Sweden has taken social distancing to a whole new level this summer with the opening of the world’s largest open-air bar, with a floor space of more than 40 million ha of pristine countryside and an all-natural pantry of locally sourced ingredients. It’s called The Drinkable Country and sees four of Sweden’s most talented beverage experts involved in a concept which features 14 different locations around the country.
Visitors can create their own drinks from DIY recipes provided by the four experts as well as local drinks entrepreneurs, using fruit, berries, vegetables and spring water they have gathered themselves with the help of local guides. Never has getting back to nature tasted so good.
Each of the four experts represents a different region of Sweden to showcase the variety of seasonal bounty the country has to offer. Rebecka Lithander, famous for the non-alcoholic drinks she created at two-Michelin-starred restaurant Daniel Berlin, represents southern Sweden.
Gothenburg’s innovative Bar Bruno has created drinks for the west coast, while the east coast is represented by Tjoget, the Stockholm bar that is a regular on the World’s 50 Best Bars list.
Completing the quartet in northern Sweden is Emil Åreng, the author of Salongs i Norrland, voted the world’s best cocktail book in 2016.
Each spot, however, has its own offerings and focus, too. What’s more, non-alcoholic drinks are at the heart of The Drinkable Country, allowing the sensational flavour palate of Swedish nature to shine through.
One day you might be muddling together blackberries, juniper berries and pine needles to add to a glass of tonic water after exploring the remote wilderness of northeast Skåne; the next, foraging for apples, sloe berries and meadowsweet to serve in a coupette to enjoy in a lush forest by the Göta Canal.
Delicious ingredients are to be discovered around every corner to transform into something even more delicious. No wonder Sweden is considered one of the healthiest, happiest and most innovative countries in the world.
With The Drinkable Country, Sweden invites everyone to experience a sustainable, close-to-nature lifestyle while at the same time enjoying world-class drinks in stunning surroundings. The 14 locations can be found in some of Sweden’s most beautiful countryside, stretching all the way from Swedish Lapland in the north to the Baltic coast of Skåne.
You could find yourself at a table deep in the middle of a forest in Småland in the south, or sitting by the sea on the rocky coast of Ramsvik in the west. Seals and sea eagles might be your only companions at the table in the shadow of the Öster Malma castle near Stockholm, while the table at Liehittäjä is on an old Sámi reindeer camp that provides a taste of the outdoor life of the Arctic north.
Nature is everyone’s playground in Sweden thanks to the country’s unique ‘Allemansrätt’, meaning freedom to roam. Naturally healthy fruit is there for the taking in every forest, lake, meadow and shoreline. Hedgerows are crowded with superfood blueberries and cloudberries, while grapes ripen on the vine in the more than 20 vineyards in the southern part of the country. Refining and elevating these fresh ingredients is at the heart of Swedish cuisine.
Wherever you go, you will experience a mindful way of life where indulgence and moderation, humanity and nature live in symbiosis. Food and drink here in the north reflects the culture of Sweden: both traditional and innovative. The Drinkable Country allows visitors to experience the best of Swedish food and drink in a naturally progressive experience. Skål!
Find out more at visitsweden.com
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