Spirits of Iceland Aquavit Angelica & Caraway
Reykjavík, Höfuðborgarsvæði, Iceland
- ABV
- 38%
- Base spirit
- Unknown
- Color
- Clear
- Style
- Unaged Aquavit
Spirits of Iceland Aquavit Angelica & Caraway is a small-batch Icelandic aquavit produced in Reykjavík by Hálogi Distillery. Bottled at 38% ABV in a 500 ml format, it combines a traditional caraway-led aquavit profile with handpicked Icelandic angelica and wild Arctic thyme.
Caraway forms the backbone of the recipe. Spirits of Iceland notes that although some caraway grows wild on Viðey Island, the quantities are limited, so the distillery selects caraway seed from Finland for consistency. The angelica is handpicked each June in Hvanneyri, while wild Arctic thyme is gathered in July from remote Icelandic moorland.
The resulting expression is one of the producer’s most explicitly traditional aquavits, pairing the defining caraway character with two botanicals closely associated with Icelandic landscapes and foraging traditions.
About the producer
Hálogi Distillery
Reykjavík, Höfuðborgarsvæði, Iceland
Hálogi Distillery, operating under the Spirits of Iceland name, is a family-run micro-distillery in Reykjavík. Its origins trace to 2015, when Magnús, drummer in the Icelandic heavy-metal band Black Death, received a bottle of homemade spirit as payment for playing at a wedding. Back home, he began experimenting with the spirit together with his brother Snorri and their mother Rán, infusing small samples with Icelandic herbs, berries and other local ingredients.
Early experiments included wild thyme, blueberries and angelica, followed by trials with seaweed that helped shape the family’s idea of creating spirits rooted in Icelandic ingredients. After obtaining permission for experimental alcohol production, the project developed into Hálogi Distillery. A family friend, the historian Hjörtur, became involved as a taster during the development process.
The distillery’s later range expanded into aquavit, Brennivín, gin, vodka and seasonal or limited-edition spirits, with Icelandic botanicals remaining a recurring element of the house style. Today, Spirits of Iceland continues to present itself as a Reykjavík micro-distillery focused on handcrafted spirits that combine Icelandic tradition with locally inspired ingredients.