Agder Brenneri

Located in the Østerhus industrial area, about four kilometres north of Grimstad and directly off the E18, Agder Brenneri operates today as Det Norske Brenneri, Norway’s second-largest spirits producer. Its setting just under one kilometre from the Østerhus exit makes it an accessible stop for travellers along the E18 corridor between Kristiansand and Oslo.

The distillery’s origins date to autumn 2005, when Ole Puntervold founded Agder Brenneri and heated the copper stills, an act that broke an eighty-year production monopoly held by the Vinmonopol. That moment marked a clear shift in the country’s distilling landscape.

Since 2011 the business has been run by Odd J. Nelvik and Stig Bareksten under the name Det Norske Brenneri. They continued the product lines established earlier and expanded the operation around signature releases.

Production covers a range of categories—Aquavit, Gin, Vodka, Liqueur and Whisky—with Harahorn Gin and the aquavit range Arvesølvet, Høvding and Hellstrøm singled out as the distillery’s signature items. The catalogue reflects a broad craft approach to spirits rather than a single-product focus.

Visitors can book a paid, approximately two-hour tour that includes tastings. Priced at 980 NOK per person, the experience is designed for groups of six to sixteen and must be reserved in advance; no drop-ins are accepted. The tour is presented as one of the most complete insights in Norway into modern distilling practice.

A shop on site serves guests after the tour. Practical details: Østerhus Industriveien 6, 4879 Grimstad; phone +47 37 04 41 00; website detnorskebrenneri.no.