Old Skål, aka church breaker

To paraphrase Tupac, “I wouldn’t be here today if the old Skål didn’t pave the way.” So for my inaugural aquavit post, I’m going with the OG of Nordic recipes made with caraway and dill. I add fennel because it’s common in Scandinavian mixtures and because I always have it in the garden. The warm, rich flavors are hard to just sip. Give in, shoot it, and shout Skål

The OG of Nordic aquavits

The old Skål, aka church breaker gives a nod to Eske Bille, a 16th century Danish statesman who is credited with penning the earliest mention of aquavit in 1531. Charged with fortifying the Danish town of Bergen, he tore down houses of worship and replaced them with ramparts. He also touted aquavit as a tonic. Presumably the moniker “church breaker” came because he tore down the churches, not because he encouraged people to stay home Sundays and drink the spirits he advocated