Brännvin (Danish:brændevin,Faroese:brennivín;Finnish:paloviini/
-viina (obsl.), viina;Icelandic:brennivín;Norwegian:brennevin;Swedish:brännvin) is an oldNordic term fordistilled liquor, generally frompotatoes,grain, or (formerly)wood cellulose etc. Beverages labelledbrännvin are usually plain and have analcohol content between 30% and 38%.

It can be plain and colourless, or flavoured with herbs and spices, such asAkvavit. The common style of brännvin inIceland, spiced withcaraway –Brennivín, although, not unique to the country, is considered to be Iceland's signature distilled beverage.

The word means "burn[t] (distilled) wine", stemming fromMiddle Low German:bernewin (Old Swedish:brænnevin). It also exists inDutch:brandewijn andGerman:Branntwein,gebrannter Wein, ultimately cognate tobrandy(wine), alsoFrench:brandevin.^[1]

A small glass of brännvin is traditionally called asnaps (Finnish:snapsi; compare Germanschnapps), although not on Iceland. In Sweden, and amongSwedish-speaking Finns, such is commonly accompanied by a drinking song, calledsnapsvisa.^[2][3][4]

Brännvin was central to the semi-mythical world in the songs of swedish composerCarl Michael Bellman. For example, inFredman's Epistle no. 1, the first verse begins:^[5]

In the US, aChicago producer makes a bitter brännvin (beskbrännvin), calledJeppson's Malört.^[6] "Malört" (pronounced[ˈmɑ̂ːlœʈ]) is the Swedish word for the plantArtemisia absinthium, wormwood, often used as an ingredient inabsinthe.^{[citation needed]}

• Alcoholic beverages in Sweden

• "High spirits".Vin & sprithistoriska museet. Archived fromthe original on 2009-06-28. Retrieved2022-03-04. - Short introduction to 'brännvin'. The Historical Museum of Wines and Spirits (English).