Norden Spirits

Norden Spirits

After a trip to Denmark introduced Norden’s founder, Robyn Cleveland, to aquavit—the savory, food-friendly distillate of Nordic heritage—a years-long adventure in experimentation began, culminating in a distinctly Midwestern take on the category that celebrates local ingredients while holding true to aquavit’s intrinsic character.

Based in Chelsea, Michigan, Norden Spirits sources primarily local, foraged or organically grown botanicals to produce an aquavit that adheres to the category’s established production standards while enlisting Michigan terroir in the noble pursuit of bringing aquavit to a larger audience. Norden’s flagship spirit is inspired by a taffel-, or table-style aquavit, popular in Denmark and Northern Germany and characterized as caraway-forward, relatively high in proof, and traditionally paired with food.

Norden’s taffel-style aquavit is notably dill and caraway forward (EU regulations stipulate that an aquavit must prominently feature at least one) while using botanicals commonly seen in London Dry gins, such as citrus and juniper, to bridge the gap between the two categories for further mixing versatility. Using a non-GMO corn distillate sourced in the Midwest, botanicals are macerated then copper-pot distilled in a one-shot distillation process, requiring a careful eye and a constantly moving paddle that prevents the botanicals from sticking to the still and burning. Though a labor-intensive process, Robyn has found the reward to be worthy of the effort: a distillate that best captures the verdant nuance of its carefully sourced and balanced ingredients.

Norden now produces cask-aged aquavit and seasonal releases—such as its glimmering strawberry-rhubarb expression—that continue to pay homage to the spirits Robyn first enjoyed abroad.