Sweden has an extensive tradition in distillates, and it has been known as a producer of drinks like brandy and vodka. In the past 10 to 20 years the number of producers and the product range has increased considerably, with many new entrants into the beverage industry such as gin, whisky, punch, and liqueurs.

According to The Alcoholic Beverage Industry Rapport 2021, the production of alcoholic beverages is one of the fastest-growing segments in the food industry in the country. This rapport, compiled by The Federation of Swedish Farmers, Local Food & Beverages, The Swedish Wine Association, and Swedish Producers of Alcoholic Beverages, states that 770 companies were registered as producers of alcoholic beverages at the end of 2020, this includes beer, distilled spirits, cider, and wine.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the restrictions for restaurants, bars, and hotels, the number of producers increased by 5.7 % compared with 2019. This means that “on average, each month saw three to four new start-ups. This is evidence of a strong entrepreneurial spirit and shows that people consider their involvement in the sector to be a long-term investment” (The Alcoholic Beverage Industry Rapport, 2021).

The Swedish alcohol state-owned retail monopoly, Systembolaget, has special labeling for local and small-scale products, that includes handcrafted spirits. According to the monopoly, this category or range has continued to increase steadily since 2014 (when it was created), as well as the customers´ interest. This fact confirms the growth of the industry in Sweden. One remarkable example is gin, which duplicated the number of producers (from 15 to 30) and total sales grow from 10 000 to 73 000 liters between 2015 and 2018. 

AliasSmith’s experience in successfully distributing Mexican spirits has paved the way for the company to expand its portfolio to other popular artisanal spirits produced in different countries, including, of course, the promising Swedish market. The company is working with products from the top ten spirit companies in the world and still distributing what leaders of opinion in the industry believe are the most exciting spirits and explosive brands in about 30 countries through more than 50 distributors within and around Europe.

References:

Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF), Local Food & Beverages, Swedish Wine Association, and Swedish Producers of Alcoholic Beverages (SPAA). 2021. The Alcoholic Beverage Industry Report 2021 [Online]. Available: Rapport_ENG.pdf (squarespace.com)

Systembolaget. Märkning: Lokalt & Småskaligt. [Online]. Available: https://www.systembolaget.se/vara-markningar/lokalt-smaskaligt/

Try Swedish. Swedish spirits: so much more than vodka. [Online]. Available: https://www.tryswedish.com/eat-like-a-swede/swedish-spirits-so-much-more-than-vodka/