does not contain the word "schnapps" as schnapps are specifically defined by U.S. TTB Formulation as a "liqueur," a flavoured spirit product containing sugar in an amount not less than 2½% by weight. As Brennivin does not contain any added sugar, it is instead labeled in the U.S. as "Aquavit," an approved TTB class and type of formulation of caraway-flavoured distilled spirits.^[7]

In popular culture

• On television:
  • On an episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon airing 6 September 2013, Katie Couric and Jimmy Fallon toasted Katie's recent engagement to John Molner with shots of Brennivín.^[8] Katie and John traveled to Iceland after their engagement^[9] and she brought Jimmy a bottle of Brennivín to toast with on the show.
  • Anthony Bourdain drinks Brennivín in Season 1, Episode 2 of his television series No Reservations (entitled "Iceland: Hello Darkness, My Old Friend").
  • Zane Lamprey drank Brennivín and learned about its history on the Iceland episode of the television series Three Sheets.
  • In the third part of the documentary "Vikings" on BBC, Neil Oliver is seen drinking Brennivín (referred to as "Black Death") while eating rotten shark on a Viking themed restaurant.
• In music:
  • Brennivín is mentioned in the Foo Fighters song "Skin and Bones", the line being "Brennivín and cigarettes".
  • "Brennivin" is the name of a song on the Seal Beach EP of The Album Leaf project.
  • A song "Brennivin" appears on the Faroese band Týr's album, Land.
• In films:
  • Icelandic films such as Kristnihald undir Jökli, Land og synir, Stuttur Frakki, Djöflaeyjan, Ingaló, Cold Fever, and others have featured the drink.
  • Brennivín can be seen drunk by "Budd" (Michael Madsen) in the film Kill Bill: Volume 2.^[10] The bottle seen is the old type of bottle svarti dauði "black death" with a picture of a skull with a top hat.
• In literature:
  • Brennivin is consumed frequently in the novels of the Nobel Prize-winning Icelandic writer Halldor Laxness.
  • In Philip Kerr's novel The One from the Other, main character Bernie Gunther gets drunk on Brennivín upon learning that his second wife is about to die.
  • Brennivin is often mentioned in the works of Icelandic mystery writer Arnaldur Indriðason
  • Robert A. Heinlein's novel Friday references a cocktail party with various spirits from Earth and other planets, the only Earth spirit specifically mentioned is "Icelandic Black Death."

• In a Japanese webcomic
  • The character Iceland, in the Japanese webcomic Hetalia: Axis Powers, involves this drink in his song, "With Love, From Iceland".

References

See also

• Akvavit
• Brännvin
• Moonshine — Iceland

Alcoholic beverages   History and production History of alcohol History of alcoholic beverages History of beer History of wine History of Bordeaux wine History of Champagne History of Chianti History of French wine History of Portuguese wine History of Rioja wine History of Sherry History of South African wine Production Alcohol industry Brewing Distillation Drinking establishments Fermentation Winemaking   Alcoholic beverages Fermented beverage Beer Cider Mead Rice wine Sake Wine Other fermented beverages Distilled beverage Brandy Gin Liqueur Rum Tequila Vodka Whisky Other distilled beverages Fortified wine Madeira wine Marsala wine Port wine Sherry Vermouth Other fortified wines   Distilled beverages by ingredients Fruit Apple Applejack Calvados Cashew apple Feni Coconut Arrack Grape Armagnac Brandy Cognac Pisco Plum Slivovitz Țuică Pomace Chacha Grappa Marc Orujo Tsikoudia Tsipouro Zivania Various fruits Eau de vie Kirschwasser Nalewka Pálinka Rakia Schnaps Grain Barley Irish whiskey Japanese whisky Scotch whisky Maize Bourbon whiskey Corn whiskey Tennessee whiskey Rice Awamori Cheongju Rice baijiu Shōchū Soju Rye Korn Rye whiskey Starka Sorghum Baijiu (Kaoliang) Multiple grains American whiskey Canadian whisky Other Agave Mezcal Tequila Buckwheat Buckwheat whisky Shōchū Sugarcane or molasses Aguardiente Cachaça Clairin Guaro Rum Seco Herrerano Tharra Various starches Akvavit Horilka Poitín Shōchū Vodka   Liqueurs and infused distilled beverages by ingredients Almond Amaretto Crème de Noyaux Anise Absinthe Arak Hierbas Herbs de Majorca Ouzo Pastis Rakı Sambuca Blackthorn shrub Patxaran Chocolate Chocolate liqueur Cinnamon Tentura Cloudberry Lakka Coconut Malibu Coffee Kahlúa Tia Maria Egg Advocaat Hazelnut Frangelico Herbs Aquavit Bénédictine Brennivín Crème de menthe Metaxa Honey Bärenjäger Drambuie Glayva Krupnik Juniper Gin Jenever Orange Campari Curaçao Triple sec Peppers Pertsivka Star anise Sassolino Sugarcane/molasses Charanda Various fruits Crème de banane Crème de cassis Limoncello Schnapps Sloe gin Category Portals Beer Drink Wine WikiProjects