Spirited away: Nordic Spirits Lab is shaking up the drinks industry
‘There really hasn’t been anything interesting in spirits coming out of the Nordics for a long time,’ reflects Tobias Dahlberg, founder and managing director of Wonder Agency, a strategic design and innovation agency in Helsinki, Finland. ‘In the past, there was Absolut and Finlandia, but they really aren’t very Nordic anymore, since both brands have been sold to international corporations.’
On behalf of Altia, a leading wine and spirits company in the Nordic and Baltic regions, Wonder Agency was asked to create a new product and brand for the domestic market. The outcome, Nordic Spirits Lab, is something altogether different – a pan-Nordic platform for collaborative experimentation and groundbreaking innovation. ‘We started asking ourselves other questions, that go far beyond the conception of a single product. Questions that touch on the future in the consuming of alcohol, for example.’
Gathering the best and the brightest – Tony Conigliaro, pioneering drink creator at Drink Factory in London; Sayan Isaksson, chef at Esperanto in Stockholm; Peter Altenburg, founder of Gilt in Copenhagen; Chris Grøtvedt, bar manager at The Thief in Oslo; Laura Nissinen, head bartender at A21 Decades in Helsinki; and Tor Arne, former bar manager at Nichol & Son in Oslo, as well as Daniela Walker, insight editor at The Future Laboratory in London – the experimental platform taps into the minds of innovators, creators and early adaptors both inside and outside of the spirits industry.
Social, commercial and scientific dimensions of production and consumption are dissected, picked apart, and then reassembled in new ways. A string of planned conceptions, being launched in May 2017, include new products, flavours, experiments, ways of consumption and, last but not least, progressive solutions to some of the age-old issues that excessive drinking may cause.
G.01 is the first product to come out of the Nordic Spirits Lab platform, and is a distilled hybrid gin with akvavit botanicals. With flavour components such as coriander, angelica and lemon peel – common for gin and akvavit – caraway and dill add that extra touch that makes it distinctly Nordic in flavour. Available for order via Swedish liquor store Systembolaget, and at a select few Helsinki bars such as Holiday, the minimalist white bottle design is sure to stand out on the bar shelf. ‘This really is a product for pros, which is the reason we kept the information of the bottle to a bare minimum,’ says Dahlberg.
INFORMATION
G.01, from SEK329 per bottle. For more information, visit the Nordic Spirits Lab website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his 1990s-inspired collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
Cathay Pacific’s new business class Aria Suites take flight
Cathay Pacific raises the bar for business-class travel with the launch of the much-anticipated Aria Suites
By Lauren Ho Published
-
Toklas’ own-label wine is a synergy of art, taste and ‘elevated simplicity’
Toklas, a London restaurant and bakery, have added another string to its bow ( and menu) with a trio of cuvées with limited-edition designs
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Château Galoupet is teaching the world how to drink more responsibly
From reviving an endangered Provençal ecosystem to revisiting wine packaging, Château Galoupet aims to transform winemaking from terroir to bottle
By Mary Cleary Last updated
-
London’s most refreshing summer cocktail destinations
Cool down in the sweltering city with a visit to London’s summer cocktail destinations
By Mary Cleary Last updated
-
Learn how to curate a simple cheese board with perfect port pairings
The experts at artisan cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield share tips for curating a simple but sophisticated cheese board, with port and cheese pairings for every taste
By Melina Keays Last updated
-
IWA sake brewery by Kengo Kuma is Best Roofscape: Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022
IWA sake brewery in Japan, by Kengo Kuma & Associates, scoops Best Roofscape at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022
By Tony Chambers Last updated
-
The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery by Neri & Hu offers a twist on Chinese tradition
Neri & Hu designs headquarters for The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery in China's Sichuan province
By Yoko Choy Last updated
-
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel opens Booking Office 1869 restaurant
Booking Office 1869 restaurant, at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, is set to become a new London hotspot. Developer Harry Handelsman and designer Hugo Toro tell us about its creation
By Mary Cleary Last updated
-
Sweet Sauternes: France’s forgotten wine gets a reputational makeover
Saskia de Rothschild is on a mission to revive the popularity of Sauternes white wine, with Rieussec, produced and packaged with a fresh, more sustainable approach
By Mary Cleary Last updated