SS: There is little doubt that this is a difficult journey! Luckily we now share the same agenda with many of our retail partners. And it is quite simple – it is a must-do area for all stakeholders! We and our partners cannot do everything – but if everyone is doing something, we will get there. That also goes for consumers.
PM: So, let’s focus on just two of your brands. Skagerrak and Koskenkorva. Skaggerrak is an interesting product. It’s very strong in the Nordic region, but there’s plenty of scope for growth.
What makes it different as a dry gin brand?
SS: ‘Classic’ is a never-ending trend. Consumers return to the classic traits of a premium dry gin and we see that consumers want to have a simple but premium spirit that they can take in the flavour direction they desire.
In making Skagerrak Gin, we put a lot of effort into creating our Nordic version of a classic London Dry Gin. Together with some of the top bartenders from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, we sat down and found that what the spirits market needed was a premium gin that worked perfectly in making the three classic gin cocktails – Martini, Negroni and a Gin & Tonic. Together we wanted to make it a London Dry – but with a significant Nordic twist because of our roots within Nordic spirits.
Skagerrak Gin has a distinct Nordic identity that shows in the subtle brand details and characteristic choices we have made. As you know, Nordic simplicity is traditional for Nordic designs and Nordic cooking, and this makes Skagerrak stand out in an international gin category. For example, our experience from spirits distillation comes from a Nordic Aquavit tradition. Making world class Aquavits are at the heart of our history and when making Skagerrak we are proud to lean on this tradition.
