The Danish whisky adventure truly began when Stauning Whisky opened their micro-distillery near Skjern in 2005, which has since taken the world by storm. Since 2010, Thy Whisky has gained international recognition with their award-winning organic single estate whisky, where all ingredients come from the family farm Gyrup. Currently, Funen-based Mosgaard Whisky is winning gold medals for their sherry-aged whisky, and their Mosgaard Single Cask Black Peat received 96/100 points in the 2023 edition of Jim Murray's The Whisky Bible, which also named it the best single malt from mainland Europe. And we haven't even mentioned EtOh, which produces malt spirits using modern methods - including ultrasound in a reactor!
Danish whisky named best in the world
Denmark has nearly 25 whisky distilleries that have sprung up across the country in the last 15 years, transforming Danish whisky from a hobby project to serious business, attracting international investors. Danish whisky has won several prestigious awards and has twice been named Europe's best by Jim Murray's Whisky Bible with Thy Whisky's No. 9 Bøg in 2019 and Mosgaard Single Cask Black Peat, while Stauning Curious won the award for World's Best Whisky (New Make) at the World Whisky Awards in London in 2019.
What is Danish whisky?
With Danish whisky moving towards international recognition, the industry organization VSOD (the wine and spirits organization in Denmark) has set some criteria for when it may be called Danish whisky. The goal is for 'Danish whisky' to become a protected legal designation, also internationally, similar to Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, or American bourbon.
For a whisky to be called 'Danish whisky' or 'Danish Whisky', all stages of production, i.e., mashing, fermentation, distillation, cask maturation, and bottling, must take place in Denmark, according to VSOD. However, Danish whisky does not need to be made from Danish grain, so in principle, a Danish whisky can be made from German, Polish, or Swedish grain.
If you're eager to try some of the delightful whiskies produced in good old Denmark, check out our selection below.
