Hamburg Zanzibar Hanseatic Aquavit
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- ABV
- 40%
- Base spirit
- Unknown
- Color
- Clear
- Style
- Unaged Aquavit
Hamburg-Zanzibar Hanseatic Aquavit is a clear German aquavit produced in Hamburg’s Alstertal and bottled at 40% vol. in a 500 ml format. Its recipe is built around caraway, fennel and anise, together with five additional ingredients that have not been disclosed. The botanicals are distilled particularly slowly, contributing to the aquavit’s mild and rounded character.
The aquavit can be served neat at room temperature or over ice and has also been promoted for mixed drinks, including serves with tonic or ginger beer as an alternative to gin.
Hanseatic Aquavit also appears to represent a later development of Hamburg-Zanzibar’s earlier Echter Hamburger Aquavit. The earlier product was likewise a clear 40% vol. aquavit in a 500 ml bottle, made with caraway, fennel and anise, while the later version was marketed as Hanseatic Aquavit Echter Hamburger. These similarities strongly suggest continuity between the two expressions, although no direct statement confirming a formal renaming has been found.
Hamburg-Zanzibar also produced a matured counterpart, Nordic Aged Aquavit, which offered an oak-influenced interpretation of the distillery’s aquavit style. Both expressions were recognized at the World Drinks Awards 2022: Hanseatic Aquavit received Gold in the Unaged Aquavit category, while Aged Aquavit received Silver in the Aged category.
About the producer
Hamburg-Zanzibar
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg-Zanzibar is a small independent distillery located in northern Hamburg. The project began in 2017, when its founders started experimenting with distillation at home. In 2020, production moved into a converted barn in the Alstertal area, which now serves as the site for maceration, distillation and bottling. All spirits are made in small batches.
The name Hamburg-Zanzibar reflects the brand’s concept: a connection between its Hamburg origin and the use of spices associated with Zanzibar. This approach influences the selection of botanicals, primarily in their gin, but also in the aquavit range.
The distillery produces gin, vodka, aquavit and several experimental micro-batch spirits. The aquavit line includes two main expressions. Hanseatic Aquavit is based on a traditional combination of caraway, anise and fennel. Aged Aquavit undergoes maturation with oak, which adds a distinct wood character and a denser aromatic profile.
Both aquavits received awards at the World Drinks Awards in 2022: Hanseatic Aquavit was awarded gold, and Aged Aquavit received silver. At that time, Hamburg-Zanzibar was the only German producer of aquavit to be recognized at this competition.
Production remains entirely craft-based. Batch sizes are small, and all stages -from maceration to filtration – are managed manually. There is no automated line, and the focus is on consistency of recipes rather than volume.
Hamburg-Zanzibar illustrates how a modern small-scale German distillery can work with the aquavit category outside its traditional regions, maintaining classic foundations while applying its own approach to distillation and maturation.
