Snow Angel & Kümmel
“Caraway spirits are finally having their day in craft distilling. Aquavits came first. Their cousins the Kümmels deserve fresh attention as well. ”
Kümmel means "Caraway" in German. A spice more associated with rye bread than spirits, caraway has a long tradition in liqueurs and spirits. The two main types of caraway spirits are Aquavit and Kümmel. Aquavit is a caraway-flavored spirit from Scandinavia. Distinctive features of Aquavit (another term meaning “Water of Life”) are barrel-aging, low or no sugar, flavors of caraway, cardamom, cumin, anise, fennel, and lemon or orange peel. Kümmels are more associated with Germany and the Netherlands, use sugar, and come a variety of strengths and intensities. Kümmels are usually sweetened. Both spirits are usually drunk straight.
Our Snow Angel kümmel (pronounced “kew as in dew + mel as in the name - so Kew-Mel) is a rare style sometimes referred to as “Allasch,” which referred to the Baltic origins of this sub-style. Since the Latvian origin was part of Russia at the time, it was also known as a “Russian” kümmel. Also know as a kümmel-doux or “soft” kümmel from the softening of the caraway edge in the distillate, usually from a pre-rinse or soak of the seeds.
For us, it’s exciting to explore botanical spirits with a non-juniper “cornerstone.” It’s like adding colors to the rainbow!