Kummel substitute

Best substitute

Aquavit

Use the same amount plus ½ tsp simple syrup per 2 oz as the kummel you are replacing

Best for sipping ice cold

Close match

Aquavit is by far the closest substitute: use it 1:1 and add half a teaspoon of simple syrup per 2 ounces, since aquavit is drier. Failing that, make your own by steeping a teaspoon of lightly crushed caraway seeds in half a cup of vodka for a day or two and sweetening it with 2 teaspoons of sugar. For cooking, skip the liqueur entirely and use a quarter teaspoon of toasted ground caraway plus a tablespoon of water or stock per tablespoon of kummel.

Other kummel substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Caraway seeds steeped in vodka, then sweetened
Close match
1 tsp crushed caraway seeds in ½ cup vodka for 24 to 48 hours, sweetened with 2 tsp sugar; use 1:1
Kummel is essentially caraway, sugar and neutral spirit, so making it is straightforward and the result is genuinely close.
What changes
Best for
cocktails, sipping, cooking, cabbage and pork dishes, rye bread glaze
Crush the seeds lightly with the flat of a knife first or nothing will come out of them, and strain thoroughly or the drink will keep getting stronger and turn harsh. Taste after 24 hours; caraway extracts fast and can go from pleasant to medicinal. It will be slightly cloudier and less rounded than the commercial bottle.
3Gin with crushed caraway
Different taste
Use the same amount with ¼ tsp crushed caraway steeped in 2 oz gin for 10 minutes, then strained
Gin brings the botanical spirit structure and the caraway brings the flavour that defines kummel.
What changes
Best for
cocktails, Silver Bullet style drinks, long drinks with soda
Juniper sits underneath in a way it does not in kummel, so the drink reads as a spiced gin rather than a caraway liqueur. It is also drier, so add half a teaspoon of simple syrup per 2 ounces. Strain properly, since caraway steeped too long turns soapy.
4An anise liqueur such as sambuca, ouzo or pastis
Different taste
Use the same amount or ⅔ the amount if using sambuca
Licorice and anise instead of caraway, but the same role in a drink: a sweet, aromatic seed liqueur with real presence.
What changes
Best for
cocktails, after-dinner drinks, sauces for fish
This changes the identity of the drink rather than matching it. A Silver Bullet made with sambuca tastes of licorice and is much sweeter, so use less and add a squeeze of lemon. Choose pastis over sambuca if you want it drier. Fine as a last resort, not a real match.
5Toasted ground caraway with water or stock (cooking only)
Close match
¼ tsp toasted ground caraway plus 1 tbsp water or stock replaces 1 tbsp kummel
In a braise, a cabbage dish or a glaze, the alcohol contributes almost nothing and the caraway contributes everything, so the seed on its own does the job.
What changes
Best for
braised cabbage, pork and sauerkraut, goulash, rye bread glaze, potato dishes
Toast the seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds until fragrant before grinding, which makes a large difference. This is the best answer for savoury cooking and the wrong answer for a drink, since there is no sweetness, no alcohol and no clarity.
6Sweetened caraway tea (non-alcoholic)
Close match
Use the same amount
Steep a teaspoon of lightly crushed caraway seeds in half a cup of hot water for ten minutes, strain, and stir in a teaspoon of sugar.
What changes
Best for
alcohol-free drinks, sauces, glazes, cooking for a mixed table
The caraway flavour comes through clearly and the sugar covers the liqueur's sweetness. What is missing is the warming alcoholic bite, which is a large part of why kummel is drunk neat and cold. In a sauce or a glaze nobody will notice; as a sipping drink it is a herbal tea rather than a substitute.

What is Kummel?

Kummel is Kummel, also spelled kuemmel, is a clear, lightly sweet northern European liqueur flavoured mainly with caraway seed alongside cumin and fennel, dry enough to sip neat but sweet enough to count as a liqueur.

Cooking tips

The honest headline is that nothing else on a normal back bar tastes of caraway except aquavit. If you have neither bottle, whole caraway seed from the spice rack is a better answer than reaching for another liqueur, because caraway is the entire point of kummel.
Toast caraway seeds in a dry pan for about thirty seconds before crushing or steeping them. The aroma roughly doubles and it is the difference between a convincing substitute and a vaguely herbal one.
Caraway is potent and turns soapy when overused. A quarter teaspoon per portion is plenty in a dish, and a teaspoon per half cup is plenty in an infusion. If a homemade version tastes medicinal, you steeped it too long rather than used the wrong seeds.
Kummel is traditionally served ice cold and neat, straight from the freezer, and cold mutes both the sweetness and the caraway. Chill any substitute the same way before deciding whether it works, or you will judge it too sweet.
Its most useful kitchen role is a splash in braised cabbage, sauerkraut, a pork stew or a goulash, added in the last few minutes. It also flatters rye bread, smoked fish and anything with mustard in it, which is exactly the company caraway keeps.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave kummel out?

In cooking, yes, and most dishes barely notice; a quarter teaspoon of toasted ground caraway gives you the flavour without the bottle. In a cocktail such as a Silver Bullet, where kummel is one of only two or three ingredients and is carrying the whole aromatic identity, leaving it out produces a plain, dull drink, so substitute aquavit or a homemade caraway infusion instead.

Is kummel the same as aquavit?

They are close relatives, not the same thing. Both are northern European caraway spirits. Kummel is sweetened, so it counts as a liqueur, and leads with caraway plus a little cumin and fennel. Aquavit is dry, usually unsweetened, and often carries dill, fennel or citrus alongside the caraway. Aquavit plus a little sugar is the best substitute for kummel, and kummel minus its sweetness would nearly be aquavit.

Can I make kummel at home?

Yes, and it is one of the easier liqueurs to make. Steep a teaspoon of lightly crushed caraway seeds in half a cup of vodka for a day or two, strain, then sweeten with about two teaspoons of sugar and taste. Adding a pinch of cumin seed and a few fennel seeds to the infusion makes it noticeably more complex and closer to the commercial version.

Does caraway from the spice rack work as a substitute?

For cooking, yes, and it is the best option. Use a quarter teaspoon of toasted ground caraway plus a tablespoon of water or stock in place of a tablespoon of kummel. For a drink it falls short on its own, because you also need the sweetness and the alcohol, but steeping the same seeds in vodka overnight solves that.

How long does an open bottle keep?

Effectively indefinitely, since it is a sweetened spirit and nothing in it spoils. What does fade is the caraway aroma, which softens noticeably after a couple of years open. That matters if you are sipping it and not much if you are adding a splash to braised cabbage. Store it upright in a cool cupboard, or in the freezer if you drink it neat.

Related substitutes

More liquor substitutes

Kummel substitute

Other kummel substitutes

2Caraway seeds steeped in vodka, then sweetened

3Gin with crushed caraway

4An anise liqueur such as sambuca, ouzo or pastis

5Toasted ground caraway with water or stock (cooking only)

6Sweetened caraway tea (non-alcoholic)