Söl Brennivín – Icelandic Aquavit
Reykjavík, Höfuðborgarsvæði, Iceland
- ABV
- 38%
- Base spirit
- Unknown
- Color
- Clear
- Style
- Unaged Aquavit
Söl is an Icelandic small-batch brennivín, or Icelandic-style aquavit, from Hálogi Distillery’s Spirits of Iceland range, launched alongside Hvönn by 2016. Its defining ingredients were Icelandic dill and seaweed: the dill was grown in greenhouses in South Iceland, while the seaweed was gathered along the south coast.
The bottle itself identifies the expression as a Seaweed & Dill Brennivín handcrafted in Reykjavík. Contemporary descriptions state that the seaweed was hand-picked at low tide and that both the seaweed and dill were used to give the spirit its distinctly Icelandic interpretation of aquavit.
The botanical artwork formed part of the same Söl/Hvönn packaging project developed with Studio Kristjana Williams.
Söl was bottled at 38% ABV in 500 ml bottles. Icelandic state sales statistics record Söl from 2016 through 2021. By 2022, Vínbúðin instead listed Spirits of Iceland Aquavit Seaweed Dill as a separate product, so the modern bottling should not automatically be treated as identical to historical Söl. The original Söl bottling should therefore be regarded as a historical expression no longer present in the current Spirits of Iceland range.
Bottle gallery
About the producer
Hálogi Distillery
Reykjavík, Höfuðborgarsvæði, Iceland
Hálogi Distillery, operating under the Spirits of Iceland name, is a family-run micro-distillery in Reykjavík. Its origins trace to 2015, when Magnús, drummer in the Icelandic heavy-metal band Black Death, received a bottle of homemade spirit as payment for playing at a wedding. Back home, he began experimenting with the spirit together with his brother Snorri and their mother Rán, infusing small samples with Icelandic herbs, berries and other local ingredients.
Early experiments included wild thyme, blueberries and angelica, followed by trials with seaweed that helped shape the family’s idea of creating spirits rooted in Icelandic ingredients. After obtaining permission for experimental alcohol production, the project developed into Hálogi Distillery. A family friend, the historian Hjörtur, became involved as a taster during the development process.
The distillery’s later range expanded into aquavit, Brennivín, gin, vodka and seasonal or limited-edition spirits, with Icelandic botanicals remaining a recurring element of the house style. Today, Spirits of Iceland continues to present itself as a Reykjavík micro-distillery focused on handcrafted spirits that combine Icelandic tradition with locally inspired ingredients.
