Matthew was visiting his father, actor Alan Arkin, on the set of a film when a grip pulled out a bottle with no label and poured for the cast and crew. Matthew and his dad remembered it being the most delicious and unique drink they’d ever tasted. For decades, they reminiscenced about the night they tasted that amazing spirit; not sweet, a hint of citrus, somewhat herbaceous. They searched liquor stores and tasted all kinds of bottles, but never found anything that approached the elixir they remembered.

 

Four decades later, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Matthew had a little downtime. His dad suggested making homemade aquavit. Soon, Matthew’s Los Angeles kitchen was strewn with Mason jars, citrus graters, spice grinders, lemons, and bunches of fresh herbs. He worked for weeks, refined his process, and finally poured a glass for his skeptical housemate Marc. His reaction was instantaneous. Matthew had somehow turned a handful of basic ingredients into gold.

 

After Marc and Matthew shared a bottle with their friend Bruce, a serious plan was hatched and they got to work. Using dozens of hand-zested lemons, bunches of hand-chopped herbs, and bowls of hand-ground spices, a final prototype batch was ready (the 22nd recipe). Magical, smooth, and complex, their creation was easy to sip on its own—straight from the freezer or at room temperature. It was also dynamite as a mixer for cocktails. It paired brilliantly with sodas, tonics, juices, and sparkling wine, and it also breathed new life into the classics, like the Negroni, the Bloody Mary, and the Mule.