The concept of Linie Aquavit happened by accident in the 1800s. Aquavit (pronounced ‘AH-keh’veet’ and sometimes spelled “akvavit”) is a potato-based liquor, flavored with caraway. Jørgen Lysholm owned a Aquavit distillery in Trondheim, Norway in the 1800’s. His mother and uncle, wanted to give Lysholm’s business a boost by looking for exportmarkets.

They sent a batch of aquavit to Asia on a large sailing ship, hoping to market it there.

It didn’t sell, however, and five barrels were shipped back to Trondheim. When the aquavit arrived back in Norway, Lysholm noticed it had a richer flavor. At that time, Norway was shipping dried cod around the world. Lysholm began loading barrels of aquavit onto freighters that carried the cod, and retrieving them at the end of a long round trip. Nowadays Linie aquavit is still produced the same way… It is shipped from Norway, across the equator, down to Australia, and back again in oak sherry casks. Afficionados say the liquor gains a richer flavor as it sloshes around in the barrels for several weeks.