HISTORY

Nearly a century ago, the area of Sodermanland in Sweden was without so much as one distillery. To be fair, there were barely any distilleries in all of Europe or the world so no one really knew what they were missing. Instead, the area ruled by Vikings and rich of iron ore was known for its production of swords, armor, and tools.

Fast-forward three hundred years to the fateful time of 1580, when King Karl XI of Sweden founded the Akers Styckebruk to produce cannons for the far more official sounding Swedish army. Gone were the Vikings and in was the official Swedish state with official degrees, laws, and distilleries, the Gripsholm Distillery being one. This particular distillery supplied the people working day in and day out, building cannons and providing for their families in and around the village. The time of heavy machinery and polluting factories were hundreds of years away meaning, by default, everything was 100% organic. Pesticides and additives were mere science fiction. And science fiction hadn’t even been invented yet.

From Russia and America to Brazil and China, orders for the world famous cannons of Akers Syckebruk came flying in at a dizzying pace. And with the increased orders came a necessity to increase production. What better way to award delivery speed and productivity than the locally sourced and produced vodka? Coins, serving as vouchers, were offered to the workers who arrived on time and didn’t stray from their duties. These coins in turn could be used for shots of vodka at a local bar. Thus, perpetuating the area’s love affair with vodka.

By 1775, King Gustaf III found himself in quite the tough position. Gustaf had monopolized all alcohol production to fund his many wars and even borrowed money from Akers Styckebruk owner Joachim Von Wahrendorff. In one of those fortuitous moments in history (for us), Gustaf couldn’t pay back his debt and instead appointed Von Wahrendorff’s Gripsholm as a Royal Distillery. Working outside the limits of state regulation, Gripsholm became the largest distillery in Sweden, producing over a million liters a year and employing nearly 300 workers.

Fortune continued to hand Gustaf a bad hand as the King was shot in 1790. With the King’s untimely departure followed Gripsholm’s Royal reprieve and for the next two hundred years, no one but the Swedish state could produce spirits. But with a new century, came a new era, albeit steeped in the region’s history. In 2008, Gripsholm Distillery was rebuilt in Akers Styckebruk, and our prduction was reborn implementing the same process and using the same ingredients as was used centuries before. A rebirth worth toasting to.