A Brush with (Black) Death

Cold, miserable wet night in Philly. Having spent a few hours on the river out in the elements, I was definitely in the mood for a "pick-me-up", and this fit the bill. I'm not entirely sure why, but we've got several bottles of Iceland's Brennivin - the Black Death, or svarti dauði. Not just from our own travels to Iceland, but also received as gifts from others Reykjavík returned. We keep drinking it, yet more bottles keep showing up in the freezer.

Given Iceland's liquor tax laws, this is sort of the Icelandic equivalent of Cisco. Sort of. I rather like it anyways. Distilled from potato pulp liquor, and then flavoured with caraway seeds, the flavor is singular, unique, and persistent. Of a family with akvavit, though the roasting of the caraway seeds lends a brightly identifiable character. For a sense of the kind of inspirational power Brennivin has, I highly recommend clicking on the photo below.