Distillery

Our History

Nordisk Brænderi is established and managed by the engineer Anders Bilgram, who has acquired experience as distiller through journeys and visits in Germany, Russia, and The Nordic Countries.

Beside this, Anders has a background as an adventurer, and he was the leader of the expedition in the Arctic regions. He is also a member of the Adventure Club in Copenhagen.

Countless visits at great people along the coast of the Arctic Ocean, where several illegal “micro distilleries” have produced their version of vodka, the so-called “jungle brew”, gave Anders' thoughts a push toward making what people with hard economic circumstances often need to steal to get. With chattering teeth Anders has warmed his minds with the idea of his own distillery in Northern Jutland – today this idea has become a reality.

The further knowledge about the noble art in distilling, Anders primarily acquired in Germany – particularly at the distiller Herbert Rösch, who lives in Southern Germany.

Herbert has been teaching Anders and he is still his mentor, as he generously passes on his unique expertise.​

Craft Traditions

Back at the glacial period, the ravine “Hødalen” was made, and this is here we are operating the micro-distillery Nordisk Brænderi, in which a wide product portfolio is produced. Originally the quality craft started with a production of exclusive and unique brandies and schnapps based on Nordic fruits, berries, herbs, etc.

Brandy and schnapps are still important constituents of the everyday life at the distillery. However, we are increasingly meeting demand for gin, rum, and whisky to both our domestic and export market.

Common to all the products are that we only use the best raw materials, which are carefully chosen, sorted, and manually processed throughout the production process in order to secure the best taste experience for our customers.

The distillation of the products happens on a handmade Müller cobber still, which comes from Schwarzwald in Germany. Bernd Müller, who is the inventor behind this brilliant Aroma still, is the third generation of the firm.

The still that we are using is fitted with an Aroma purifier, which is designed to fully extract the flavours in the mash. This gives a unique and intense taste in our products.

Enjoy the variations and the authentically experience it gives you with a glass of unique spirit.

Signature

All the bottles are characterised with handwriting date of the bottling day, numbered, and signed by the distiller.

The first part of the number is referred to which production we are dealing with. The letter after the first three numbers refer to what stock it is.

Subsequently, the year of the production is written and finally a number, which indicates the stock of this bottling plus the specific number within the stock.

For instance, is the number 001A-09-12/110 from the first production of the year, which is ready for bottling, despite the first bottling of this stock, it is distilled in 2009, and then the bottle is number 12 out of 110 in this stock.​

KATRINE VRAA BILGRAM

“I have decorated the labels with pictures, where my ideas and thoughts about fruits and berries are led down to a canvas.”

As daughter of the house, Katrine has experienced the whole progress of Nordisk Brænderi, which has been an interesting and exciting process. Katrine has always been creative, and she has always had a big interest in the process. She began early with especially drawing with pencil and paper, and short time after this, she began to paint.

The inspiration is coming from the nature, legends, and stories from her father, which always has been interesting for her.

Since a little child, she has been told a lot of exiting stories, legends, and cock-and-bull stories by her father, who got them from all the adventures, he had been on. Pictures and shows from these adventures has been a major source of inspiration to the paintings – especially in the form of different colours to the paintings.

Furthermore, she is inspired by the nature, which daily has surrounded her, when she lived at her parents at Hødalen.
 

SAME SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE AS THE FATHER

Katrine got the same spirit of adventurer as her farther, and she is very curious and interested in the unknown. She got the same desire to experience new cultures as well as experience the world. “Especially the outside world has interested me, and over time I have travelled a lot of exiting places with my family, i.e. the colourful nature of Landmannalaugers interested me very much.

“As 15-year-old I participated in the arctic expedition Polar Passage 2000, with my dad, little brother, and the other participants in the expedition.” They sailed in a speedboat – a POCA 600 from Slettestrand in Northern Jutland, and then they sailed the 2.800 km. across the oceans to Kirkenes in Northern Norway. The expedition life quickly interested Katrine, and since then she has aspired to come with the expedition again, as she wants to get more experience of this kind. “I was primary sitting outside on the fuel vessels to get a lot unaccustomed experience at the world, and this was also very enjoyable.”