Stockholms Bränneri
In the Grandpa Family editorials we highlight creative, exciting, and ambitious people close to us. This time we met up with the creative duo and couple behind Stockholms Bränneri.
Stockholms Bränneri is a craft distillery based in Stockholm, specializing in Gin. However they’re probably best known for their gin scented and very unique hand sanitizer, which at this point can be found in every other public space there are.
Hello Calle and Anna! Tell us something about your background?
We met whilst studying engineering in Lund. Calle was studying to become an engineer within business strategy and Anna within product development. Having finished our degrees, we moved to Stockholm together and spent a few years working there. Next we decided upon moving to Vancouver in Canada to combine work with the passions we both share: skiing, climbing and surfing.
What did you work with after finishing your studies?
In Stockholm Calle worked as a strategy consultant, and Anna as a technical engineer - doing anything from 3D modeling of engines to making developmental documents for drilling rigs. During the two years in Vancouver we both worked for the sportswear brand Lululemon, Calle with strategy and Anna with PR.
How did you come up with the idea of starting a distillery?
Other than the outdoors, another common interest was food and drinks. While living in the Pacific North West we realized it had an amazing variety of craft distillery drinks. There was everything from coffee, kombucha, beer, and different kinds of spirits. We often met up with friends at breweries or distilleries where there were tasting rooms or bars built into the production facilities. That closeness to the production of what we were drinking was something that we really enjoyed. After visiting numerous distilleries along the west coast of the USA, we started wondering why this concept hadn’t reached Stockholm yet. So using this newfound passion, it seemed only natural to bring it back to Södermalm, Stockholm.
How come you focused on gin in particular?
Gin has always been one of our favorite spirits. This combined with the broad definition of gin, and the gin trend at that time (2015) in Great Britain and the USA made the decision even easier.
From where do you draw your inspiration?
Both from our own interests, and from the idea of creating something for others that we ourselves are missing.
What does a normal day look like?
We’ve often got quite a few things running in parallel at the same time. Today we’re preparing half of our space here for three concerts that we’re hosting tonight, while we’re at the same time are planning how the 65 new square meters we’ve acquired should be disposed and designed to fit a dedicated bar, all the while discussing an export order. In the production part of what used to be a Jaguar workshop we’re bottling Oak gin and a distillation of a Dry Gin is being finished. In the lab there’s experiments running for a coming product. So… that’s a normal day.
Could you give three pointers for anyone looking to start their own business?
- Share your dream of starting your own business with those close to you
- Do your homework. Is the business idea viable? What separates you from the competition? You can be sure you’re going to need more money than you think. And don't forget to ask people for help! There’s always a lot to learn from people who've been on this kind of journey before.
- Always be testing. It’s better to try and fail than to regret never giving a shot in the first place.
What are the pros and cons of running a family business?
For us it feels fantastic to run the company with our partner in life, the one you know absolute best. You’ll need a constant dialog on when to prioritize work or family matters, and there’s a fine line between when you’re off work or not. But we enjoy it immensely.
Name three great bars or restaurants in Stockholm and in the world?
It’s really hard to pick just three, but here you go:
Stockholm - Bar Agrikultur, Garba nad Bitza
Vancouver - 33 Acres, The Diamond, Mom’s Grilled Cheese
The best gin drink - hit us!
Anna: I’d have to pick a classic Negroni. Historically you blend equal parts gin, campari and sweet vermouth, but you could just as well create creative variants of it. We usually mix in our own Stockholm Aperitif.
Calle: It may seem like a cliché, but a perfectly composed Gin & Tonic makes me happy. For the coming summer I’d recommend blending 1 to 2 between our Pink Gin and a neutral tonic, add ice and garnish with rhubarb or lingonberry.