A unique and intricate history imagined for the modern-day cocktail
The history of aquavit is as rich and intricate as the regions it originates from. In addition to the unique blend of botanicals, each varietal of Svöl has visual cues that conceptually tie to each country of origin and the history it holds. While aquavit didn't exist until after the end of the Viking Age, many of the modern Scandinavian drinking traditions associated with aquavit were handed down from the Vikings, who drank copious amounts of beer and meade.
Each group of vikings that occupied modern-day Scandinavian countries held unique, identifiable characteristics, which was combined with regional geological landscapes in each ink illustration you’ll find on Svöl bottles.
Danish-style
Vikings that occupied the primary region known as modern-day Denmark were known for their ‘Danegeld' they collected from nearby villages. Danegeld—dane (Danish), geld (gold)—was a certain amount of gold paid to the Danish-region Vikings as a means to fend off any ransacking or trouble. In addition, Viking groups from the Danish region were known for their organized commerce and trade routes.
Geography specific to the Danish region include the Møns Klint chalk cliffs which are categorized as a UNESCO Biosphere site. Landmarks like the Chalk Cliffs of Møns Klint would have been used for visual navigation.
Swedish-style
Vikings that occupied the primary region known as modern-day Sweden were known for their unique blue tattoos that covered their entire bodies, including faces. Swedish Vikings were then known as 'Rus'. Unlike their Danish and Norwegian cousins who explored and conquered on the western European coast and across the North Atlantic Ocean, the Rus headed east, establishing settlements in modern Russia and Ukraine, and largely voyaged on the rivers in Eastern Europe.
Geography specific to the Swedish region include the archipelago areas—collections of small islands, often found near modern-day Stockholm and designated as a Ramsar site since 1989. Vikings were able to navigate the seas by using all of their senses, including being able to differentiate specific smells of trees specifically found on the Swedish archipelagos, miles from shore.
