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Viking-inspired warehouse offers Arctic maturation
Norwegian gin and whisky maker Aurora Spirit Distillery has expanded its maturation capacity with the opening of a Viking-inspired warehouse in the Arctic.
The world’s northernmost distillery, located north of Lyngseidet in Norway, currently operates warehousing facilities below ground in ex-NATO and ex-Second World War bunkers.
The new warehouse was constructed above ground to ‘deliberately face more exposure to the Arctic elements’, and is situation at 69 degrees north in Arctic Norway.
According to Aurora Spirit Distillery, temperatures at the site can peak at 20°C in summer and fall to -17°C in winter months.
Based on a modern Viking longhouse, the new warehouse was constructed from wood by local builders on solid rock foundations. The facility also has a natural turf roof, which has been planted with local grasses and wildflowers.
The ‘living roof’ is said to protect the building from the direct sunlight in the summer and insulates the building in the winter.
Aurora Spirit Distillery has begun filling the warehouse with maturing casks, including barrels which previously held Sauternes wine, mezcal, rum, rye and Madeira.
The space will also operate as a visitor experience, offering an opportunity to view the maturing casks and sample spirits at a dedicated tasting zone.
The tasting area features displays of the casks used and a bar area. The space was constructed from recycled wood off cuts from the building of the warehouse, as well as old casks and staves.