Norwegian distiller expands botanical spirits range
Norwegian brand Bareksten has added Botanical Vodka to its portfolio.
The potato-based spirit is distilled using pure water from the Norwegian Fjords for a vodka with a smooth mouthfeel. The new addition can be enjoyed with soda water or in a Martini to savour the pure, clean, and creamy tasting notes.
Available in 70cl bottles; RRP of £32.
Stig Bareksten - the man behind the brand
Born in 1972, Stig Bareksten's first contact with liquor came after smuggling a bottle of Stroh Rum as a teenage sailor. "It tasted awful" he said. However, an interest in the finer things of life was established. It has never left him. His former boxing skills made him the perfect bouncer in the nightclub-circuit of Bergen, but soon enough he found himself behind the bar instead of on the ropes outside. After moving to Oslo, following a stint at BAS bartending school in London in the mid-nineties, his tending skills became locally famous and earned him the title Norwegian champion. Twice. Most of his time however was spent travelling, visiting producers and speaking with distillers, and experimenting with the knowledge he acquired.
The fascination of harvesting began while founding and working with Det Norske Brenneri in Grimstad on the Norwegian south coast. Here he developed his first commercial spirits, such as the award-winning Harahorn and Arvesølvet, based on (whatever) products he found on mountain tops and in deep forests, behind bus shelters and in roundabouts of central Oslo. In 2015 he discovered an abandoned bio fuel factory right next to Flesland airport in his native Bergen and set up a shop of his own.
The results came soon enough – less than two years after producing the first bottle of Bareksten Botanical Gin it won a double-gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2017. The accolades have since been numerous. Bareksten repeated the success from San Francisco in 2020, with a double-gold medal for their gin, adding a silver medal for their aquavit to the list. Out of carefully selected gins, Bareksten Botanical is now served in The American Bar in The Savoy, London and Cesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
Silent trees. Mighty mountains. Raw nature. Mysterious forests. The taste of berries and herbs squeezed/crushed by Norwegian hands. His inspirations are deeply rooted in local culture and folklore. The taste, craftmanship and philosophy perfected by generations. Bareksten is the bottled essence of Norwegian nature. Craft has finally found its spirits. They bear the name of Stig Bareksten.
