Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | A Taste of Finland
Gin and akvavit with a touch of history and nature Located in Fiskars Village, about an hour west of Helsinki, Ägräs Distillery is creating world-class premium spirits, surrounded by rich history and the raw magnificence of Finnish nature. By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Ägräs Distillery
When Ägräs Distillery was founded in 2016, the owners wanted to create really good spirits made from wild herbs from Fiskars, a small, historic village with less than 1,000 inhabitants. “Ägräs Distillery is named after an ancient Finnish God of vegetation, Ägräs. That is the core of our product philosophy. All the wild herbs, berries, flowers and roots that we use are naturally grown in Finland. Finnish nature is so vast and pure, so why go further for great ingredients?” says Tomi Purhonen, master distiller at Ägräs Distillery. “It really sets us apart that we use wild herbs and local ingredients for our spirits. We create both our gin and our akvavit like old potions, and we only use a handful of ingredients. Ägräs Gin, chosen as the best London Dry in Finland at the World Gin Awards 2018, has only four botanicals,” 68 | Issue 110 | March 2018
Purhonen continues. “We take great pride in creating tasty and smooth experiences with just a handful of ingredients.”
Akvavit – trending in cocktails Ägräs Distillery is encouraging bartenders to create exquisite cocktails with akvavit; it is not necessarily just a schnapps to enjoy at crayfish parties or traditional Christmas lunches. “The multidimensional taste and aromas of akvavit make it a very good base for cocktails. When introducing the traditional Scandinavian drink to Singapore, it was clear from the beginning that it was only feasible to do so through cocktails,” the master distiller explains. To further make akvavit easily approachable, Ägräs Distillery created a readyto-drink product – or a ‘long drink’, as
it is called in Finland – with akvavit. The Ägräs Long Drink Nordic Nettle is a refreshing drink with nettle, fennel, lemon and akvavit, perfect to combine with fish dishes. Ägräs Distillery’s very own distillery bar, Ägräs Distillery Tap Room, by the Fiskars river is open to the public. The bar was built by local carpenters, the glasses are made by local glass blowers and the cocktails are created using local wild herbs. Put simply, Tap Room captivates the essence of Ägräs Distillery and is a must-visit for anybody visiting the historic ironworks village. Ägräs’ products have been prized at numerous international spirits competitions and are available in Finland, and in just a few weeks they will also be available throughout the rest of Scandinavia. Web: www.agrasdistillery.com Facebook: Ägräs Distillery Instagram: @agrasdistillery