Evening summer sunlight dances off the Reinilänkoski River. People leap into the cool water from the single-track, white-railed Perttilä bridge just upstream. It’s shortly after midsummer. The river, chilled from distant snowmelt, provides respite from the sauna. Heat, run to the bridge, cool, repeat. It’s an easy summer evening at Kyrö Distillery, located in old dairy buildings next to the river on the edge of the small town of Isokyrö, western Finland. It’s one that lives vibrantly in the memory.
Miika Salmi Lipiäinen, co-founder and UK, Ireland and Asia market lead, was there that day, leading the literal charge into the crisp water. At that time, back in 2019, Kyrö had split out its gin and whisky production into dedicated streams, investing in specialist kit to better process its 100 per cent rye grain bill.
Almost four years on, the catchup with Lipiäinen – along with head distiller and another co-founder, Kalle Valkonen – is over Zoom. Much has changed at the distillery over that time,
