Tomten Aquavit Holiday Spice
Seattle, Washington, United States
- ABV
- 40%
- Base spirit
- Unknown
- Color
- Unknown
- Style
- Unaged Aquavit
Tomten Aquavit Holiday Spice was a seasonal Christmas aquavit produced by Old Ballard Liquor Co. in Seattle, Washington. It was part of the distillery’s rotating holiday range and was conceived specifically for Scandinavian winter drinking traditions, particularly glögg. Contemporary coverage described Tomten as a Yuletide aquavit and noted that it was produced for the holiday season rather than as a year-round core expression.
The recipe was built on caraway and a broad set of warming holiday spices. Seattle Magazine documented ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom, while Wine Enthusiast also recorded orange, apple and vanilla bean among the ingredients. Together these sources indicate a substantially more complex seasonal botanical profile than the simpler flavor designation “Holiday Spice” suggests.
Tomten was bottled at 40% ABV. Old Ballard particularly recommended it for glögg, and contemporary coverage also suggested it for eggnog or drinking on its own. The spirit disappeared with the end of Old Ballard’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.
