Atlungstad Craft Distillery
About the distillery, briefly
Atlungstad Craft Distillery is located by Lake Mjøsa in Stange and is closely linked to Atlungstad Distillery (Brenneri), Norway’s oldest distillery that is still in operation. The site has distilled potatoes and made Norwegian barrel-aged aquavit since the mid-1800s, and today it combines living production with an unusually strong cultural heritage. It is especially interesting for whisky and spirits enthusiasts, because the tradition is kept alive in a historic facility where potato spirit is still distilled in the traditional way every year.
History
Atlungstad’s history begins in 1855, when farmers in the Stange area joined forces to establish Atlungstad Distillery. The location at the outlet of Fjetreåa on Lower Atlungstad farm ground provided access to clean water, and proximity to Mjøsa was decisive, because goods were largely transported by boat. In the second half of the 1800s, Atlungstad grew into one of Norway’s leading distilleries and remained an important industrial facility until the end of industrial spirit production in 2008. After a few years’ pause, production of potato spirit resumed in 2011, and in 2014 the first batches of the distillery’s own Atlungstad aquavit were released. Since 2013, the site has been classified as part of Norwegian industrial and cultural heritage, and today the craft continues in a historic distillery where the tradition is still active rather than merely preserved.
Raw materials and production
Production is based on potatoes as the raw material, supplemented with herbs and spices from local farmers. Clean water was from the beginning crucial for several of the distillery’s processes, and the geographic location by Fjetreåa and Mjøsa was both practical and logistically important. The most concrete method description is that Atlungstad still distills potatoes in the traditional way every year, which highlights the continuity between the historical production and today’s work. It is a craft rooted in the Norwegian aquavit tradition, where local ingredients and a continuing respect for the old distillery are part of the identity itself.
Maturation and cask types
The distillery is especially known for its Norwegian barrel-aged aquavit, and therefore maturation is a central part of the expression. Sources describe barrel-aged aquavit, but not the specific cask types, so the focus is on the classic aging tradition rather than technical details. The most important thing is that aging is an integrated part of what Atlungstad does: potato spirit becomes aquavit, and the result is tied to the Norwegian tradition of maturation in cask.
Whiskys
The documented range centers on Atlungstad aquavit and newer releases such as Mjøs aquavit, as well as the Blend aquavits mentioned in connection with personal labels. In addition, Flora Norvegica is mentioned— a gin developed together with Gin Forum Norway—showing that the distillery also works beyond the aquavit field. The overall impression is a range where classic Norwegian spirit tradition meets a few newer and more personally worded releases, but always with Atlungstad’s own potato spirit as the unifying starting point.
Whisky style and flavor profile
The style points clearly in a spicy direction, because Atlungstad works with herbs and spices in its products. There is also a fresh, nature-driven dimension in the descriptions of Flora Norvegica, where juniper berries, spruce shoots, bog myrtle, and angelica are included, along with a regional character anchored in Mjøsa in the products and stories connected to life around the lake. Overall, it points to a profile of spice, Norwegian nature, and a distinct local rootedness.
Visit the distillery
Atlungstad can be visited by the shore of Lake Mjøsa, about an hour and a half’s drive from Oslo. The visit is guided by knowledgeable guides who tell about the history, the production, the people, and the passion behind Atlungstad aquavit. This makes the place ideal for guests who want to see a historic distillery in active operation and at the same time get insight into the Norwegian spirit tradition in its proper surroundings.
Philosophy and craft
Atlungstad bases its work on carrying a local tradition forward with high quality and clear rootedness in the craft. The site emphasizes using potatoes, herbs, and spices from local farmers and keeping the historic distillery in living use. It is a philosophy where cultural heritage, craft, and continuity go hand in hand.
Latest news
Flora Norvegica – new Norwegian gin from Atlungstad and Gin Forum Norge – 2025-11-05
Atlungstad is launching a new Norwegian gin developed together with Gin Forum Norge. The product is inspired by Norwegian nature and is based on juniper berries, spruce shoots, bog myrtle, and angelica, distilled on potato spirit from Atlungstad.
Mjøs aquavit – a liquid tribute to Mjøsa and the 170-year anniversary-holder Skibladner – 2025-05-06
Atlungstad launches a new aquavit as a tribute to life around Mjøsa and to Skibladner in the anniversary year.
Il Grande Jubilate Aquavite Exselente Anno 2000 – a rare new release from Atlungstad – 2025-04-01
84 bottles of an older anniversary aquavit are being released. It was launched at the turn of the millennium as an exclusive anniversary aquavit from Arcus in collaboration with Kjell Aukrust.
When the cart drivers head north again – 2025-02-07
This year’s cart drivers head toward Røros, and Atlungstad marks the occasion with a cart-driver pub, an outdoor market, and open house before departure.