From Michael Brady
Asker, Norway
Reader Ronald Smith of Perth, Scotland, discovered that the gin he won in
Feedback’s Christmas competition was none the worse for travelling to Perth,
Australia, and back
(Feedback, 21 February).
For aquavit, the leader among native Scandinavian spirits, such journeys are
held to improve the drink. Norwegian Linje (“line”—the equator) Aquavit is
guaranteed to have crossed the equator twice in the hold of a ship, named on the
reverse of each label. Sloshing around in a cask with the roll and pitch of a
ship is thought to improve flavour.
The label on our current household bottle proudly proclaims that its contents
were on board the M/S Tourcoing on its round-the-world voyage via Australia,
from 22 April to 1 September 1997.
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We paid the equivalent of £24.75 for the bottle. Reader Smith paid only
£14.62 to claim his gin, which had made an equivalent trip by air,
crossing the equator twice. Did he notice any improvement? A new field of
research beckons.
