Copenhagen Distillery, established in 2014 as the city’s first and only urban distillery, is not merely making exceptional whisky; it is redefining the very architecture of the spirit. Alongside its portfolio of gin, aquavit and coffee spirit, Copenhagen Distillery has developed a signature style, gracefully received across the globe.

Built on 100% organic locally sourced Danish ingredients and a disciplined small-batch approach, every stage of production happens on-site, from raw materials through to cask selection, blending and bottling. On a journey to rewrite the narrative of traditional whisky production, the pioneering distillery, recently named Craft Producer of the Year at the Icons of Whisky awards, has embraced a philosophy where art, craft, and science converge to create a distinctively Danish masterpiece.

The inspiration

What distinguishes Copenhagen Distillery is not scale, but control. The focus is on building flavour from the ground up with organic Danish barley, carefully managed fermentation, maturation in virgin Hungarian oak, bespoke cask seasoning methods, and a distinctive microclimate ageing process. The distillery has also reintroduced ancient Nordic grains including spelt and emmer for selected editions, creating whiskies rooted in Denmark’s agricultural heritage.

At the centre of the distillery’s whisky programme is Master Distiller, Lasse Öznek. Bringing a distinctive combination of technical mastery, scientific precision and deep-rooted passion for whisky-making, shaped by a 20-year career as a pharmaceutical scientist, Lasse has led the way in creating innovative spirits, enjoyed around the world.

 A symphony of science and craft

Copenhagen Distillery’s approach is hands-on and deliberate, shaped by the belief that craft is a philosophy as much as a process.  Through a combination of traditional craftsmanship with scientific influence, Copenhagen Distillery is redefining the role of time in maturation. Not about shortcuts, but rather an application of precise, boundary-pushing techniques to unlock flavour sooner, without sacrificing complexity or integrity. By using Hungarian oak, Nordic beechwood cold-smoking and contemporary hybrid still distillation, flavour development is accelerated with intent. This is about developing a new approach to spirit ageing that respects whisky’s history while shaping an individual style built on raw materials and authenticity. Each limited release is finished with the same emphasis on detail: hand-filled, wax-sealed, hand-labelled and signed on-site. The red thread throughout the process and every whisky release is undeniable Danish character.



The Trinity: RAW, REFINED and RARE

Copenhagen Distillery’s whisky portfolio is built around three non-age-statement editions - RAW, REFINED and RARE – unique in point of focus but with the same underlying Danish style RAW: The Pure Expression
The RAW series is the distillery’s most direct expression, designed to showcase the fundamental quality of 100% organic Danish barley. As the essence of honest whisky-making artistry, it is aged for 3 - 5 years exclusively in non-charred virgin Hungarian oak to allow the liquid to speak for itself.

The resulting flavour is a sophisticated blend of savoury Scandinavian botanicals and honeyed grain, brightened by tropical fruit and a refined, woody finish. The latest release in this series, RAW No.5, which was recognised with a Master medal at the Luxury Masters awards, marks a significant five-year milestone in the ongoing quest for the perfect Danish whisky.

REFINED: Denmark in a Bottle

The REFINED series represents the intersection of Danish culinary tradition and modern maturation techniques, described as ‘Denmark in a bottle’. It is heavily influenced by the local heritage and landscape, utilising beechwood cold-smoking to add subtle, integrated levels of phenol that complement rather than overpower the spirit. This is a complex whisky with expressive layers, comprised of bold spice and herbal notes evocative of classic Danish bitters, softened by subtle sweetness and gentle smoke for a refined, balanced finish. The most recent expression is REFINED No.3; limited to 1,362 bottles showcasing refinement and complexity in equal measure. 

RARE: The Frontier of Innovation

RARE is where Copenhagen Distillery concentrates its experimental work using ancient grains, bespoke cask treatments and collaborations that challenge category conventions.  Heavily influenced by a desire to rediscover Denmark’s agricultural past while engineering its future, RARE creations are highly limited, small-batch releases that are tailored for specific markets or experimental concepts. Over the last year, the distillery launched RARE No.4, an expression made with the ancient grain spelt, developed to honour Denmark’s agricultural heritage while pushing flavour development forward. Alongside core RARE releases, Copenhagen Distillery has also produced a series of bespoke bottlings including a gin-cask edition, port wine-cask edition, and an aquavit cask edition for Harvey Nichols - recognised by The Spirits Business as one of 2024’s most innovative spirits.

A New World Legacy

Copenhagen Distillery’s liquid revolution and growing legacy sees science paired with the freedom to challenge convention, crafting whiskies that are bold, balanced and recognisably Danish.
RAW is about precision, REFINED about balance and cask-seasoned depth, and RARE about experimental releases rooted in Nordic grain, and together they form a new direction for whisky production. A portfolio made in Copenhagen, underlined by precision, creativity and place.

www.copenhagendistillery.com