Linie Aquavit

In this year's SAVEUR 100, we take stock of our favorite things: recipes, people, places. We consider every last one a new classic.

By The Editors

Credit: Michael Kraus

Linie is the smoothest, richest aquavit we've ever sipped. Distilled from potatoes, with a robust caraway flavor, it's aged, per Norwegian law, in oak. But the Oslo-based makers of Linie take it even farther�literally�by sending their casks off in the holds of ships, on a 19-week voyage that crosses the equator twice. Along the way, the spirit sloshes around with the movement of the waves, and the barrels�formerly used to store sherry�swell and contract in extremes of heat and humidity, imparting the character of the wood and polishing the flavor, so that the gold-hued liquor tastes rounder and nuttier. While many aquavits overwhelm in cocktails, Linie mixes beautifully, providing a layer of deep, warm, woodsy spice.

Linie Aquavit, $27.99 for a 750ml bottle on Amazon.com