Ten Years Distilling at the Edge of the Arctic

Celebrating a decade of craftsmanship, people and place from 2016 - 2026
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TIMELINE – Essential happenings

2016

The distillery starts construction in January, by June it is finished. We have a grand opening, and more than a hundred people attend. The first distillation of alcohol starts in September that year. We produced Vodka, Gin and clear Aquavit as the first “Bivrost” – products.

2017

We started to fill in the “NATO bunker” with the very first casks of Whisky and Aquavit. This year we also took part in the televison series “Chasing the Northern Lights” and got front cover on “Casks & Still Magazine”.

2018

Benedict Skelton joined the team and quickly became our Head of R&D. We attended the Anuga Trade fair show in Germany and had our very first visits from Dave Broom and Blair Bowman.

2019

In 2019 the “Aurora Fjord Cabins” were built behind the distillery. They opened for customers early 2020 (right before Covid). In 2019 we attended the “Imbibe Spirits Trade Fair” in London, and won the “Distillery Consumer Award”. We initiated a partnership with local farmers in order to grow Arctic Barley.

2020

Covid came – and we changed our production to making “hand sanitizer” (for a short time). Despite Covid – we released our first Whisky, “Niflheim” in May. Bottle no. 1 fetched a whopping 80 000,- NOK at an auction in London and became the most expensive alcohol ever produced in Norway.

2021

Our new “Viking Warehouse” was finished and we could move the casks from the bunker to its future resting place. This year we received our first whole container with casks. We had a nice coverage in “Whisky Magazine”. We installed our first brewhouse and did our very first “house brews” for future Whisky.

2022

We started in-house charring and coopering of our used casks. We were covered in “Whisky Magazine” and attended “WTF” in Netherlands. This year we also changed the logo for our company.

2023

We won 2 international awards at the prestigeous “World Whiskies Awards” in London. Janis and Rudolfs went to Spain to learn the coopering trade. We also developed several products for Hurtigruten.

2024

We produced the worlds first “Arctic Brandy” from wine that was going to otherwise be thrown away. We also attended “World Championship in Skrei-fishing” in Lofoten and the “Dram Good Festival” in Edinburgh.

2025

In 2025 we expanded both the distillery and our production capacity, allowing us to produce more whisky than ever before! We also launched severeral new whisky projects, both our own series, and interntaional collaborations. 2025 also saw the opening of our new warehouse and tasting experience in Tromsø.

JUBILEE EVENTS 2026

(Program subject to change)

MARCH

13. March – Bar Takeover at Bardus, Tromsø

APRIL

25. April – Arctic Whisky Festival, Tromsø
18. April – Palmer – Aurora Weekend – exclusive dinner and other activties in Oslo (more info to come)

MAY

JUNE

Special Release: BJØRGS SECRET – A limited Gin, made with berries from our very own berry-picker; Bjørg.
27. june – Culture festival at Aurora Spirit Distillery – A day with activitites and culture at the Distillery (see program below)

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Special Release: The Arctic Barley – 2020 harvest – our very first Whisky made excluseively from Arctic barley (limited edition)

OCTOBER

Tasting Tour Germany – look out for (more) arctic people in Germany.

NOVEMBER

Special Release: Gjermunds Spesial – a special Christmas Aquavit, made by our retiring Master of Aquavit.

DECEMBER

CULTURE DAY at Aurora Spirit Distillery, 27. June 2026:

(Program subject to change)

On the 27th of June, we are hosting an eventful culture festival here at the distillery. We offer live music, lectures, crafting demonstrations, guided tours and other exciting activities.

BUY YOUR TICKET HERE

14.00

The Festival Opens

We open the gates to the area surrounding the distillery.

Food and drink can be purchased in the main tent and the distillery bar.

Parking at designated places. Due to limited parking space, we cannot allow camper vans.

15.00

Omvisning i Akevitt-Bunker & Masterclass (Norwegian)

Where: The Aquavit Bunker

Bli med vår Master of Aquavit, Gjermund, på en eksklusiv omvisning i akevitt-bunkeren. Her vil du få innsikt i hvordan vi lager våre bestselgende akevitter. Du vil få mulighet til å smake akevitt på ulike stadier i produksjonen. I tillegg til å smake på flere av våre klassikere, byr Gjermund også på en sjelden sjanse til å smake akevitt rett fra fatet. Dette er midt i blinken for deg som elsker akevitt og vil lære mer om prosessen bak.

Omvisningen starter kl 15:00 og varer i ca 1.5 timer.
Inngangsbillett til festivalen må kjøpes separat.
Please note that this tour is only in Norwegian.

15.00

Whisky Warehouse Manager’s Tour (English)

Where: Distillery & Warehouse

During the festival we offer this very special opportunity to do a distillery and warehouse tour with one of our warehouse managers. You’ll spend an extended session in the warehouse, tasting whisky straight from the cask and learning from the experts responsible for cask strategy, cask purchasing, and blending at Aurora Spirit. Spots are limited, so don’t miss this very rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of our whisky-making process.

The tour starts at 15:00 and lasts for 1,5 – 2 hours.
This tour will be in English.
Entrance ticket to the festival must be purchased separately.

16.30

Whisky Warehouse Manager’s Tour (Norwegian)

Where: Distillery & Warehouse

During the festival we offer this very special opportunity to do a distillery and warehouse tour with one of our warehouse managers. You’ll spend an extended session in the warehouse, tasting whisky straight from the cask and learning from the experts responsible for cask strategy, cask purchasing, and blending at Aurora Spirit. Spots are limited, so don’t miss this very rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of our whisky-making process.

The tour starts at 16:30 and lasts for 1,5 – 2 hours.
This tour will be in Norwegian.
Entrance ticket to the festival must be purchased separately.

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An Arctic Whisky Adventure – Founders talk and presentation

Where: The Main Tent

One of the founders will take you through the 10 year journey from idea to where we are today. Prepare for all the ups and downs, and the adventure it is to establish a whisky distillery at the edge of the world. 

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Viking music by Kjell Braaten

Where: The Main Tent

For over 25 years, Kjell Braaten has been delving into the depths of ancient Nordic music and its connections to other cultures. With a profound passion for historical instruments and traditions, he brings the past into the present through his music.

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Guided Distillery Tours

Where: The Distillery

If you haven’t been on our guided distillery tour before, you have a chance during the festival to join one for free. Please note that we have limited capacity, so make sure to reserve your spot when you arrive at the festival. The tour includes tasting of three products. Must be over 20 to taste.

Starting times:
14:30
15:30
16:00
17:00

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Hausner

Where: Outdoor (or the tent)

Hausner will do an open air concert (if the weather is ok), and fill the area with arcitc modern rock music.

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Activities Around the Distillery

Where: Outdoor

  • Coopering  – learn about cask handling and mending
  • Traditional arts and crafts – different craftspeople will display their crafts
  • Bonfire rituals and storytelling

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Food and Drinks

Our main tent main tent will offer a selection of food and drink from local vendors. The distillery bar is also open, where it is possible to buy a variety of drinks.

BUY YOUR TICKET HERE

SPECIAL JUBILEE RELEASES 2026

JULY

BJØRGS SECRET – A limited Gin, made with berries from our very own berry-picker; Bjørg.

SEPTEMBER

The Arctic Barley – 2020 harvest – our very first Whisky made excluseively from Arctic barley (limited edition)

NOVEMBER

Gjermunds Spesial – a special Christmas Aquavit, made by our retiring Master of Aquavit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can we park a Campervan during the event 27. June?

Unfortunately no, we need all the parking space available for cars. There are camping possibilities at the city center of Lyngseidet.

Where can I park the car during the event on 27. june?

There will be different parking lots availble, on arrival you will receive the necessary information.

Is there food available on the culture day 27. june?

Yes, there will be a tent, where food and drinks can be purhcased.

Do you offer accomodation?

Please see “partners” on this page – there you can see who offers accomodation.

Can we bring a dog to the festival?

Unfortunately, no. There are too many people and distractions during this day.

Do I need a ticlet to the festival?

Yes. Tickets are availabel for sale on this webpage. 

Is the festival suitable for kids?

The festival and activitites in ot are not made for kids, basically grown-ups. But there is no problem having kids alongside.

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MEDIA AND PRESS

More info to come.