The Bohemian King, Christian IV (1577-1648) was Norway’s most beloved ruler. Actually, a Danish King, Christian conquered Norway in 1596 and brought with him the fruits of the Renaissance – art, culture, music, food, wine – to the Norwegian people. He also brought an appreciation for a new spirit that was becoming all the rage among the Northern European aristocrats…’vodka’. In fact, it was in Christian’s Norwegian court that the original recipe for what is now ‘Christiania Vodka’ was perfected. It was the first to incorporate multiple distillations, raising vodka to premium status among the mid-millennium spirits. (Then as now, ‘the world’s smoothest vodka”.)

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Christian IV was an important and powerful king, a sensualist, warrior, artist, architect and renowned epicurean. More than anything, King Christian was a man of passion. So beloved by the Norwegian people, they named their capital Christiania after him (renamed Oslo in 1926). And so we too name our vodka in his honor.

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Let’s remember the great Bohemian King when we raise a glass of Christiania and say “Skäl”.