Grand Hôtel launches its own premium aquavit: a tribute to Swedish flavor traditions with influences from Gotland

Grand Hôtel Stockholm introduces a new aquavit under its own name – developed in collaboration with Boge Bränneri on Gotland. With a lighter and more fresh character than traditional aquavit, the new spirit is rooted in the hotel’s gastronomic heritage and crafted to be enjoyed year-round, in both classic and modern settings. Grand Hôtel’s Aquavit will be served across all of the hotel’s restaurants and will also be available through Systembolaget’s order assortment.

At Grand Hôtel, aquavit has been a natural part of the culinary experience for a long time, from festive tables at the historic Verandan to a recurring feature on the cocktail menu at Cadierbaren. Now, Grand Hôtel presents its own premium aquavit, featuring classic notes of dill, caraway, and fennel, balanced with a subtle hint of raspberry. The aquavit has been developed by Grand Hôtel, led by Anton Windmar, Head of Bars, and Assistant Food & Beverage Manager Simon Samuelsson, in close collaboration with distiller Truls Nanneson of Boge Bränneri on Gotland.

The collaboration has evolved over time, with Boge Bränneri’s distillates previously appearing on Cadierbaren’s cocktail menu. With a shared focus on flavor and craftsmanship, the project has developed step by step, from joint sessions on Gotland to ongoing tastings in Stockholm.

Karl Persson, Food & Beverage Manager at Grand Hôtel, describes the ambition: “Our goal has been to create an aquavit that feels both familiar and new. Our returning guests should recognize the flavor, but there should also be something new for the attentive palate to discover. The raspberry adds an unexpected dimension while enhancing the classic notes without overpowering them. It has a higher level of freshness and a distinct elegance compared to traditional aquavit, making it more versatile when paired with food. It works just as well as a schnapps for Midsummer celebrations as it does as an ingredient in a cocktail.”

The aquavit is based on Swedish neutral spirit and meets the requirements to be classified as Swedish aquavit, a protected designation that sets standards for both raw materials and seasoning, with caraway, dill, and fennel forming the core flavor profile. These classic flavors are combined with a subtle hint of raspberry from Stenhuse Gård on Gotland, along with notes of calamus root. The aquavit has also been oak-aged, using oak sourced from a Gotland farm environment, contributing to a rounded and complex character.

Truls Nanneson, distiller at Boge Bränneri, comments on the flavor profile:
“I work with innovation through tradition, so I began the process by revisiting older, more classic aquavit recipes. From there, we developed an expression that feels relevant today. Instead of citrus, which is often used to create freshness, we chose to work with raspberries from Gotland. Both to bring in a fresh character and to establish a clear local connection. The oak used for aging comes from my own garden, you can’t get much more locally produced than that.”

Grand Hôtel’s Aquavit will be served across all of the hotel’s restaurants and will also be available from May 18 as a special-order item through Systembolaget’s order assortment, priced at 535 sek. Article number: 8235402.