Drink of the Week: Batch 22 Aquavit

Aquavit is a Scandinavian product that’s been in the back pocket of American bars in favor of alpine spirits. Filled with herbaceous, savory notes of caraway and dill, and occasionally anise, fennel, and coriander, it can be a love-or-hate situation for some drinkers. So for small-batch Canadian and American makers, it’s become an opportunity to tinker. Enter Batch 22, an American spin on the old-world spirit. Made by three friends in their L.A. kitchen, the pandemic project was a successful attempt at creating an approachable, citrus-forward aquavit. “I’ve never been much of a fan of anise and fennel, so my original recipe pulled back on those quite a bit,” explains co-founder Matthew Arkin. “Then, working with my partners Bruce [Glassman] and Marc [Marosi], we continued to refine and mellow it by placing more emphasis on the citrus and herbal components.”

Batch 22’s aquavit is balanced, smooth, and complex. It starts with a welcoming aroma of citrus and finishes with a lingering cinnamon spice on the palate. Awarded Specialty Spirit of the Year at the 2022 New Orleans Spirits Competition, Batch 22 is an easy-drinking spirit that can be enjoyed neat or mixed seamlessly into cocktails. 750ml/$39.99, drinkbatch22.com