Consider whisk(e)y making and a few nations come to mind instantly – Scotland, Ireland, the US, Japan – but what if we told you that the Nordic nations are also vying for a slice of the pie?
One of the leading figures throwing their hat in Scandinavia’s whisky-making ring is Stauning, an award-winning distillery on Denmark’s west coast. Launched in 2015 by a group of nine friends, Stauning uses a mix of modern and traditional methods to produce seven distinctive expressions.
The latest addition to the Stauning portfolio is Høst – a rye and single malt blend, aged in ex-bourbon and heavily charred new American white oak casks, before a final stint in port barrique casks. The result is a fruity whisky, with delicate floral undertones and summery notes of honey, red berries and subtle spice.
Paying homage to the rye and barley farming which has traditionally dominated the portion of western Denmark that Stauning calls home, Høst – which translates to ‘harvest’ in Danish – uses only grains harvested locally to the distillery.
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“Each harvest, farmers give over a portion of their fields to wildflowers, adding a riot of color to the stretches of grains that carpet the land,” says Alex Munch, one of Stauning’s founders. “We created HØST to celebrate the closeness of nature and nurture, the deliberate rye and barley hand-in-hand with the sudden color of wildflowers, just as our modern, sustainable distillery sits alongside acres of green fields.”
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Høst whisky has enough about it to be drunk neat, but the liquid really comes into its own in a cocktail – teaming it with elderflower will bring out its sweeter notes.
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Ingredients:
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– 20ml Stauning Høst Whisky
– 10ml Elderflower liqueur
– Chilled Sparkling wine
Method:
Chill a cocktail or champagne glass by filling it with ice and setting it aside for a moment. In a mixing glass, combine Stauning Høst with the liqueur with ice and stir for about 5-10 seconds. Discard the ice from the cocktail glass then strain in the mixture. Top the cocktail up with chilled sparkling wine. Garnish is optional but consider a few edible flowers.
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