Finland's Whisky Distillery Map 2026: 5 Distilleries, 5 Different Stories

Say "Finnish whisky" and most people picture one thing. In reality, Finland makes whisky in five completely different ways, from unpeated rye to a monastery's own barrels. Here's the map, and where to start.

Teerenpeli (Lahti)

Finland's first whisky house, and still the only one distilling on traditional copper pots. The water comes from the Salpausselä ridge, the barley from nearby fields. In November 2024, Teerenpeli won the international IWSC award for "Worldwide Whisky Producer", and over 30% of revenue now comes from exports. Try Kulo, a sherry-cask single malt (7 or 10 years), and taste it on site at the Lotila visitor centre.

Kyrö (Isokyrö)

Five friends were drinking American rye whiskey in a sauna and asked why nobody made it from Finland's own rye. The answer opened in 2012, in an old cheese dairy on the banks of the Kyrönjoki river. The whisky sat quietly for eight years: the first bottle, Kyrö Malt, didn't appear until 2020, and immediately scored 98/100 in a leading trade review. Smoke lovers should track down Wood Smoke, the peated version of the rye whisky.

Valamo Monastery (Heinävesi)

As far as anyone knows, the only whisky distillery operating within a working monastery. The whisky has been ageing since 2014, partly in church-wine casks, in partnership with Hermanni's Winery. It's a neat full circle: medieval monks were the ones who brought distilling to Europe in the first place.

BlueWhiteSpirit (Rautalampi)

This one isn't a distillery in the traditional sense. BlueWhiteSpirit is an independent bottler that brings Scottish whisky (including stock from Ben Nevis distillery) to Rautalampi and bottles it unfiltered, with no added colour. The idea started in 2016, when founder Jouni Heikkinen collected meltwater from a stream in the Lapland fells and decided that, one day, it would be used to cut cask-strength whisky.

Helsinki Distilling Company (Helsinki)

An urban distillery on Työpajankatu, founded in 2014. You can buy your own cask here: fill it yourself, get a certificate, and join the annual owners' gathering to watch how your whisky is coming along. Next door, in a 160-year-old cellar, the Helsinki Whiskey Cellar, the tasting continues.

Which of the five should you taste first? Save this article and check the list when the next HDF Whiskey Edition week rolls around, 9–10 October. If you want to taste the difference yourself first, read our guide to single malt vs. blend and try three whisky cocktails you can make at home.

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