My husband’s family follows Danish tradition for special occasions. This means they drink that fire water also known as Akavit. That caraway flavoured stuff that burns all the way down and continues to smolder in your stomach, requiring the taste and soothing temperature of cold smoky fish to trick you into thinking you want some more. After a few you no longer care about anything, least of all an Akavit hangover, something his family insists doesn’t exist.
My father -in-law was a staunch Christian who would tell you he kept no alcohol in the house. I was amazed that first Thanksgiving dinner when an entire bottle of Akavit was consumed. I guess that doesn’t count. Oh, did I mention the tradition of chasing it with beer? It was Tuborg and I guess in Denmark that doesn’t count either. So, although he "didn’t drink" he put on quite the party.
Traditional Danish akavit has been produced by the Aalborg company for over 150 years. And like many North American companies, it was recently sold. And to a Swede! If there is such a thing as rolling in your grave, my father-in-law is doing it. In its corporate wisdom, this Swedish company has made the decision to discontinue exporting the stuff to North America, saying it’s too small a market.
Feeding frenzy! The Danish-Canadian club in BC put out a call to all its members who bought up the remaining 718 bottles of Akavit in British Columbia. Unfortunately, by law, they can’t sell the bottles, only serve it. The rest of us, not quite Danish enough to join the club, have been left in the dust. It’s a good thing we had three bottles left from my daughter’s wedding to cover our Danish Christmas frokust for 22 last night.
This has an acceptable ending. The BC liquor board, realizing the crisis, has contracted with a (cover your ears, Dad) Norwegian company to supply Akavit in the future. If you have a link to the afterlife, don’t tell my father-in-law – I like the Norwegian stuff better. He’d blame it on my Poli-Rican taste buds. Skoal!
My Christmas gift from my three offspring plus two:
Life's a Stitch 
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