When Kaiho Ruby Organic Blackcurrant Liqueur was named both Liqueur of the Year and Spirit of the Year Finland at the 2025 London Spirits Competition, it marked more than just a medal win — it signalled a shift in how smaller, story-driven distilleries from the Nordic region are positioning themselves on the global stage. Crafted by Turku Distillery in southwestern Finland, Kaiho Ruby is rooted in organic farming, regional fruit, and a cultural concept that defies translation: kaiho, a bittersweet sense of longing and beauty.

We spoke with Turku Distillery CEO Tapio Järvenpää about the role of emotion in branding, the careful expansion into markets like the UK, and how sustainability and storytelling sit at the core of the distillery’s philosophy — not just in words, but in action.

Image: Tapio Järvenpää, CEO, Turku Distillery.

How do you plan to leverage your win from the London Spirits Competition to expand Kaiho Ruby's presence in the UK and other international markets? Are there specific retail chains, distributors, or online platforms where consumers can expect to find your products?​

Winning at the London Spirits Competition is a meaningful recognition for us, and we see it as a valuable stepping stone toward international growth. The award brings credibility and visibility, especially in markets like the UK, where quality and uniqueness are highly appreciated. 

At the moment, we are actively seeking an import partner and distribution opportunities in the UK. Our goal is to find collaborators who value Nordic craftsmanship, distinctive flavour profiles, and thoughtful branding—elements that define Kaiho Ruby. 

While we’re not yet available in UK retail or online stores, this award strengthens our position in ongoing discussions and opens new doors. We believe this is the right moment to introduce Kaiho Ruby to a wider audience.

Image: Kaiho Ruby Organic Blackcurrant Liqueur - Liqueur of the Year and Spirit of the Year Finland at the 2025 London Spirits Competition.

How does Kaiho Ruby Organic Blackcurrant Liqueur differentiate itself in a competitive market, and what messaging resonates most with your audience?​

Kaiho Ruby stands out through its purity, origin, and emotional depth. It is an organic product—made with organic Finnish blackcurrants, organic sugar, organic vodka, and no additives or artificial elements. The result is a liqueur that tastes honest and vibrant, with a rich natural character that reflects its northern roots. 

But beyond the ingredients, what truly differentiates Kaiho Ruby is its emotional resonance. The word kaiho is untranslatable—it captures a uniquely Finnish sense of longing, beauty, and bittersweet emotion. That feeling is at the heart of everything we do. 

Our audience connects with this message. They’re looking for more than just a good flavour—they want a story, a feeling, a moment. Whether it’s enjoyed neat, over ice, or as part of a cocktail, Kaiho Ruby invites people to pause and savour something real.

Image: Founders Jari Varjo & Tapio Järvenpää.

What initiatives or resources does Turku Distillery offer to assist importers and distributors in promoting and selling their products effectively in new markets?​

As a small and agile producer, we believe in building close, hands-on relationships with our importers and distributors. We don’t just ship bottles—we provide stories, visuals, and tailored marketing support to help our partners succeed in their own markets. 

Turku Distillery offers high-quality product photography, brand materials, tasting notes, cocktail recipes, and social media content that can be localized. We also assist with training and product education, either remotely or in person, depending on the market needs. 

We understand that entering a new market requires collaboration and flexibility, and we’re fully committed to working side-by-side with our partners to make Kaiho Ruby visible and desirable—always in a way that feels authentic and aligned with the brand’s soul.

Beyond the London Spirits Competition win, what marketing strategies are you employing to raise brand awareness and drive sales? Are there any collaborations, events, or campaigns in the pipeline?​

While the London Spirits Competition win gives us wonderful visibility, our broader marketing strategy focuses on building long-term brand awareness through storytelling, quality content, and meaningful connections. We are a small brand with limited resources, so we choose our actions carefully—and aim to make every effort count. 

We are a long-standing partner of United Festivals Finland, one of Finland's leading festival organizers, and we collaborate broadly with several cultural venues and event houses. These partnerships play a key role in bringing Kaiho Ruby to life in real-world settings and reaching new audiences through shared experiences. 

A recent highlight is the Finnish Bartender Championship, where both the winner and the sixth-place finalist used Kaiho Ruby in their competition recipes. This kind of organic visibility among top professionals is invaluable and reinforces the product’s appeal in the bar and mixology community.

Image: The United Festivals Finland staff visit the Turku Distillery Ltd. office. Source: United Festivals Finland.

Turku Distillery emphasises sustainability, utilising carbon-neutral electricity and bioenergy for heating. How do these practices influence your brand image, and do they play a role in your marketing narratives?​

Sustainability is at the core of what we do at Turku Distillery. By using carbon-neutral electricity and bioenergy for heating, we ensure that our production process aligns with our values of responsibility and respect for the environment. 

We also use organically grown winter wheat, which is farmed using regenerative methods. This means the raw material is not just carbon neutral — it is carbon negative, actively helping to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. 

These practices are an important part of our brand identity and naturally fit into our marketing narratives, especially as consumers become increasingly conscious of environmental impact. For us, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a fundamental part of how we create our products and how we tell our story.

Image: Equipment - “20 plate copper distilling column” at Turku Distillery.

Kaiho Ruby is described as an opulent blend of blackcurrant juice and your award-winning vodka. What aspects of its production or flavour profile do you believe contributed most to its recent win?​

The development of the product actually began with requests from our fans, many of whom had been making mulled wine or “glüwein” with our vodka and discovered that blackcurrants and vodka made an excellent pairing. We were inspired by their feedback and created Kaiho Ruby blackcurrant liqueur. 

What we believe contributed most to its recent win is the careful craftsmanship behind every step of the production process. We source our blackcurrants from the north, where the long days and extended growing season help produce berries with exceptional depth and character. Combined with our organic wheat, which adds smoothness, the result is a balanced, rich liqueur that perfectly reflects the essence of Finland.

With the upcoming release of Kaiho Pearl Cream Liqueur, can you share insights into this product and any other innovations Turku Distillery is exploring?

Kaiho Pearl Cream Liqueur is an exciting addition to our portfolio. It brings a new dimension to the Kaiho brand, combining the smoothness of cream with the pure, high-quality spirit we are known for. This product reflects our dedication to crafting unique, premium liqueurs that offer something distinctive in both taste and experience. 

We see ourselves as the most innovative distillery in the world. While we remain deeply committed to our organic roots and sustainable practices, we push these values even further. This summer, we will introduce Whey-A-Head Vodka, the first circular economy vodka made from whey in the Nordics, which will be launched at The Shift business festival on May 22, 2025. In addition, we are excited to soon launch our new coffee liqueur, Kaiho Bronze, expanding our portfolio with even more flavors for our consumers to enjoy.

Image: Team - Turku Distillery Ltd.

Conclusion:

As Turku Distillery prepares to introduce new innovations like Kaiho Pearl and a whey-based circular economy vodka, it’s clear their ambitions go beyond awards and exports. Their approach blends regional integrity, emotional narrative, and modern ecological thinking — a combination that resonates with today’s thoughtful drinkers. For Järvenpää and his team, the London Spirits Competition win is not a finish line but a catalyst — a moment of international recognition that they hope to turn into lasting, meaningful presence in markets that value both flavour and feeling.

In conversation with Malvika Patel, Editor and VP, Beverage Trade Network

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