Looking at the Nordic: Stockholm
As Nordic bars increasingly draw more attention from the global bar community, Haley Forest looks at what makes the cities unique, pushing the boundries and inspiring both the local scene and the broader drinks landscape.
Historically, Sweden is often thought of as a land of vikings, conquerors with a mission, strong in numbers and vision. In their current bar environment, things couldn’t be more different. As the age of the internet has increased global awareness, both among the bar industry and it’s guests, flavours, techniques and ingredients are changing. Stockholm has never been one to run with a crowd, and logically neither are it’s bars.
With the sale of all alcohol above 3.5% controlled by the Swedish government (through shops called Systembolaget), social stigma around alcohol consumption, and very tight laws around bars ability to get a liquor license, bartenders have long been fighting an uphill battle to establish their style and voice within the city.
The anti-trend
When looking at the bar scene in Stockholm, there is a strong current of quality running throughout, but otherwise the bars themselves have very little in common. They have all the categories covered, from gleaming hotel bars to mixology filled cocktail bars to innovative restaurant bars to bars hidden inside other bars. And yet, they all seem to dance to the beat of their own drum, forging ahead with their own programs with very little heed to what the rest of the city is doing.
“Bars and barterers are allowed to believe in what they do,” says Johan Evers from Corner Club in Gamla Stan. “And this is not only from a bartenders and industry peoples point of view, but rather from our guests who are so important to us. We’ve gained more and more trust from them and the scene is getting ready, slow but steady, to progress.”
A few years ago, when the cocktail renaissance kicked off on Sweden’s shores, most venues prescribed to a very similar pattern of serious programs filled with prohibition era drinks plus smatterings of Tiki thrown in for laughs. The Mad Men effect had reached a global scale, and guests expected dark, stirred down drinks served with gravity. While this trend did wonderful things for the cocktail movement and the profile of the industry, it left some swedish bartenders feeling a bit stifled, craving a more creative environment.
Madeleine Solo Rapp, who recently swapped her native Sweden for New York’s Dead Rabbit, reflects on Stockholm: “Bartenders and bars are starting to do there own thing, creating their own trends instead of following others. Bar teams are becoming more lined together which you see in their way of being creative. Instead of doing what everyone else is doing, they are doing what they believe is cool, good, sustainable and fun. Bars and bartenders are being more unique.”
Bringing the World back home.
As the global bartending community has become closer, through nomadic bartenders, international competitions, and easy online communication, it is only natural that new flavours, techniques and products found their way back to Stockholm. With much attention facing their corner of the world through the expansion of Nordic culinary style and design, Swedish bartenders have started playing with different ingredients, both local and new for their market.
Madeleine says “The interest for local products have also been growing; I think we’ve realized that we have so many interesting products here. Bars are working very close with local stuff with the kitchen, using seasonal produce and making cocktails with that. A couple of years ago we thought aquavit was boring; that has changed now. Also, we are Playing with low alcohol cocktails; using different sherries, port and other fortified wines is common. Fortified wines have been very popular amongst sommeliers, but it’s been spreading to bartenders too.”
In Search of the identity
Stockholm is still figuring out what works in their specific market, but their guests are willing to be along for the ride. Having built a foundation of trust, bartenders now have the freedom to experiment and resources to try different things which might have otherwise been too much of a stretch. Through this process of putting the guest first, bartenders have made willing allies and Guinea pigs allowing them continue to grow into one of most diverse bar scenes in Europe.
“Traveling is super important for us and it’s great for inspiration, but understanding why scenes are different, why it may work in some places and others not is something I see constantly. To me, the most important matter here is get inspired and make it fit your bar, your scene and your way. I can honestly say that being lucky and fortunate to travel the world, visiting and experiencing a great deal of bars, I’m so proud of Stockholm. We have amazing bars, outstanding bartenders and the community is very open, friendly and helpful.”
