The one and only distillery in Helsinki, The Helsinki Distilling Company presented a newly built world-class whiskey maturing cellar and unique event facilities in the more than 160-year-old vaulted ice cellar of the Sörnäinen brewery.
The basement complements Helsinki’s only distillery as a comprehensive gastronomic destination, where you can get acquainted with whiskey production, maturation and the world of whiskey taste, as well as enjoy the services of a high-quality distillery bar & restaurant.
In addition to hundreds of oak barrels (100,000 liters of top-quality domestic whiskey) the historic whiskey cellar has meeting and event facilities as well as a bar area built for whiskey tasting and studying the diverse world of taste.
The thick walls of the vaulted cellar are made of natural stone boulders and the space is unique in the entire international whiskey world.
In the Photo: Master Blender of HDC Kai Kilpinen
“The first mentions of the ice cellar of the Sörnäinen brewery are from the end of the 1860s. At the time, the shoreline of the sea was very close to the entrance, so ice cubes sawn from the sea in winter were easy to pull in through the door. The ice survived inside the thick stone walls over the summer. Cooling was needed at that time to make a new type of beer, storage, or laeger beer”.
“Now the magnificent country cellar is back in its right place and ripens our rye whiskey stored in oak barrels at just the right temperature and humidity. Basement conditions also reduce the evaporation of whiskey”, — says Kai Kilpinen, Master Blender of The Helsinki Distilling Company.
101 Whiskey to try before you die
Ian Buxton, one of the world’s most respected whiskey experts and writers, has chosen a 100% rye whiskey from Helsinki for his 101 books Craft & World Whiskey (to try before you die), published in October.
In addition to whiskeys, Buxton has also become acquainted with the Helsinki Distillery, which he considers to be unique internationally.
“A high-quality whiskey industry has developed in Finland, which has dared to create its unique local style instead of copying the Scottish whiskey tradition. The Finnish grip on whiskey has deservedly attracted attention on the world stage. The Helsinki Distillery has played an important role in this success story, so it has earned its place in the selection of the world’s most interesting whiskeys”.
“In addition to inventing and developing interesting drinks, the Helsinki Distilling Company has created a cozy and experiential entity around its distillery, where the public can see whiskey all the way to the glass and learn how to make and enjoy fine noble drinks”, — says non-fiction writer Ian Buxton.
Guided Tour into the Whiskey world
“On the distillery tour, you can get to know the world of whiskey very closely. We talk either about the production of whiskey on a general level or more deeply about different maturation methods and different types of whiskey”.
In the Photo: Distillery Master Mikko Mykkänen
“Tastings are also an important part of the tour. During them we smell and taste whiskeys and talk about them together”, — says Mikko Mykkänen, Helsinki Distilling Company‘s distillery master.
Mikko Mykkänen was named the most innovative distiller in Europe in 2018 in the Destille Berlin competition — one of the most prestigious international events in artisanal distillation.
Tislaamo Distillery Bar
Distillery restaurant & Bar open from Tuesday to Saturday. Kitchen is headed by Chef Pauli Novitsky.
Located in a historic two-story building, which used to be a power plant, is also a home for the visitor center with tours and tastings.
Here you can taste smooth drinks made from spirits distilled in-house as well as food inspired by the deep south of the USA with a French Brasserie twist. The distillery restaurant serves the guests from lunch to dinner.
The Helsinki Distilling Company’s Facts
- Built in the 1860s from natural stones quarried on site
- Served as the ice cellar of the Sörnäinen brewery
- Warehouse size is about 300 square meters, arch height about 8 meters.
- Currently operates as a maturing cellar for more than 100,000 liters of whiskey
- The whiskey cellar also has meeting and event facilities for up to 50 people and a tasting bar
- In addition to whiskey made from domestic rye, the distillery produces gin, aquavit, sea buckthorn gin liqueur and other innovative alcoholic beverages.
- Distillery tours open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays at 6 pm, otherwise by appointment. The tour includes a tour of the distillery and cellar, as well as a whiskey tasting.
Kai Kilpinen: “We want to produce the best whiskey in the world for people who value high quality. Finland grows the best rye in the world and deserves further processing. However, the distance of whiskey from the field to the glass is long, as it always takes at least three years to mature. In our large and safe cellar, it is easy to rip whiskeys for a long time to come”.
The Helsinki Distillery Company
Address: Työpajankatu 2a R3, 00580 Helsinki, separate guide for the cellar
Tislaamo Bar opening hours: Tue 11.00-14.00; Wed-Fri 11.00-23.00; Sat 14.00-01.00
Instagram: @helsinkidistilling, @tislaamo
Editor-in-chief: Patricia Kolari
Text Writer: Marina Timoshevskaya
Technical Director: Evgeny Fedorov
Photos: EATWEEK GUIDE
