Celery Caraway and Rhubarb Aquavit

Aquavit, or “water of life” in Swedish is basically a high proof Vodka, but you can tell from it’s name, that it’s also culturally important. Afterall, it’s a long cold Winter so far North, and there is a lot of time for staying indoors, sitting around fires and telling stories with friends. Aquavit is often flavored and it’s hard to find in the United States’ but good news: Aquavit is easy to make your own. I made three flavors: Celery Caraway and Rhubarb Aquavit and used them to make some fabulous cocktails to start the night off right for my Scandinavian Thanksgiving using, you guessed it fresh caraway seeds, frozen rhubarb stalks, and fresh celery. When crafting the cocktails, I used the celery and caraway seed aquavit together with a celery simple syrup to make a very cool Celery spritzer and then I used the rhubarb with some Rhuby, a local Philly spirit from Art in the Age to make a rhubarb spritzer. I also used the leftover celery aquavit to make some of the best Bloody Mary’s and Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative cocktails I’ve had. It was a great excuse to set up a Bloody Mary Bar and have a Mary mixing party. Now that you’re properly inspired, here’s all it takes to make the requisite Aquavit.

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Celery Caraway and Rhubarb Aquavit

Celery Caraway and Rhubarb Aquavit or water of life in Swedish are fun and easy infused vodka spirits perfect to add extra oomph to Bloody Mary's.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time1 day d 10 minutes mins

Author: Barrett Bridenhagen

Ingredients

Celery

• 8 -12 stalks celery cut to fit 1 quart jar
• vodka

Caraway Seed

• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 2 cups vodka
• 1 good piece of lemon peel optional
• 1 pint jar

Rhubarb

• 2 cups chopped rhubarb I used frozen
• 1 quart jar
• vodka to cover

Instructions

• Top with vodka. Seal the jars and let infuse at least overnight, but up to a week will make them stronger. Have fun experimenting and make your perfect cocktails.