Brennivín Original Icelandic Aquavit

Brennivín Original Icelandic Aquavit is Iceland’s best-known caraway spirit and one of the country’s most recognizable alcoholic brands. The original Brennivín was introduced in 1935, when Iceland partially lifted its prohibition restrictions and the state alcohol authority began producing alcoholic beverages. State production continued until 1992, when ÁTVR ceased manufacturing and sold its production equipment to private companies.

The spirit is built around caraway and Icelandic water and is bottled today at 40% ABV. The current 700 ml glass bottle is classified by Vínbúðin as Akvavit, with Kveldúlfur Distillery ehf. listed as producer and Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson ehf. as supplier. The standard expression is clear and colorless.

Brennivín became widely known by the nickname “Svarti dauði” (“Black Death”). According to Ölgerðin, the original black label was deliberately chosen to make the bottle less attractive and discourage consumption, but the effect was the opposite: the label became one of the defining symbols of the spirit and of Icelandic drinking culture.

For much of its history Brennivín was principally an Icelandic domestic spirit, but international distribution expanded in the 2010s. U.S. importation began in 2014, and the brand subsequently became more widely available in North America. Ölgerðin’s company filings state that the Brennivín word and figurative marks are registered in the European Union and the United Kingdom, while the Brennivín word mark is registered in Canada.

The standard Brennivín remains in active production in several formats, including 50 ml miniatures, 500 ml bottles, a 700 ml glass bottle and a 1 litre glass bottle.