Estonia Resumes Industrial Alcohol Production After Five-Year Break
Estonia's only spirit distillery, Estonian Spirit, has begun operating in Moe, after its previous plant in Rakvere was closed in 2021. Its owner says the country needs its own production in case of crises.
Industrial spirit production has returned to Estonia after a five-year pause. Estonian Spirit, the country's only spirit distillery, has started operating in Moe, where production was moved from Rakvere. The Rakvere plant was closed in 2021 because the necessary investment could not be made. As the sole producer of its kind in Estonia, the company matters for domestic supply.
The new distillery is housed in a former grain warehouse and began operating in July. Some of the equipment was brought over from Rakvere, and the machinery was modernised.
Owner: domestic production matters
Urmas Nimmerfelt, owner of Estonian Spirit, acknowledged that from a business standpoint this is not the most profitable line of work. In his view, a sense of mission may have played a role, since Estonia should have its own distillery. He said this becomes especially important if a crisis closes borders or a pandemic returns. He noted that during the coronavirus pandemic, spirit in Estonia could be obtained only from his company.
Markets and products
The company's market is mainly Estonia, but it is now looking for new markets as well. According to Nimmerfelt, most buyers are interested in organic spirit.
In addition to spirit, the company produces alcoholic beverages. The spirit is made from local grain, which allows its products to use the European Union's protected designation "Estonian vodka".
