Jake Burger joins Almqvist Destilleri as head distiller
Industry expert Jake Burger, co-founder of Portobello Road Gin, has swapped the UK for Sweden to become head distiller at Almqvist Destilleri.
Jake took up the position at the Swedish distillery on 1 September and will work closely with founder and master distiller Bex Almqvist. The pair have been peers and long-time friends since meeting in the early 2000s.
Jake brings more than four decades of experience to Almqvist Destilleri, and is renowned for his work behind The Portobello Star in Notting Hill.
In 2011, he launched The Ginstitute and Portobello Road Gin. He told The Spirits Business that while he will remain involved with Portobello Road Gin when needed – for example, if asked to do international training or education sessions – but his commitment going forwards will be as head distiller at Almqvist Destilleri.
“I’ve been in London for 17 years,” he said. “I love London, very much. But I was certainly ready for a change of scenery, a bit of a change of pace of life, and a bit of a midlife adventure.
“At Portobello, the brand is so well-established now. The time was right, both for Portobello and in my personal life, to come on a bit of an adventure.”
Bex launched Almqvist Destilleri in 2022, located in the village of Rejmyre in Sweden and housed inside a historic glasswork building that was founded in 1810. Sustainability was a high priority from the get-go, and endeavours include composting botanicals, using 97% fossil-free energy, and responsibly harvested grain.
In 2024, Bex brought her flagship aquavit and gin – Rejmyre Akvavit and Nordic Dry Gin – to the UK.
Changes to Sweden’s alcohol laws
The addition of Jake to the distillery comes at an exciting time for Swedish distilling. Sweden’s strict alcohol laws were amended earlier this year.
Since 1 June 2025, small-scale breweries, distilleries and vineyards have been allowed to sell their products directly to consumers on site. The development marked the first time in more than 100 years that alcohol producers could embrace direct-to-consumer sales.
Sales are only permitted on site after visitors take part in an educational tour – inspiring Almqvist Destilleri to add a brand home to welcome guests.
“This has been an ongoing conversation for 20 years,” Bex explains about the law change. “Then at Christmas [2024], we knew it was going to come into effect. So that, for me, meant I suddenly started to make expansion plans, to build a space to receive both consumers and bartenders, to make a brand home and adjust my entire company to receive guests.
“With this law coming into effect, I realised it’s a huge opportunity. We’re based in a village in the middle of nowhere, in the woods, in a 200-year-old glasswork that my fiancé owns, and the only glasswork in Sweden that still produces glass in this way. So, we see a very nice opportunity to create experiences here, both from a distillery point of view, but also to visit the glassworks.”
Jake adds: “The region is stunningly beautiful. We’re surrounded by forests and lakes, and it’s part of the world where there already is such outstanding beauty, there is tourism, so it’s a great opportunity to expand the business in that direction.
“My last 15 years has not just been Portobello Road and the Portobello Star, but of course The Ginstitute as well, which was one of the original – maybe the original – gin educational experience. We had around 10,000 guests through over the last 15 years. So, certainly there’s potential to attract people just on the strength of the distillery and the experiences here at Almqvist.”
Trade visits and educational sessions will be a priority for the pair as they embark upon the next chapter of Almqvist Destilleri.
Local interest has already ramped up, and following a ‘soft launch’ this summer, Bex notes a keen interest in the brand home.
“We’ve already seen so much footfall and having people come and experience the distillery. Obviously, that’s the value of advocacy, to see production and the site, it’s so valuable. I worked with advocacy for The Absolut Company for over 10 years. When you get to bring people to the place where your product is made, it almost starts to feel like a little ownership,” Bex says.
Reinvigorating the aquavit category
With Jake’s background rooted in gin, he shares excitement at being able to work with aquavit as well – especially the recipe crafted by Bex, which he describes as “pretty perfect”.
Bex is, understandably, passionate about aquavit and bringing the category to new audiences. But not only this; she sees huge opportunities to inspire younger people in Sweden to rediscover aquavit, a spirit she notes is typically enjoyed in traditional settings by older generations in her native country. However, both her and Jake are eager to showcase the cocktail possibilities of aquavit and the versatility of the spirit.
“This is vital to the aquavit category because it’s in decline in Scandinavia volume-wise,” Bex explains. “I believe that has got to do with the fact that the younger generation doesn’t want to drink what their grandparents are drinking. How it’s being consumed is neat with food, such as at Easter, midsummer and crayfish season over here, and curiosity for the category internationally is being driven by cocktail culture.
“Our job is to make people understand how to consume this very delicious spirit, so there is a lot of education that needs to be done. There’s still a big question mark when you meet people. Americans are super curious, but ask, ‘Is it like a Swedish mezcal?’ So we have to rethink the drinks strategy and how we go about helping people discover, learn and enjoy aquavit, that is going to be vital.”
Jake adds: “Coming from London, it’s hard to ignore that after 15/20 years of the gin boom, there is perhaps – certainly among bartenders, and probably among consumers as well – a little bit of gin fatigue. But I do think the popularity of gin really did prime the consumer for opening up to other botanical spirits. Certainly, at Portobello, we’ve had some success with applying the same principles of gin production to our vodka range.
“Aquavit, which is not a category with a huge track record in the UK or outside of Scandinavia, is so versatile and delicious, and drinkable, that perhaps people will understand what it is a bit more because of the success of gin out there.”
For the time being, the duo will focus on the existing expressions and sharing the brand home with more locals and international visitors alike. While future plans regarding new product development are not yet ready to be disclosed – understandable, particularly given Bex and Jake offered up an interview fewer than 24 hours after Jake touched down in Sweden – Bex does share a snippet of what’s to come. Collaborative releases will, at some point, be on the agenda, as will new gin, aquavit and other spirits eventually.
“I built this distillery because I wanted to make incredible drinking experiences with texture and balance,” Bex says. “And I’m really excited that now Jake and I can build this vision together and hopefully share what we are doing here with even more people.”
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