Flavors and Stories from the Whisky Cathedral in the Great Ocean

In this course, you'll hear the story of Norwegian whisky – where and how it's made, and what makes it uniquely good. You’ll learn how the world’s simplest recipe – water, yeast, and malted barley – can result in one of the most complex and multifaceted drinks in the world of spirits. You’ll also hear how making whisky can help save an old fishing village from extinction, turn island-hopping along the coast into a gourmet experience, and even win prestigious architecture awards. Since you're not allowed to legally make this drink at home, you'll get to enjoy four quality samples along the way to illustrate the process and flavors. With the insights from this course, you’ll likely appreciate your next glass of good whisky even more – and gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to create a rich and exciting flavor universe. And you’ll never again be afraid to add water to your whisky – here, you’ll learn why the professionals do it all the time!

About the instructors: Roar Larsen is a former SINTEF researcher and chemistry professor who made a major life change and, together with his wife Trude Tokle, founded the world’s first Arctic gin and whisky distillery. Since 2014, they have been producing single malt whisky and gin in the tiny old fishing village of Myken, located on the Helgeland coast. Their spirits have won awards at several major international competitions. Using desalinated seawater straight from the Vestfjord and fine Trøndelag malt from Skogn, the distillery was named “Craft Producer of the Year 2025” in one of the industry's top competitions. Only 13 people live in Myken – and 7 of them work at the distillery. Together, they are now bringing their craftsmanship to the world stage. After this course, you can be one of the people who says: “I knew about them long before they became world-famous!”