Mackmyra Swedish whisky has signed a distribution deal for the UK market with Summerton Whisky Club.
The distiller said it is releasing an “updated core range” featuring its Svensk Ek and Svensk Rök single malts. Svensk Rök single malts will be released in the 700ml format for the first time.
Mackmyra CEO Patrick Björsjö said: “We're delighted to announce Summerton as Mackmyra's new UK representative. Their unique approach and strong community align perfectly with our values, celebrating the true essence of Mackmyra. With Summerton, our presence in the British market will reach new heights.”
The distiller had left the UK market earlier this year and is now returning with its “updated” range.
“Following the termination of our agreement with Craftwork, who opted to end the partnership at the end of 2023, we made the decision to temporarily suspend all sales into the UK market, both direct-to-consumers and to businesses at the end of March 2024. This pause was necessary to carefully select the right distribution partner for our products in the UK market,” a spokesperson for Mackmyra told Just Drinks.
Mackmyra is distributed worldwide, with representation in the EU, Africa, the US and Asia.
The Swedish distiller was founded in 1998 and launched its first whiskies in 2002. Each year, the company releases two limited-edition expressions that feature the prevailing season’s flavours.
In 2019, Mackmyra released Intelligens, a whisky it claimed to be the first in the world made using artificial intelligence.
Summerton Whisky Club founder Dan Humphrey said: “I’m thrilled to be able to bring Mackmyra’s innovative whiskies back to UK whisky fans. With its history of pushing boundaries, Mackmyra is a brand many enthusiasts have enjoyed and been wowed by over the years and one that needs to be here.”
In its full-year results for 2023, Mackmyra posted net sales of Skr70.8m ($6.7m), down 13% year-on-year. It reported a loss of Skr93.1m in 2023, an increased loss on the previous year’s Skr18.4m.
In its annual report, CEO Björsjö noted that inflation and cost-of-living had impacted the consumer, and bottle sales were down as a result.
“We carried out a comprehensive review of our product mix and sales strategy to meet this challenge and invested particularly in strengthening our core range with products such as Swedish Oak and Swedish Smoke.
“We are now facing a series of challenges but also opportunities and are working intensively to optimise our organisation and reduce costs,” Björsjö said.
