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Norwegian alcohol producers specialize in a range of alcohol products, with the primary product being beer. This is due to the country of Norway not being the ideal place for vineyards, so wine is very rarely seen produced in Norway.
There are, however, four main brands that produce vodka in Norway. We will look at these Norwegian vodka brands more in-depth to see what they produce, their history, and how they differ from their competitors.
We will also look at the price points of the brands that will hopefully help you when you are looking at a new Norwegian vodka brand to try out.
List of the Top Norwegian Vodka Brands
Deeper Look at the Top Norwegian Vodka Brands
The four main brands of vodka produced in Norway all make use of botanicals and natural flavoring which is combined with locally sourced water to create the distinctly fresh tastes of Norwegian vodka.
1. Vikingfjord Vodka
Vikingfjord Vodka is a brand manufactured by Arcus that has been producing alcoholic beverages since the 19th century.
Arcus represents several international brands such as Plantation Rum, Bardinet, Gibson’s Gin, Fireball, José Cuervo, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Bushmills, and Giffard in Norway. The brand has subsidiaries in Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and Finland which produce various alcoholic products.
The vodka is distilled from potatoes that are combined with water and yeast to ferment the mixture and convert the natural sugars to alcohol. It goes through a distillation process five times that removes any impurities from the final vodka product.
Glacial water from the Jostedalsbreen glacier in South-Western Norway is naturally filtered and free from impurities and minerals.
There are several products available as part of the Vikingfjord brand. Ice Shot Blueberry, Ice Shot Cactus, Ice Shot Raspberry, and Ice Shot Pure are all available in 700-milliliter bottles at an average price of $13.
These are available at an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 20% (40 proof). Vikingfjord Vodka is available at a 37,5% ABV (75 proof) in the same size of 700 milliliters, 4 ml shooters, and 1-liter bottles.
Moscow Mule (BIB) is available in 1,5-liter boxes which can be used as a ready-to-serve cocktail with an ABV of 12,5% (25 proof). There are smaller, 500 milliliter PET bottles that contain the Ice Shot Blueberry, Ice Shot Cactus Blossom and Lime, Ice Shot Pure 20% Arcus, and 50% Vodka.
The average price of Vikingfjord vodka is $13 per 750 milliliters (excluding tax).
2. Christiana Vodka
Christiania Vodka is named after a Bohemian King, Christian IV. He is said to have brought music, food, art, culture, and wine to Norway.
Given the importance of the King and what he brought to the Norwegian people, the brand has been made to honor him. The name, Christiana, comes from a Norwegian town that was named after Christian IV.
It is produced at the Arcus Distillery in Norway which was established over 200 years ago. The bottles that the vodka comes in, which are made from blue glass with a smooth finish, are produced at the Stolzle factory situated in the North of England.
The vodka has an average price of $35 per 750-milliliter bottle at an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40% (80 proof). It is clear in color and has a clean nose with light tastes of black pepper and buttery potato.
It is made with potato as a base ingredient which is ground to a mash and combined with water. The potato is harvested in Trondelag, Norway which is one of the most fertile regions in the country. Yeast is then added to the mixture to ferment the mash and turn the sugars in the potato into ethanol.
This process follows a strict recipe that has been perfected over the years by the brand. Trondelag potatoes have a faint sweetness which makes it an ideal beverage for sipping, either neat (no ice) or on the rocks (with ice).
The vodka is then distilled using a six-column process after which it is filtered through charcoal and then an air filtration system to remove impurities from the vodka product. Once the final product is filtered it is automatically bottled without aging the vodka.
3. OHD Norwegian Wood Birch Vodka
OHD’s intention with this vodka was to create a product that paid tribute to the history of Norwegian people who cut down fresh birch trees to celebrate their national holiday on May 17th each year and drank water straight from the stream.
Birch leaves give the vodka a hint of herbal scents which represent the freshness of the Norwegian forests.
Using potato, the ingredient is combined with water and yeast to produce a vodka mash. It is then distilled using a copper still, with added elderflower, birch leaf, and meadowsweet combined to give the vodka its distinct flavor profile.
The vodka is flavored using Norwegian Forest Botanicals which are added once the product has been filtered.
Birch leaves have a light aroma and taste of freshly cut herbs while the elderflower has lightly floral and sweet notes. This is added to give the vodka its high notes which complement the honey and almond smell of the meadowsweet.
The final vodka product has a palate of flowers, herbs, and fresh lemon peel with a creamy taste balanced with the flavor of botanicals and vanilla. It is sold at an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 41% (82 proof) in 750-milliliter bottles with an average price of $35 (excluding tax).
4. Bivrost Vodka
Bivrost Vodka is the brainchild of a hairdresser, doctor, and scuba diver who came up with the idea of a vodka brand based on their shared love of local food and beverages. They wanted to create a local vodka that could be enjoyed by Norwegian people without needing to resort to importing it from elsewhere.
The company was sponsored by Innovation Norway and began looking further into the practicalities of opening a spirit distillery.
The distillery was then established under the name Aurora Spirit Distillery, paying homage to the Northern lights with ‘Spirit’ used as a play on words of the alcohol content of the liquor and the state of mind. It was officially opened in 2016 to produce alcoholic beverages for the local people and export.
Bivrost comes from the Norse terminology used to reference the Northern Lights which are considered to be the bridge between heaven and earth according to Norse mythology.
Glacial water is sourced from the Lyngen Alps that has been frozen for more than 5000 years. The water is naturally filtered leaving it free from impurities and additional minerals that would affect the final vodka product.
This vodka has average alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40% (80 proof) which is available for $50 per 750-milliliter bottle. This vodka is more of a luxury brand, but the price reflects the distinct flavor and extensive process the vodka is made through.
It is a clean and refreshing spirit that is ideal for sipping, either neat (no ice) or on the rocks (with ice), or as the base for a mixer or flavored cocktail. Otherwise, it can be enjoyed with coffee which is the way Arctic people drink it.
