Sound Spirits Aquavit was the earlier, pre-2015 version of the Seattle distillery’s Scandinavian-style spirit, released under a different label before the rebranded Blekksprut Aquavit appeared in March 2015. This expression was positioned as a traditional aquavit built around classic Nordic botanicals: caraway, dill, coriander, fennel, and anise.

The spirit drew notable attention in Seattle’s cocktail community. Writers and bartenders consistently highlighted its balance of savory caraway with layered anise, lemon-citrus brightness, and clean herbal complexity. Reviewers described it as “savory, yet surprisingly refreshing” and praised its ability to stand out in a category where many domestic aquavits blended together.

Unlike many grain-neutral-spirit aquavits, this early Sound Spirits version used a base of Washington malted barley, contributing to a richer, weightier mouthfeel that carried the botanicals with depth and texture — “like a Viking longship through fog”, as one review put it.

Sound Spirits Aquavit was promoted both as a neat-sipping spirit and as a cocktail component, appearing in aquavit tastings and even being suggested as a preview sampler before classes hosted by Old Ballard Liquor Company, the other major aquavit voice in Seattle at the time.

Though later replaced in branding and presentation by Blekksprut Aquavit, this earlier Sound Spirits Aquavit played an important role in shaping Seattle’s modern aquavit culture and establishing the distillery’s reputation for bold, Nordic-inspired spirits.