Totally Stockholm 1
The cocktail bar opening this summer will be situ
ated at Hornsgatan 1 by Slussen. The building, designed by architect Ivar Tengbom in 1913, has room for a bar on the ground floor, plus a tasting room and a smaller bar downstairs. There’s also room for their future personnel, who will work on the company’s international markets. Responsible for the profile of the bar is Hernö Gin designer Andreas Ohlsjö. As a designer, how important is a strong graphic profile for a liquor brand? Andreas: It’s extremely important for all brands, regardless of what they’re selling. Hernö has, step by step, built a very nice and solid brand since its inception in 2011. Design is always very subjective, of course, if you want to break it down into good looking or ugly, but one important component is that the wrapping should match what’s inside of it. The very first challenge Jon came to me with in 2013 was that the product was well-liked and looked good, but wasn’t visible in dimly lit bars and able to stand out amongst the competition on the shelf. That’s how our colourful bottles that we still work with today came about, and that’s one of our most distinct features I think. Customers refer to buying “Hernö Blue” or “The white one with the cat”. Jon: To us Härnösand is, and will continue to be, our main base. Our long-term plan is that we want to develop Härnösand and the Swedish High Coast as an international destination for gin experiences. And that’s where the experience of Hernö Gin will be the strongest and most genuine. We also realise that not everyone will be able to come up to us in the north, so a more strategic effort in Stockholm should make us more accessible to more people in the capital of Sweden, which is an international hub with a large flow of people. The cocktail bar, tasting room and new office will be a start point when it comes to further international expansion. Jon, there seem to be no doubts that you want to develop the brand further, but could you tell us a bit more about where you want to go? What’s your aim - larger volumes or penetrating new markets, or more awards and acclaim? Jon: To me, the passion is in knowing that I go to work each day to try and create the best gin in the world. By that I mean the gin that feels the best to me and our consumers. Awards and acclaim, while nice and rewarding, are not a driving force in themselves. They are of course important means of winning new markets, which of course is part of the plan. At the same time we want to continue being the little unique distillery out in the Swedish sticks, that makes artisanal organic gin inspired by the nature of Sweden’s north. That thing with awards - Hernö won 14 gold and masters medals in four different large competitions over the course of 2020. Do you ever tire of ‘competing’, or do you feel that it’s important in maintaining your position in the market? Jon: Yes, the competitions are important for us in a marketing sense and to continue benchmarking our products with other players on the global market. In 2020 we went from being Europe’s most prized gin brand to the world’s most prized since 2015, and that’s a very powerful statistic to show people. Recently, you also won an award for enriching Swedish drinking culture. How do you feel about that recognition, and where is Swedish drinking culture heading in your opinion? Jon: I feel extremely honoured by such recognition. Swedish drinking culture is continually heading towards making more conscious choices. To choose sustainable and premium products and to drink smaller quantities of what’s real good, rather than more of lesser quality. The conscious consumer takes a deeper interest in what they drink, on what occasion they drink it, and about the combinations with food that give the best tasting experiences. How do you drink your gin, personally? What gin, and neat, with tonic or in cocktails? Jon: It all depends on the occasion. But a longstanding cocktail favourite is Last Word, where Hernö Dry Gin fits very well. Our Hernö Old Tom Gin is a good path into drinking gin neat, if you want to try that. Our base philosophy is that all our gins should be so good that you can drink them neat, and I usually recommend always trying it as it is, before you use it in a cocktail, just to get to know its tastes and character. Our cask-aged products and limited editions are excellent to drink neat for those who seek unique tasting experiences. Andreas: I like gin and tonic, the Volvo 240 of cocktails. It can be varied endlessly but should never be made too difficult. My favourite right now is Hernö Pink BTL Gin with a neutral tonic. I have also, quite recently, discovered the classic Negroni, in which Hernö Juniper Cask Gin fits very well. 15