"Once upon a time, there was a detective fiction author, an author, a lawyer, a detective, a baker and a banker.
After a book fair, they gathered together at a Temperance Society’s house. Their heads were clear and drinks strong. There were discussions on quality literature and quality alcohol. Both are good to have on the shelf to tell a story about who we are, even if we never open the book or the bottle. Both are ways to get away from it all for a while.
Books had been written, bread had been baked, crimes had been solved, money had been made but one thing was missing. Their very own distillery.
As the night turned into morning, Authors’ Distillery had been established.
Within a week, one flew to the Netherlands to be a Master Distiller’s apprentice. An old pig farm in Mäntsälä got a new life as a distillery.
There is room for groundbreaking books, distillates and thoughts."
Seven men and one woman’s still bubbled away in Mäntsälä on Meijerinmäki, which could now be called Viinamäki, or Booze Hill, with good reason. The authors rolled up their sleeves and got down to real work: labels were glued, hard liquor was bottled, corks were hammered down and bottles sent out into the world.
In 2021, gin that had been distilled in a small town left home to travel to the spirits World Cup and brought a gold and silver medal back to Mäntsälä. The following year, the distillery’s young rum won bronze in the same competition and the gin was voted the best in Finland. This award-winning rum is nowadays also bought and sold in barrels.
Two stills now babble away to each other on Viinamäki in Mäntsälä. The distillery doors have been opened to the public, so lovers of good stories and fine drinks can gather round the pot to taste some of the best drinks that exist in the known universe.
Along the way, the number of distillery shareholders expanded. Once upon a time there was a detective story novelist, a writer, a lawyer, a detective, a baker and a banker. Along with the new heroes of our story, they are ready for their next adventure.
