Brännvin

A bottle of brännvin.

Brännvin is a Swedish word for liquor distilled from potatoes, grain, or (formerly) wood cellulose; it may be flavored or unflavored. The term includes vodka and akvavit, but akvavit is always flavored.

Beverages labelled brännvin or viina are usually unflavored and have an alcohol content between 30% and 38% ABV. European Union regulations reserve the name "vodka" for beverages distilled to at least 95% ABV and bottled at 37.5% or higher. In Finland, the word viina is always used for Finnish-made neutral spirit, including Finnish vodka, and the Russian word (vodka) is used only for vodkas from other countries. In informal speech, viina can also refer to any similarly strong beverage, whether flavored or unflavored.

The term "vodka" was not used for Swedish vodkas before 1958.

The word brännvin means "burnt wine"; the Finnish equivalent (palo)viina means "burnt liquor." (Sometimes the distillation of beverages is called "burning.") It has the same linguistic roots as English brandy and German Branntwein.

Other languages

The Norwegian word is brennevin. The Danish word is brændevin. The Finnish word is (palo)viina.

There is also an Icelandic version, called brennivín, which is similar to Danish and Swedish akvavit.

Brands of brännvin

• Koskenkorva Viina
• Svenskt brännvin
• Fläder brännvin
• Särna vatten

See also

• Alcoholic beverages in Sweden
• Brennivín
• Snaps

External links

• http://www.vinosprithistoriska.se/?id=891 Short introduction to brännvin. The Historical Museum of Wines and Spirits. English.