Spirits for the World Cup Knockout Round: July 11, 2026

Over the years I’ve built a small global library of distilled spirits and fortified wines, and the World Cup Knockout Round feels like the perfect excuse to dig back into it - researching the producers, revisiting the bottles, and tasting my way through the bracket. Starting with the June 29th matches, I’ll be recommending one or two spirits for each game, whether they’re already on my shelf or simply deserve a place in the lineup. Click here to view the other World Cup Knockout Round matches.  Today's matches for July 11th:

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Norway vs England

Long Road Distillery Aquavit (Norway via Michigan)
I still haven’t acquired a Norwegian aquavit, so I’m turning to a domestic interpretation that helps illustrate the tradition. Aquavit (also spelled akvavit or akevitt) is the national distilled spirit of Norway, often referred to as the country’s “water of life.” It is a Scandinavian spirit distilled primarily from potatoes and flavored with aromatic herbs and spices, most notably caraway and dill. By law, “Norwegian aquavit” must be distilled from at least 95% Norwegian potatoes and aged in oak casks for a minimum of six months, which gives it a golden color and a complex profile involving notes of cumin, citrus, and vanilla. This combination of potato base, caraway‑forward seasoning, and oak aging defines the classic style and separates it from other European herbal spirits.

Long Road Distillery’s Aquavit from Michigan offers an American interpretation of this Scandinavian tradition. Instead of potatoes, the distillery uses red winter wheat, giving the spirit a softer grain sweetness and a rounder mouthfeel than its Norwegian counterparts. Yet the botanical structure remains faithful: caraway leads, supported by citrus peel, coriander, and other Nordic‑inspired aromatics. Without the legal requirement for oak aging, Long Road’s expression leans brighter and more spice‑driven, showing how American distillers can honor aquavit’s heritage while adapting it to local agriculture and production choices. 

Cotswolds Signature Single Malt Whisky (England)
At the 2024 BevFluence Baltimore Speakeasy, Tracie Franklin presented a Spirited Whisk(e)y’s of the World seminar, and I was gifted one of the open bottles of the Cotswolds Signature Single Malt Whisky. This release holds a notable place in English whisky history as the first whisky ever produced in the Cotswolds. It is crafted from locally grown, traditionally floor‑malted Cotswold barley — a slower, hands‑on method that preserves grain character shaped by the region’s limestone‑rich soils and cool temperate climate. The distillery emphasizes local agriculture and classic techniques, grounding the whisky in a clear sense of place.

Production follows a traditional Scottish approach. The mash is distilled in copper pot stills, beginning with a 2,500‑liter wash still and followed by a second run in a 1,600‑liter spirit still. The initial maturation occurs in STR (shaved, toasted, re‑charred) ex‑red wine barriques, a cask style known for adding depth, red‑fruit tones, and gentle spice. The whisky is then blended with spirit matured in first‑fill ex‑Bourbon barrels, which contribute vanilla, honey, and a cleaner oak profile. This dual‑cask strategy balances richness with freshness, giving the whisky both structure and lift.

The resulting spirit is notably fruity, with honeyed sweetness, orchard fruit, and a grassy element that reflects the underlying barley. The red‑wine barriques add warmth and subtle tannin, while the Bourbon barrels provide clarity and length. The palate is rounded and expressive, finishing with a mix of malt, fruit, and gentle oak.

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Argentina vs Switzerland

Fernet-Branca — Argentina’s National Drink (with Cola)

Fernet-Branca, founded in Milan in 1845, became deeply rooted in Argentine culture through immigration rather than marketing. Italian families brought the bitter digestivo with them, and over time it shifted from an after‑dinner medicinal spirit to a staple of social life. Today, the Fernet con Coca is one of Argentina’s most common mixed drinks, found at gatherings alongside fútbol, asado, and mate.

The spirit is made from a grape‑distillate base infused with 27 botanicals sourced from four continents, including saffron, gentian, aloe ferox, chamomile, myrrh, and mint. These ingredients are macerated and matured in large Slavonian oak casks, where extended resting integrates the herbal components and softens the bitterness. Production relies on long extraction times and slow barrel aging, creating a profile defined by strong herbal intensity, cooling mint, and deep earthy notes.

Fernet-Branca shows mint, dark chocolate, saffron, eucalyptus, and bitter herbs on the nose. The palate is firmly bitter with herbal depth, mint, spice, and subtle sweetness carried by a dense texture. The finish is long and mint‑driven. When mixed with cola, the bitterness sharpens the sweetness, the mint lifts the caramel notes, and carbonation adds balance. Fernet con Coca has become a shared custom across Argentina, turning a historic Italian amaro into a national everyday drink. Is 30%-70% your preferred ratio or are you a Coronado fan?

Midnight Moon Cherry Shine (Switzerland - Kirsch Alternative)
Kirsch (also known as Kirschwasser or cherry brandy) is widely considered the most typical and popular distilled spirit in Switzerland.  It is a clear, potent eau-de-vie made from distilling fermented cherries, with the region around Zug and Lake Lucerne being particularly renowned for its high-quality production. 

Unfortunately, there isn’t any Swiss Kirsch available in my area, so for today’s match I’m turning to an American cherry spirit that helps illustrate the category’s fruit‑driven character: Midnight Moon Cherry Shine from North Carolina’s Piedmont Distillers. The brand is tied to Junior Johnson, the legendary moonshiner‑turned‑NASCAR driver who later partnered with founder Joe Michalek.

Piedmont distills in copper pot stills, using a corn mash cut to 100 proof with filtered water as the base for Midnight Moon Cherry Shine. The only flavoring comes from real cherries added directly to the jar, which infuse the spirit without turning it syrupy. The result is a strong but not overly hot spirit: a little heat on the nose, softened by tart cherries on the palate. The profile lands pleasantly sweet‑and‑sour, with the fruit easing the proof and adding a clean, natural cherry character. While it’s far from the clear, bone‑dry intensity of Swiss Kirsch, Midnight Moon offers a useful contrast -- showing how American moonshine traditions interpret cherry spirits through corn, higher proof, and an Appalachian legacy.