Norwegian drink from farm to table

HANEN launches "Norwegian Drinks - From Earth to Table", a trade magazine that gathers knowledge about Norwegian malt, kveik, cider and aquavit. The goal is to strengthen consumer knowledge and the visibility of producers.

Did you know that Norwegian beer is in most cases brewed with imported malt – even though Norway produced nearly 700,000 tons of barley in 2025?

Or that the Norwegian yeast kveik, which is now attracting international interest, has been in continuous use at Vossgårdene for generations? This is something that most Norwegian consumers are not aware of – and that is exactly what HANEN now will change.

A knowledge boost for Norwegian drinking culture

Norwegian drinking culture is in a period of transition. Interest in locally produced, natural and sustainable drinks is growing rapidly. New farm breweries, cider producers and distilleries are establishing themselves all over the country.

Nevertheless, producers face strict limits: the advertising ban limits communication options, and knowledge about Norwegian raw materials such as malt, apples and kveik is almost absent among consumers.

With the magazine Norwegian drink – from farm to table tar HANEN a clear approach to this communication challenge. The publication is developed as a knowledge arena for Norwegian raw materials, and is aimed at producers, industry players and consumers who want to understand more about what they have in their glass – from kveik and floor malt to wild apples and Norwegian spirits.

From field to glass – a tradition on the way back

A central theme is the restoration of the Norwegian malting tradition. Norway currently imports around 40,000 tons of malt annually, while Norwegian surplus barley is largely used as animal feed.

A handful of Norwegian entrepreneurs are now challenging this paradox, and the magazine tells their stories – from the malteries in Trøndelag and Jæren to the farm breweries that insist that Norwegian beer should actually be Norwegian.

Norway's Best Drink with NM status

The magazine also documents the great interest in Norway's Best Beverage, which received official NM status for the first time in March 2026. A total of 353 products from 98 manufacturers were entered – an increase of over 20 percent from the previous year.

– This helps to give a big boost to Norwegian drinks and Norway's Best Drink is one of the year's most important meeting places for both the industry and the public, says project manager Erling Kristensen in HANEN.

The magazine is distributed to producers, festivals, food fairs and partners across the country, and is part of a larger communications campaign to strengthen the reputation of Norwegian agricultural products and increase value creation throughout the value chain.