Nordisk Brænderi

About the distillery

Nordisk Brænderi is a microdistillery in Hjortdal in North Jutland, where gin, whisky, rum, snaps, aquavit, spirits and vodka are made with a clear focus on craftsmanship and Nordic inspiration. The distillery was founded by Anders Bilgram and offers both its own products and private labels. At the same time, the place has been noticed with international medals and with experiences where guests can get close to the process.

History

Nordisk Brænderi was founded in 2009 by Anders Bilgram in Hjortdal in North Jutland. From the start the distillery was linked to an ambition to combine craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability, and it quickly came to span several spirit categories. In 2015 the work was rewarded with the title Denmark Distillery of the Year at the Berlin International Spirits Competition, and since then the house has marked itself with several awards for both its own products and private labels. The distillery also describes itself as a place where adventure plays a role in the storytelling, and that line is reflected in product names, tastings and the experience concept. In 2023 the mobile distillery took shape in a converted horse trailer so that small-scale production could be moved out into nature. At the same time the distillery recounts its place in the development of Danish rum, where Nordisk Brænderi was mentioned as one of the producers that helped lift the category from niche to something more significant.

Raw materials and production

Nordisk Brænderi works with hand-picked herbs and selected raw materials, and several descriptions point to a production that is based on local and Nordic ingredients. The distillery emphasizes that it produces spirits in copper stills, and in the mobile distillery the process can be moved out into nature, where botanicals are gathered in forest, scrub and meadow. At the Moonshine Event the still is filled with juniper and herbs that participants find themselves, and distillation takes place on site so you get a concrete insight into the craft. Nordisk Brænderi also works with private labels for other companies, and the product palette shows that the house ranges from gin and aquavit to whisky, rum and fruit brandy. It is a distillery where the experience of raw materials and method is closely integrated with the finished spirit.

Aging and cask types

Maturation and cask work are mentioned especially in connection with individual products. Wanderum is described as aged on various casks, including Danish oak barrels, and a pear brandy is mentioned as aged in French oak cask for more than 11 years. In addition, the distillery works with oak casks in its range, including a 5-liter version of Nordic Aquavit Monastery. The overall picture is of a house where cask aging is used both to create depth and to try out different expressions, but without production techniques being described as industrial or standardized.

Whiskies

The whisky selection under the Hødal name spans several numbers and editions, including No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 9 and No. 10 as well as an exclusive Fortrylleren edition. The range is a mix of current bottles, sold-out editions and special releases, and it places the whisky as part of a broader house with equal emphasis on gin and aquavit. The recurring product names suggest both experimental and more classic expressions, but the documented common trait is first and foremost the variation and the small distillery’s desire to work on several tracks at once.

Whisky	Age	Status
Hødal Whisky • No. 6 • Masters Choice		Current; Core range; Available
Hødal Whisky · No. 9 · 6 år · Fortrylleren	6 years	Current; Core range; Available
Hødal whisky · No 10 · Smoky Passion		Current; Core range; Available
Hødal Whisky • No. 5 • Oaky Passion		Discontinued; Core range; Sold out
Hødal Whisky • No. 4 • Broken Love		Discontinued; Core range; Sold out
Hødal Whisky • No. 3 • 5 år	5 years	Discontinued; Core range; Sold out
Hødal Whisky - Fortrylleren exclusive		Sold out
Whisky - Special Edition No. 1		Historic

Style and flavor profile of the whiskies

The prevailing style is described as herbal, handmade and with a clear Nordic anchoring. Several products highlight botanicals, local herbs and a flavor that should be both challenging and surprising. In the gin series juniper, citrus and aromatic botanicals recur in the way products and cocktail recommendations are described, while aquavit and snaps are described with herbs, caraway, dill and anise in focus. Together this gives the picture of a distillery that works in a clean, spiced and nature-bound register.

Visit the distillery

Nordisk Brænderi can be visited, and both drop-in tastings in the summer holidays, guided tours, tasting talks and experiences such as the Moonshine Event are offered. At that experience you find the botanicals yourself in nature, distill gin and take five bottles home. Tastings of whisky, rum, gin and adventure are also arranged, and the contact information makes it possible to get in touch directly if you want to plan a visit or learn more about booking.

The stated opening hours are Drop-in tasting in the summer holidays; other experiences and tasting talks can be booked.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Nordisk Brænderi works from a promise to expect the unexpected. Handmade products, hand-picked herbs and selected raw materials are a clear part of the identity, and the distillery emphasizes both experience, innovation and sustainability. At the same time adventure and nature are not decoration, but part of the way the house develops its spirits and its experiences.

Sustainability

Sustainability is explicitly mentioned as part of the distillery’s focus.
Local ingredients and raw materials are used in several descriptions.

Awards and recognitions

Denmark Distillery of the Year (2015, Winner)
Aquavit Distillery of the Year (Winner)
Gold medal (Gold, Whisky - Special Edition No. 1)
Gold medal (Gold, Svinkløv Gin)
Silver medal (Silver, Apple Brandy Filippa)

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