Food & Drink

Kyrö Distillery Takes Over Lidkoeb in Copenhagen

Housed in an old dairy in Isokyrö, Finland, Kyrö Distillery produces small batches of rye whiskey and rye gin. Rye gin? What! It’s true – this is gin distilled from rye for a layer of spice and blended with local, seasonal botanicals for a truly Finnish…finish (I couldn’t help myself. Well, I could have but I didn’t want to. If you don’t like puns this site really isn’t for you). Their gin mixed with Fever Tree Indian Tonic, rosemary and cranberries won “Best Gin & Tonic in the World” at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC), 2015.

If you lived in fear of the possibility that you may not ever get to taste the world’s best gin & tonic, your salvation has come! Kyrö Distillery will be taking over Lidkoeb cocktail bar in Copenhagen from 16th – 22nd April.

We spoke with their “Sales Guy” Eerik to hear more about the distillery and what you can expect with this upcoming takeover:

 
 

When and why was Kyrö Distillery founded?

Kyrö Distillery Company was the result of five friends taking a sauna together in 2012. They sat there sipping rye whisky and thinking: why isn’t anyone in Finland making rye whisky? We make practically everything out of rye so it would make sense for someone to distill it as well. After a few more sips, they decided to do it themselves. The idea still seemed good in the morning, so they started the distillery.

Miika, our CEO, describes himself as a whisky nerd. Kalle was already brewing beer before he became the master distiller at Kyrö. The process itself is really interesting and the basics are relatively easy to understand. Once you build your own production facilities, it’s the passion that is most important.

 
 

What are your biggest markets? Markets you are looking to enter or grow?

Our biggest market is our native Finland, but we are actively looking to grow abroad. Germany is our largest foreign market at the moment and this year we are looking to grow in Denmark as well.

 
 

Who or what inspires you in your work?

I’d say that the driving force behind Kyrö is enthusiasm. We only do things that we are excited about so that we can stand proudly behind the end result. Sometimes this means not doing things the easy way or the cheap way, but in the end it is worth it. Summa Summarum, inspiration comes from doing the things we love.

 
 

Do you feel Kyrö is particularly Finnish or Scandinavian?

We are definitely a Finnish brand, and Scandinavian in a broader sense. We use 100% wholegrain rye as the basis for our gin and whisky, which is to most Nordic of all grains. We embace Nordic minimalism in our branding with simple, well-crafted elements.

Our values are very Scandinavian: enthusiasm, sense on humor, community and trust. We are looking to better the Finnish and Scandinavian drinking culture by offering premium spirits for everyone.

 

What do you think of the current Finnish and/or Scandinavian distillery scene?

We love the current scene and where it is headed. There are so many talented people distilling amazing spirits and their numbers are growing. I especially appreciate those honoring old traditions, but at the same time being able to create something new and unique.

 

Head to the Kyrö Distillery takeover of Lidkoeb in Copenhagen from 16th – 22nd April:

Lidkoeb

Vesterbrogade 72B
1620 København V

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sat 4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Sun 6:00 pm – 2:00 am

See all events during the takeover here.

Expert tip: Tell the bartender, “Jeg sætter min lid til rug’en” (“In Rye We Trust” in Danish) for an off-the-menu drink!

 

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Rebecca Thandi Norman

Rebecca Thandi Norman is a co-founder and Editor-in-Chief at Scandinavia Standard.