🥃 Linie Aquavit
Norwegian aquavit brand: potato spirit with caraway and dill, aged in oloroso sherry casks and carried by sea across the equator; 41.5% ABV.
Linie Aquavit is a Norwegian aquavit brand. Before bottling, the spirit is aged in casks that once held oloroso sherry and is shipped by sea so that it crosses the equator twice. The Norwegian word “linie” means “line”, that is, the equator. The base is potato spirit flavoured with caraway, dill and other spices; strength is 41.5% ABV.
History. According to The Spirits Business, in 1805 the shipowner Katarina Lysholm sent casks of aquavit on the brig “Trondhjems Prøve” to the East Indies. The spirit was not sold, and after almost two years at sea it returned to Trondheim noticeably smoother. Her nephew Jørgen B. Lysholm made sea ageing a rule; sources give different launch dates for the brand, from 1821 to the late 1830s.
How it is made. The spirit is distilled from potatoes, as Norwegian aquavit must be, and flavoured with caraway, dill, aniseed, fennel and coriander. First it matures for about a year in oloroso sherry casks in warehouses near Oslo, then for about four months it travels on ships of the Wilhelmsen company, with which the brand has worked since 1927.
Label and producer. According to Difford’s Guide, the back label shows the name of the ship and the dates of both equator crossings. The brand belongs to Arcus, Norway’s largest spirits producer. Data from 2020 show that about a million litres are produced each year, and roughly 90% of it is exported.
Why this matters to you. “Linie” is the name of the brand and of the ageing method, not a separate legal category: the EU aquavit rules and the Norsk Akevitt geographical indication apply. The voyage dates on the label confirm the history of the bottle, but they do not make the drink any gentler on the body. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 41.5% ABV |
|---|---|
| Raw material | potato spirit; caraway, dill, aniseed, fennel, coriander |
| Cask type | oak casks previously used for oloroso sherry |
| Minimum maturation | under the Norsk Akevitt GI, at least 6 months in casks up to 1,000 l; for Linie, about a year on land and about 4 months at sea |
| Year founded | first sea voyage in 1805; the brand dates from 1821 to the late 1830s, according to different sources |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787, category 24 (aquavit); Norsk Akevitt GI — Regulation (EU) 2020/156 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Linie Aquavit → kind of → 🌱 Caraway spirits and aquavit → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oloroso, 🍷 Sherry, 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Norwegians
- Part of
- 🥃 Norwegian aquavit (Norsk Akevitt), 🥃 Aquavit, 🌱 Caraway spirits and aquavit
- Related to
- 🌍 Northern Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥔 Potato vodka, 🥃 Vikingfjord
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Linie Aquavit really crosses the equator?
Yes. According to the producer and trade publications, the casks spend about four months on Wilhelmsen ships and cross the equator twice; the dates are printed on the back label.
What does the word “Linie” mean?
In Norwegian, “linie” means “line”: this is what sailors called the equator.
What is Linie Aquavit made from?
From potato spirit flavoured with caraway, dill, aniseed, fennel and coriander; it is aged in oloroso sherry casks.
What is the strength of Linie Aquavit?
According to Difford’s Guide, 41.5% ABV.
Who makes Linie Aquavit?
The Norwegian company Arcus; the brand’s history is linked to the Lysholm family of Trondheim.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🌍 Northern Europe — Scandinavia, Finland, Denmark and Iceland: a cold land of cows, Icelandic skyr, Norwegian brunost and Danish cheeses with protected names.
- 🥔 Potato vodka — Vodka from alcohol obtained by fermenting and distilling potatoes: in the EU 37.5% vol. or more, and the 'produced from…' statement is not required.
- 🥃 Vikingfjord — Norwegian vodka from potato spirit and Norwegian water, distilled in a special five-column process; 37.5% ABV in Norway; brand of Arcus, now listed by Anora Norway.
Similar
🥃 Vikingfjord · 🥃 Cherry Heering · 🥃 Gammel Dansk · 🥃 Glengoyne · 🥃 Benrinnes · 🥃 Ben Nevis
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Spirits Business (09.06.2020), Tom Bruce-Gardyne: Linie — a brand history (Catharina Lysholm 1805, brig Trondhjems Prøve; Wilhelmsen since 1927; ~1 year in oloroso casks near Oslo, ~4 months at sea; ~1 million litres, ~90 % exported; owner Arcus)
- Difford's Guide: Lysholm Linie Aquavit (41.5 %; Arcus Produkter AS; potato spirit; caraway, dill, anise, fennel, coriander; oloroso-seasoned oak; ship name and equator dates on the label)
- VinePair: Making This Nordic Spirit Means Crossing the Equator Twice (1805 voyage to Batavia; Jørgen B. Lysholm; four-month voyage, two equator crossings)
- DigitaltMuseum: Lysholm Linie Aquavit, Vinmonopolet bottle (M/S Tirranna, Wilhelmsen Lines, 1965–1966; produced since 1927 except 1943–1944; Arcus AS)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I: category 24 (akvavit), brandy (from 36 % vol., oak maturation)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/156 registering «Norsk Akevitt»/«Norwegian Aquavit» as a geographical indication
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)