Like most good Finnish stories, Kyrö's begins in a sauna. A group of friends were having a sweat sessions and drinking rye whisky, when they began to ponder why nobody was making rye whisky in Finland. Surprisingly, the idea of starting their own distillery still seemed like a good one the following morning when the booze had worn off, and from there, the journey of Kyrö began.

The first distillation was cooked up with loaned equipment and smuggled into The Whisky Show in London. One of the founders, Miika, poured drams in the men's toilet for tasting and went from stand to stand, passing out samples. The New Make gained praise, spurring the team on. And so, the distillery found its home in an empty old dairy in Isokyrö, a town on the country's west coast.

The Kyrö distillery

Veera Kujala

Kyrö's head distiller and co-founder, Kalle Vallkonnen

Veera Kujala

Once the first batch of whisky was quietly resting in barrels, the boys realised it may be important to have something else to sell while waiting. So, like many distilleries before them, they made a gin. It turned out the gin was quite good, and in 2015, they received a phone call from the IWSC saying: “We know nothing about your distillery, but your gin has been selected as the best gin for gin & tonic. We suggest you prepare before the award goes public.” 

And prepare they did – even so, the gin sold out in two days. After the flying start, the whisky had matured, and it was time to unveil the initial Kyrö dream to the world. With the introduction of different variants and additions, the core range was finalised in 2023, comprising Kyrö Malt Rye, Kyrö Malt Oloroso, Kyrö Peat Smoke and Kyrö Wood Smoke. Made with 100% malted Finnish Rye, known for its inherently sweet flavour profile, the whisky is distilled in pot stills and non-chill filtered, before being aged in in ex-bourbon & New American oak casks. Choosing the best from both American and Scottish whisky traditions, the Kyrö whisky has  the complexity of Scotch Single Malt and the accessibility of American rye. The acclaim Kyrö received from these initial releases solidified its position as one of the "Most Admired Whiskies in the world."

Today, the distillery has grown from a wild dream to a craft powerhouse with skill and capacity — and pretty good spirits, always made from 100% rye. It all started with rye whisky in the sauna and rye remains at the very core of Kyrö. It may be the hardest grain to distil due to its temperament, but the team are committed to only ever using wholegrain rye in their products — be it whisky, gin, or liqueur.

Discover the Kyrö story and full range at kyrodistillery.co.uk.