Distiller magazine a publication of the American Distilling Institute, the Voice of Artisan Distilling; devoted to the craft spirits industry: vendors and distillers alike.
Issue link: http://distilling.uberflip.com/i/1306663
98 distiller Strangely enough, the Agitator people decided to settle in a military-protected industrial area in the middle of Sweden. eir landlord is SAAB's avionics branch. On the premises, the aircraft manufacturer has previously dismantled engines for air fighters and stored missiles. is is a Fort Knox, difficult to access. "e founders decided early on not to start a public distillery in the Stockholm area," explains distillery manager Oskar Bruno. "is location is perfect, we got our permits without problems, the authorities are pleased with the level of security. But we can't do visitors. Ever." A new Scottish distillery of this size will cost at least US $10 million. When Bruno mentions US $3 million I don't believe him. It turns out they didn't have to build a house, just needing to make minor modifications to existing structures like reinforcement of the floors and fireproofing of the adjacent warehouse wall. e building itself is protected by armed guards patrolling 24/7. Weapon systems for the air fighter JAS are manufactured next door. With security measures approved by the Swedish military, the barrels should feel pretty safe. "Construction is always the most expensive part of any distillery project," explains Bruno, "espe- cially if you need safe warehousing protected from burglars or fires. Local authorities require thick ironclad concrete walls to prevent possible intru- sion. We didn't do anything to the outer shell, thanks to the military projects." "Insurance comes cheap as well," he says. "e rigorous security arrangements relaxed the insur- ance company. But still, making whiskey costs a lot of money." "Agitator has by far the lowest production cost in Sweden," Bruno continues. "We are only two guys here doing everything. We buy energy directly from the local energy plant, and due to our energy-saving vacuum-distilling regime, we use far less energy than a normal plant. Low-cost production is essential to succeed in the long run." Of the US $3 million, only US $400,000 were spent on stills. e rest went to systematization and other equipment. e Italian firm Frilli sup- plied pot stills with automation, and the German company GEA did the brewery side. Why not Scottish consultants, are the Italians cheaper? "Pricing was similar; Frilli really know their stuff and charge accordingly," Bruno says. "It all came down to attitude. Scottish Forsyth didn't listen to us and wanted to build a Scottish-style distillery. I wanted something completely different, and the Italian engineers were truly responsive." It's a cocky, almost arrogant approach. Why invent whiskey again, all on your own? On the other hand, secluded Agitator is truly open- Agitator's high-reflux still (left) and low-reflux still (right), Photo © Lars Ragnå