Batch 22 Classic Gold Aquavit

Cool Factor

A

Offering a new take on a classic can be a nerve-racking undertaking, but when you nail it like this Batch 22 Classic Gold, it’s 100 percent cool!

Value Grade

B

Selling at $60 a bottle this exceptional spirit is saved for valued weekends.

Analysis

Batch 22 Gold is an American translation of Aquavit, not an artifact copy of the Nordic original. Traditional Aquavit leans on caraway or dill, often with fennel, anise, and cumin. This Los Angeles spirit keeps the first two and turns up the citrus — a smart play for drinkers who know Gin and Vodka better than Scandinavian spirits. The backstory is stubbornly personal. In the 1970s, Matthew Arkin tasted an unnamed Eastern European spirit while visiting his father, Alan Arkin, on a film set, then spent decades failing to find it again. During the pandemic he started distilling the memory at home, and friends Marc Marosi and Bruce Glassman helped turn formula number twenty-two into a commercial bottle. Hence the name. Distilled six times from grain, unsweetened, and bottled at 40% ABV, it is built for sipping and equally at home in a cocktail. Pour accordingly.

How to Enjoy

Sip neat or chilled. For cocktails, think of the Batch 22 Classic Gold as an adventurous Gin — a Martini will set you on that journey.