Nymodig Aquavit Licorice
Seattle, Washington, United States
- ABV
- 40%
- Base spirit
- Unknown
- Color
- Unknown
- Style
- Unaged Aquavit
Nymodig Aquavit Licorice was a Danish-style aquavit produced by Old Ballard Liquor Co. in Seattle, Washington. It formed part of the distillery’s wider aquavit range and was designed around a dry, licorice-forward profile rather than sweetness. Old Ballard’s own menu described it as “very dry” with a woodsy finish.
Its documented botanical bill consisted of caraway, fennel and anise. This made Nymodig one of the more distinctly anise-led aquavits in the Pacific Northwest craft-distilling scene, while still retaining caraway as part of the recipe. Contemporary coverage specifically identified Nymodig among the region’s anise-forward aquavits.
Nymodig was bottled at 40% ABV. Old Ballard paired it with pickled herring and also used it in the Salt Lakrits Collins, a house cocktail combining the aquavit with simple syrup, lemon, herbs, salt and soda. Production ended with Old Ballard Liquor Co.’s distilling operations in 2018.
About the producer
Old Ballard Liquor Co.
Seattle, Washington, United States
Old Ballard Liquor Co. was a small distillery established in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, an area with longstanding Scandinavian cultural ties. The company opened in the summer of 2013 under its owner and distiller, known publicly as Lexi, and made aquavit the central part of its spirits program.
Rather than producing a single house aquavit, Old Ballard developed a broad range inspired by different Scandinavian styles and seasonal ingredients. Its principal expressions included the Norwegian-style Riktig, the citrus-led Älskar, and the dill-focused Midsommar, alongside limited releases such as spruce-tip, licorice, holiday-spice and cask-strength aquavits. The distillery’s production approach commonly began with a clear distilled aquavit base and, depending on the expression, could include further botanical infusion or wood treatment.
In 2016, the distillery expanded its Ballard premises with a Scandinavian café. Two years later, Old Ballard discontinued distilling and shifted the site toward a Nordic restaurant and bar concept. The business ultimately closed in February 2019, ending a roughly six-year period in which aquavit had been its defining product category.
