Mackmyra: The Story of Sweden's Pioneering Single Malt
Updated: 17 minutes ago
Mackmyra is a Swedish single malt whisky distillery, named after the village and manor of Mackmyra near Gävle, where the first distillery was set up.
A ski trip and an idea
The story starts in 1998 at a Swedish winter resort. Eight friends from the Royal Institute of Technology met for a ski trip and noticed that each had brought a bottle of malt whisky for the host. That sparked a conversation about making a Swedish whisky.
A company was founded the following year. After experimenting with 170 different recipes, the team settled on two in 2002. That year a distillery was built in the old mill and power station at Mackmyra, and it went on stream in October.
The first limited edition single malt, Preludium 01, launched in February 2006 and sold out in less than 20 minutes.
Production and the mine warehouse
According to Wikipedia, all ingredients except the yeast come from within a 75 mile radius of Mackmyra. Peat comes from a local bog near Österfärnebo, and barley from Dalarna and Strömsta Manor in Enköping. Water is filtered naturally through a nearby esker.
Mackmyra matures its spirit in bourbon, sherry and Swedish oak casks, plus a signature cask that combines American bourbon wood and Swedish oak. Most whisky is matured 50 metres underground in the disused Bodås Mine in Hofors.
Two distilleries
The first distillery at Mackmyra has a full size pot still from Forsyth's in Rothes, Scotland, Swedish stainless steel washbacks and a German mash tun. Its capacity is 600,000 bottles a year. A second distillery, about 6 miles east, went on stream in 2011. It is seven stories high, uses gravity to drive many processes and has two full size pot stills, with a capacity of 1.8 million bottles a year.
Range and awards
The standard range has included The First Edition (46.1% ABV, introduced in 2008), Mackmyra Brukswhisky (41.1%, 2010) and Mackmyra Svensk Rök (46.1%, 2013). Brukswhisky was named European Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible and won gold at the IWSC in 2010. In 2012 the IWSC named Mackmyra European Spirits Producer of the Year.
Bankruptcy in 2024
Mackmyra was listed on Nasdaq's First North market in December 2011. On 19 August 2024 Mackmyra Svensk Whisky AB filed for bankruptcy. Wikipedia reports that more than 50 organisations expressed interest in buying it. What has happened since was not confirmed.
History and production
Wikipedia says Mackmyra began in 1998, when eight friends from the Royal Institute of Technology talked about making a Swedish whisky on a ski trip. A company was founded the following year and, after trying 170 recipes, they settled on two in 2002. A distillery in the old mill and power station at Mackmyra, near Gaevle, went on stream in October 2002. The first limited single malt, Preludium 01, launched in February 2006 and sold out in under 20 minutes.
First distillery: 2002, with a full-sized pot still from Forsyth's of Rothes and a capacity of 600,000 bottles a year
Second distillery: 2011, seven stories high and gravity fed, with two pot stills and a stated capacity of 1.8 million bottles a year
Ingredients: sourced within 75 miles of Mackmyra, apart from the yeast
Maturation: four cask types, including Swedish oak, and most whisky matured 50 metres underground in the disused Bodas Mine
Standard range: The First Edition (46.1% ABV, from 2008), Brukswhisky (41.1%, from 2010) and Svensk Rok (46.1%, from 2013)
Company: listed on Nasdaq First North in December 2011. Wikipedia reports it filed for bankruptcy on 19 August 2024
Awards: Brukswhisky named European Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible and Gold at the 2010 IWSC. Mackmyra was named European Spirits Producer of the Year at the IWSC in 2012
Sources and gaps
Source: Wikipedia (Mackmyra Whisky), read 20 October 2026. Official sites were not read.
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Further source read on 21 October 2026: Wikipedia Mackmyra Whisky article.
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