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Brännvin (Swedish spelling; see§ Etymology) is an oldNordic term fordistilled liquor, generally frompotatoes,grain, or (formerly)wood cellulose etc., and is today primarily used as a name for "Nordic-style" spirits, and then mainly divided into unspiced and spiced brännvin. 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 termbrännvin is analogous between theNordic languages, only differing slightly from language to language:Danish:brændevin,Faroese:brennivín,Icelandic:brennivín,Norwegian:brennevin,Swedish:brännvin. InFinnish, the name was originally also analogous, aspaloviini orpaloviina, but has since been shortened to justviina.
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 German:Schnaps), 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]
| Swedish[5] | Translation |
|---|---|
| Gutår, båd’ natt och dag! Ny vällust, nytt behag! Fukta din aska! Fram, brännvinsflaska! Lydom Bacchi lag! | Cheers, both night and day! New pleasure, new delight! Moisten your ash(-dry throat)! Forth, brännvin-bottle! Let us obeyBacchus's law! |
Brännvin has been produced in Sweden since the late 15th century, although the total production was still small in the 17th century.[6] From the early 18th century, production expanded, although production was prohibited several times, during grain shortages. Although initially a grain product,potatoes started to be used in production in the late 18th century and became dominant from the early 19th century.[7] From the early 1870s, distillery equipment was improved.
Progressively from the 1960s, unflavoured Swedishbrännvin also came to be calledvodka. The first Swedish product to use this term wasExplorer Vodka, which was created in 1958 and initially was intended for the American export market. Although it ultimately failed in that market, it remains one of the most popular vodka brands in Sweden today.[8][9] In 1979,Absolut Vodka was launched, reusing the name of the oldAbsolut Rent Brännvin ("absolutely purebrännvin") created in 1879.[10]
In the US, aChicago producer makes a bitter brännvin (beskbrännvin), calledJeppson's Malört.[11] "Malört" (pronounced[ˈmɑ̂ːlœʈ]) is the Swedish word for the plantArtemisia absinthium, wormwood, often used as an ingredient inabsinthe.[citation needed]