🥃 Norsk Vodka

Norsk Vodka is a protected name for vodka whose spirit is produced in Norway from potatoes or grain. It was registered by Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/154 of 23 January 2020. The finished vodka is clear and colourless, 37.5 to 60% ABV. It may be diluted with water and bottled outside Norway as well.

How it is made. Mashing, fermentation and distillation must take place in Norway, but raw materials may be imported for historical reasons. Potato or grain starch is converted to sugars with barley malt or enzymes, and the mash is fermented only with cultured yeast, without spontaneous fermentation. It is then distilled in a column to a spirit of at least 96% ABV.

Stricter than the EU norm. The spirit may contain no more than 3 g of methanol per hectolitre of pure alcohol, which is a third of the general EU limit for vodka. Dry extract is limited to 1 g/l, so only a very small amount of sugar may be added. Before bottling, the vodka may be filtered through charcoal.

History. The technical documentation traces distilling in Norway to 1531 and Bergen. In the mid-19th century the country had around 9,000 mostly farm distilleries. In 1916 a ban on strong alcohol was introduced, and after it was lifted in 1927 production remained a state monopoly for 78 years, until 2005. The name has been protected in the European Economic Area since 1994.

Why this matters to you. The name 'Norsk Vodka' guarantees Norwegian fermentation and distillation and very little methanol, but not Norwegian potatoes: the raw material may be imported. Strength starts at 37.5% ABV. WHO reminds that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.