Drinks with a taste of Örebro

Beer

The brewing culture is thriving in Örebro, and there are several interesting microbreweries here that offer brewery tours, tastings, and the chance to brew your own beer. Many restaurants and pubs in the city also feature a wide selection of local beers on their menus. Be sure to check out Örebro Ölhall, En trappa upp, and Stallyktan.

Kombucha

Have you also fallen in love with kombucha, that bubbly, slightly tangy drink? You’re not alone! Hej Kombucha brews its own kombucha in a variety of flavors at its brewery in Lindbacka bruk. You can buy Hej Kombucha at several retailers in Örebro.

Gin

Lihnells Distillery primarily produces whiskey and gin, but also rum and schnapps. Lihnells Distillery is Örebro’s first distillery since the 19th century, when there was a state-run distillery located across from Örebro Castle. The family-owned Lihnells Distillery, however, is located on the outskirts of Örebro, at the Hjälmarsberg estate. Their "Lihnells Dry Gin" has been named Sweden’s best gin at the World Gin Awards, thanks to its taste of Swedish craftsmanship and high-quality ingredients.

Whiskey

In the neighboring town of Arboga lies the Agitator whiskey distillery, founded in 2015 with the ambition of shaking up the tradition-bound world of whiskey. And they’re well on their way to doing just that. In Scotland, the home of whiskey, aging in anything other than oak barrels is not permitted. Even in other countries, oak dominates—except in Arboga. At Agitator, they age their whiskey in chestnut barrels. Here you can read about why they’ve fallen in love with chestnut wood.

There are several factors that set Agitator apart from other whiskey distilleries: a special vacuum distillation process, a double set of stills, and a focus on energy efficiency are just a few of them. Many agree that this results in a truly exceptional flavor.

Coffee

To claim that coffee is a local product is a bit of a stretch. But when beans from small-scale farmers around the world are turned into coffee at Cozo Coffee in the Lindbacka mill, it’s local in more ways than one! Not only are the beans ground and roasted by hand in the former mill, but the various coffee blends are also named after places connected to Örebro. Wadköping, Svartån, and Slottet are some of the local specialty coffee varieties produced by Cozo Coffee.

Apple juice

There’s nothing like a glass of refreshing cider on a hot summer day! Especially if the apples are locally grown and the cider was pressed at a cozy farm shop. Located 45 minutes north of Örebro is Lindesberg’s cider press, where Gertrud and Peter press apples and sell ready-to-drink cider. They took second place in the Swedish Cider Championship with the review: "An excellent, flawless, and fine cider with a nuanced flavor." They also run a farm shop featuring local artisanal foods at the cider press and rent out accommodations on the farm.

Christmas soda

Did you know that the history of Christmas must actually began in Örebro? In 1910, Roberts opened a brewery that produced Christmas beer (though it was actually a carbonated soft drink). After a few years, its popularity grew, and Christmas must literally flooded the market from various breweries. But then as now, the very foundation of Christmas must, the extract, is produced in Örebro, and nearly all breweries use it. If you think different musts taste different, it’s entirely due to the production process, the water, and how much sugar is added. The basic flavor itself is the same. Read our article about how the beer became must and later a must-have on the Swedish Christmas table.

Main image: Adaras