On the manufacture and consumption of “saft” (Swedish Notes #3)

Today's topic concerns the traditional Swedish custom of "saft" brewing.

Often mistranslated with a benign-sounding word like "juice", saft bears little resemblance to what we know as juice. And although this potent and dangerous liquor is officially banned by the church authorities, it is still widely manufactured and consumed, particularly in the wild rural districts of the western coast.

Saft is made year-round, but it is in Summer that saft-making, with all the licentiousness and depravity that accompany it, reaches its frenzied peak. During summertime, the Swede, wild-eyed and “crazed with the saft”, will make his brew with whatever he finds at hand. No flower or berry is safe. Small pets are sometimes known to go missing. In wintertime, the saft-brewer cannot afford to be picky, and will use almost any available materials, the most common being potatoes and old shoes.


Blueberries may be extracted from these Swedish plants.