Touring Finland’s finest micro breweries & distilleries

Helsinki Distilling Co.

“Every civilized city needs a library, a theatre and a distillery” is the mantra of the Helsinki Distilling Company.

Transplanted Irishman Seamus Holohan is committed to making Finnish whiskey. The idea was born at a midsummer party with his two Finnish business partners Kai Kilpinen and master distiller Mikko Mykkänen ten years ago and today the Helsinki Distilling Company is the first distillery in the Finnish capital in over one hundred years.

HDCO opened its doors in the power plant of an old abattoir in 2014. The red brick buildings of Teurastamo have been reclaimed as an exciting culinary and cultural hub in the centre of Helsinki. Securing such a central location made it clear that HDCO would be a very urban distillery. With that in mind, architect Sigrid Holohan has created a bright, open space with clean lines characteristic of good Finnish design.

Using only the highest quality local ingredients, HDCO aims to bring a new level of sophistication to the drinking experience that emphasises education over effect. There are tastings here and even courses for those who wish to learn how to make their own spirits.

Plans for the future include a bar overlooking the distillery and the world’s first whiskey-powered sauna in the chimney heated by the waste from their whiskey production!

Our three favorite specialties include:
– Straight Rye Whiskey (a young version of the whiskey maturing in the barrels) that won gold at both Destine Berlin and at USIGE (Finland’s Whiskey Festival) in 2015
– A gin that mixes hints of rose petals and citrus
– A distilled apply brandy made with local fruit – mixing Nordic infusion of lingonberry and Applejack

Bryggeri

Brewery-Restaurant Bryggeri is located in the heart of Helsinki between the Market and Senate Squares, not far from the site where Finland’s first brewery opened its doors 257 years ago. Serving up a selection of fine Finnish beers on tap together with a seasonal menu of local Finnish food since 2013, it is a welcome addition to this historical neighbourhood.

Bryggeri’s own beers are brewed in the middle of the restaurant by accidental Brew Master Mathias Huffier, whose dream to become a teacher was permanently sidetracked when he did an internship in a brewery in 1996. Mathias does all his experimenting in full view of the dining clientele, handing out samples while he works.

Bryggeri’s beer flavours change with the seasons in the same way that their food does — stronger beers in winter and lighter, fresher beers in summer – with a myriad of options for all the in-between seasons.

Stallhagen

Stalllhagen Brewery is situated in the beautiful Åland Islands, half way between Finland and Sweden. It is worth making the trip here for the beer, the superb food in Stallhagen’s pub and the spectacular scenery.

Established in 2004, the brewery is just a short ten minute drive outside of the main island’s capital Mariehamn. The picturesque red wooden building that houses both the brewery and pub is surrounded by an apple orchard and endless fields. Down by the lake there is an amphitheatre used for musical events and festivals and there are plans underway to build a B&B on the grounds.

Stallhagen Brewery’s beer has an interesting story behind it: in 2010 an early 19th century shipwreck was discovered in the Åland archipelago along with several bottles of beer and champagne.

The beer was found to be perfectly preserved and has now been reproduced by Stallhagen Brewery as its very own Shipwreck Beer. The bottles are fashioned after champagne bottles complete with corks and the taste is light, fruity and surprisingly like true bubbly.

Brew Master Mats “Matte” Ekholm is the heart and soul of the operation. Originally from Hanko, Finland and a chef by trade, he is a visionary brewer. He makes what he calls Hand-Made Slow Beer because good beer takes time and care.

The brewery was initially intended to supply those living in the Åland archipelago but the demand for Matte’s beers throughout Finland and Sweden has meant that the Slow Beer Brew Master must hurry up!

Rekolan Panimo

A trip to Rekola Brewery is a journey back in time. It is located in Fiskars, a former industrial town founded in 1646 and now home to a thriving community of skilled artisans, who embrace the hand-made working methods of the past. Beautiful, with a river running through it, it is an idyllic setting for a brewery.

Jari Leinonen (or “Malty Jari” as he is more commonly referred to) came to Fiskars in 2014 and opened Rekolan Panimo brewery together with his business partner Juha Kuronen. A chef for 17 years before he turned his focus to brewing, Jari is interested in the health benefits of beer.

A look around his work space and it is easy to see that this Brew Master has culinary and medicinal instincts. There are bundles of herbs everywhere provided to him by a Scotsman who collects them from a nearby town. Jari uses only natural ingredients in his beers such as ginger, coriander, spruce and orange zest to create unique brews that are good for you.

For the beer tasting Brew Master Leinonen pulls out a selection of cheeses that he makes and sells up the road — both French-style cheeses and traditional Finnish ones. The British Brown Ale is made with spruce shoots, tastes of the forest and is intended to go with game meat and chanterelles.

All of Jari’s beers are living beers, non filtered and non pasteurized. And there is always one crazy experimental beer on offer. The Brew Master has something else up his sleeve: Agras Craft Distillery and tap room will be opening soon in Fiskars. Named after the Finnish god of grain, wild vegetables and plants, Agras will be producing digestive herbal spirits such as bitter, gin and aquavit.

Malmgård Brewery

Malmgård Brewery has its home in the humble cow shed of a 17th century estate located on the Forsby River near the town of Loviisa. The landscape here is stunning and the collection of old red wooden buildings scattered throughout the property are every bit as beautiful as the New Renaissance style Manor House overlooking them.

Malmgård’s Brew Master, Tuomas Markkula has been with the brewery from the start, helping to renovate the 100 year old building and brewing his first beer here in 2009.  All of Tuomas’ beers are made with organic Finnish barley malts and ancient grains are grown on the estate. Water for production comes from Malmgård’s own spring.

The Dinkel Beer is Malmgård’s signature beer. The spelt grain is smooth and tastes fantastic straight from the tap of the brew tank. Another one to try is the Huvila Arctic Circle Ale – fashioned after traditional Finnish Sahti beer. Made with juniper berries and Finnish rye malt, this is a strong beer that the Brew Master suggests serving in a champagne glass just to mix things up.

During summertime there is a cafe serving soup, spelt pancakes, coffee and beer on the terrace.

Plevna

Established in 1994, Plevna is one of Finland’s early craft breweries. Located in Tampere, Finland’s second largest city, Plevna was the first business to open up in the historical old Finlayson Cotton Mill, on the banks of the Tammerkoski Canal. It is named after the siege of the Balkan village of Plevna during the Russo-Turkish war, which a group of volunteers from Tampere helped to end.

This successful father and daughter-run business is the only brew pub in town and an institution. It seats 400 people and serves both German and traditional Finnish food so you will find everything from sausage to pike perch on the restaurant menu. There are 15 regular beers available but there have been at least one hundred others created over the years, many of them award-winning. A room off the bar contains more awards on the walls than can fit comfortably.

Veteran sailor, Master Brewer and co-owner Sam Viitaniemi compares brewing beers to making art but it looks more like an exact science. “It is hard work to make them good” he admits. The awards on the wall would suggest that hard work has paid off in spades.

Ninety-nine percent of the brewery’s beers are sold on tap for freshness. The most popular beer brewed and their first ever produced is the Tähti or “Star” beer. It is light and crisp and very drinkable. Plevna also makes a mead — Panimo Sima — which is carbonated like a beer, sweet and served with a slice of lemon.

Plevna comes alive during Tampere Oktoberfest and is the epicentre of the city’s festivities for two weeks in late September to early October with live music, fantastic food and of course very good beer. You will have to book long in advance to secure a seat so plan early!

Kyrö Distillery

A trip to Kyrö Distillery Co is an adventure and highly recommended. One look at their fantastic and most original website might just be enough to convince you to pack your bags now.

The town of Iso Kyrö dates from the early twelfth century. It features as “The North” in the Finnish national epic Kalevala and was the scene of an early peasant uprising and a fierce battle between Swedish-Finnish and Russian troops. The typeface for Kyrö Distillery’s products is taken from the monument to the battle of Iso Kyrö. It is clean, edgy and infused with the past.

In 2014 five young entrepreneurs calling themselves the Rye Rye Distillers moved into an old dairy in the western town of Iso Kyrö and started the first all-rye distillery in Finland. The idea, not surprisingly conceived in a sauna, makes perfect sense for a country whose most commonly used grain is rye. The Rye Rye boys Miika, Kalle, Mikko, Miko and Jouni are growing faster than they expected and they could not be happier.

All of the Kyrö Distillery Company’s spirits are made with pure rye malts and Finnish grains and botanicals. The whiskeys are sweet and spicy, the gins taste like meadows with hints of birch, cranberry and sea buckhtorn. Kyrö Distillery’s  “Perfect Serve” — the Napue Gin and Tonic —  was proclaimed best in the world by the judging panel at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) in 2015.

A tasting room and bar are located within the distillery — a stylish and cozy space that you want to spend time in. The long wooden tables are from 1930s army offices, the chairs are from a local school and the designer lamps circa 1970s were a lucky find at an abandoned gas station. Candlelight brings warmth to the room and fresh herbs used in the cocktails replace flowers on the tables and bar top.

The tasting room and restaurant can be booked in advance and there is a lively bar in the distillery once a month.