Gotlandsdricka

Gotlandsdricka (in modern Gutnish drikke or drikko, and drikku) is a traditional homebrewed alcoholic beverage made on the island of Gotland, Sweden. It is a kind of ale, closely related to the Finnish sahti, with a smoky, bitter-sweet, spicy (juniper) flavor.

It is similar to an everyday drink used during the Viking Age in most Nordic countries. The tradition of brewing drikke has survived on Gotland, a process that was originally carried out exclusively by women.

Difficult to produce for commercial distribution, it has become a cultural marker for Gotlanders. An annual drikke brewing world championship is held in Gotland each autumn.

Drikke is a traditional, homebrewed, fermented, unfiltered and unpasteurized alcoholic beverage made on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. The main ingredients are juniper boughs, malt, hops, yeast, water and sugar. The taste is smoky, bitter-sweet, full-bodied and spicy with a significant juniper flavor. Usually dark yellow to golden brown, sometimes with a pink tint and somewhat turbid, it is usually consumed while it is still young and fermenting.Drikke is a perishable product that takes about a week to ferment and should be consumed within another two weeks. After that the taste usually deteriorates, depending on the recipe and the brewing technique. Because of the brew's sweetness, it can be hard to appreciate its alcohol content, which is anywhere from 3 to 12% depending on the amount of sugar added, usually 4-5%.

The name gotlandsdricka literally means "Gotlandic drink". Gotlanders take great care to distinguish between drikke and ale or beer.Drikke was originally served only with meals, as is milk, water or wine in various modern day cultures. Beer and ale were once considered "alcoholic beverages", whereas different types of malt drinks and drikke were not—these were served to everyone in the family including children. In pre-industrialized Sweden, these drinks were made from malt, juniper, birch sap and honey. The drink made from juniper was considered the poor man's drink and the birch sap even more so. Malt drinks were regarded as the best and were served at special occasions. Simpler drinks made from honey were not brewed like mead. After the honey had been extracted from the honeycombs, they were boiled in water. After cooling, the wax was removed and the remaining honey water left to ferment. Only two of these are still frequently used with meals: svagdricka and gotlandsdricka.

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