🥃 Finlandia

Finlandia is a Finnish vodka made from six-row barley since 1970. The spirit is distilled in the village of Koskenkorva in Ilmajoki, then diluted with water from a glacial spring and bottled in Rajamäki. On 1 November 2023 the brand was bought by Coca-Cola HBC for 220 million dollars; Classic is 40% ABV.

The vodka was created in 1970 by the state monopoly Alko. Brown-Forman first bought 45% of the brand in 2000, and 100% in 2004. Since November 2023 the owner has been Coca-Cola HBC, and the vodka is produced by the company Anora under a long-term agreement. So the "owner" field in the catalogue needs correcting: it is now Coca-Cola HBC, not Brown-Forman.

The base is six-row barley. At the Koskenkorva distillery it is distilled into neutral spirit, which is then transported almost 315 kilometres south to Rajamäki, where it is diluted with glacial spring water and bottled (one source describes the logistics slightly differently). The "Frozen Ice" bottle is the work of the designer Tapio Wirkkala in 1970. Flavoured versions appeared in 1994, the first being cranberry.

Why this matters to you. Finlandia is a vodka, not a "mild" or "weak" drink: Classic is 40% ABV. Flavoured versions may have a different strength, so read the label. If you want a "genuine" Finnish drink, look at the country where the spirit was produced. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.