Welcome to the enchanting intersection of music and malt, where the melodies of Eurovision meet the rich flavors of Swedish whisky. As Sweden proudly plays host to the grand spectacle of Eurovision, it's not just the captivating performances that take center stage, but also the nation's illustrious whisky heritage.
Nestled in the heart of Scandinavia, Sweden boasts a cultural tapestry woven with musical prowess and a deep appreciation for the finer things in life, including the art of whisky-making. As the Eurovision stage lights up in Swedish cities, it's a fitting celebration of the country's diverse musical legacy and its burgeoning whisky scene.
Mackmyra Distillery
The idea for Mackmyra distillery was conceived in a mountain cabin by a group of 8 engineering friends in 1998 that studied together they had a annual meet up and one year. A bottle of whisky was brought to enjoy that sparked the conversation about why isn't there a Swedish whisky , and in 1999 Mackmyra Svensk Whisky was born.
From the outset the goal was to create malt whisky that was quintessentially Swedish. Began by using Swedish oak casks, local barley and water from a local spring, even for the Mackmyra peated malts they is hand smoked and cut peat.
Mackmyra whisky is aged in a very unique location, Old Bodås Mine, which loacted 50 meters underground near the distillery. Today, Mackmyra still has the same excitement and experimentation in creating whisky, in thier ground breaking gravity distillery, which harnesses the force of gravity to aid production and is designed to substantially reduce the carbon footprint.
Distillery Milestones
1998 - The idea of a Swedish malt whisky is born
1999 - The first drops are distilled
2000 - The first 30-litre cask is created
2001 - The Mackmyra recipes, Elegant and Smoke, are launched
2002 - Mackmyra Reserve is launched – it becomes possible to buy a custom barrel
2003 - A new warehouse on Fjäderholmarna in the Stockholm archipelago opens
2004 - Bodås Mine becomes Mackmyras main warehouse
2006 - A new warehouse at Häckeberga Castle in Skåne opens
2007 - A new warehouse on the west coast of Smögen opens
2008 - The first regular whisky “The First Edition” is launched
2009 - The construction of Mackmyra Whisky Village in Gävle starts
2010 - Opening of the Mackmyra Whisky Village
2011 - Gravity distillery opens in Mackmyra Whisky Village
2012 - We were appointed the European Spirits Producer of the Year by the IWSC
2013 - We launched our first smoky whisky, Svensk Rök (Swedish Smoke)
2013 - Opens an affiliate in Germany
2015 - We were appointed the World Distiller of The Year by Wizards of Whisky
2016 - Launching Mack by Mackmyra
2017 - Mackmyra starts making gin at LAB Distillery
2017 - Opens an affiliate in UK
2018 - New destinations, Hällsnäs, outside Gothenburg begins construction in
2019 - Angela D'Ozario, Mackmyra's Master Blender, inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame
2019 - Celebration of Twenty Years of Swedish Whisky
We here at whiskys.co.uk have a selection of Swedish whisky, Check out the collection here and discover a new favourite: https://whiskys.co.uk/collections/swedish
Infomation for this article was researched from mackmyras website including the distillery milestones list.