【Exclusive Interview】Part 1: Miika Lipiäinen – Co-founder of Kyrö Distillery

In 2012 in Finland, five men sat together in a sauna, their minds buzzing with an idea. Rye, the grain that thrived in the country’s harsh climate and had long been a cornerstone of its food culture—why hadn’t anyone made whisky from it?

Fast forward to today, those same five men—Miika Lipiäinen, Mikko Koskinen, Kalle Valkonen, Miko Heinilä, Jouni Ritola—have done more than just ask the question. They’ve turned the idea to life, launching Kyrö Distillery with 100% Finnish rye whisky.

This time, Dear WHISKY interviewed Miika Lipiäinen, one of the co-founders known for his bold ideas, decisive actions, and boundless intellectual curiosity.

About Kyrö Distillery

What is Kyrö Distillery?

Kyrö Distillery was founded in 2012 by a group of friends in Finland. It is located in Isokyrö, a town situated in the southwest part of Finland, approximately five hours away from Helsinki by car.

Basic information

Company’s Name	Kyrö Distillery Comapany
Year of Establishment	2012
Founders	Miika Lipiäinen, Mikko Koskinen, Kalle Valkonen, Miko Heinilä and Jouni Ritola
Location	Oltermannintie 6, 61500 Isokyrö, Finland
Official Website	Kyrö Distillery (Official Website)

Promotion video

About Miika Lipiäinen

Introduction and background

Dear WHISKY：
Could you introduce yourself?

Miika：
My name is Miika Lipiäinen.

I am a co-founder of Finland’s Kyrö Distillery.

Dear WHISKY：
What is your personal background?

Miika：
I grew up in Lahti, a town about 100km north of Helsinki. Later, I attended university in Jyväskylä, where I majored in Accounting and Finance, Programming, Chinese, and Cyber Politics — my interests were quite wide. After graduating, I began my career at PwC and went on to work at several different companies.

Dear WHISKY：
How did you get into the world of whisky?

Miika：
I’ve always been a whisky nerd or enthusiast, or perhaps a connoisseur in the fancy word, ever since my early 20s. I particularly enjoyed smokey Islay whiskies like Laphroaig, just like many Nordic people. My work with a UK company increased my travel to the UK, where I attended many whisky festivals. That’s how I eventually ran into this world.

The Birth of Kyrö Distillery

How rye whisky sparked the establishment of Kyrö Distillery?

Dear WHISKY：
How did you transition from consuming to establishing a your own whisky distillery in Finland?

Miika：
In 2011, I had an opportunity to attend a whisky festival where I was introduced to Thomas H. Handy, an American rye whisky produced by Buffalo Trace Distillery. That was the moment I fell in love with rye whisky.

Given Finland’s strong tradition of rye production, I became enthusiastic about the idea of creating a rye whisky distillery in Finland.

Dear WHISKY：
What aspect of rye whisky attracted you?

Miika：
Rye is one of the most common grains consumed in Finland. Rye thrives in our harsh climate, and Finnish people have a deep love for it.

When I first tried rye whisky, I was amazed at how something we usually consume in solid form could be transformed into such a beautiful and delicious liquid.

Dear WHISKY：
When it comes to taste, what flavors do you enjoy most in rye whisky?

Miika：
I love that slight spiciness that rye always brings, whether it’s peppery kick of the US style or the more toasty, earthy notes of the finish style. It adds a great depth and character to the spirit. 

Transforming Finnish culture into whisky

Dear WHISKY：
What is the concept of Kyrö Distillery? 

Miika：
I believe we have to bring more than just our geographical location and natural resources, as everyone tends to highlight “good water” and whatever.

We should bring an inclusive culture that brings fresh energy to the field of whisky.

Dear WHISKY：
What do you mean by “inclusive culture”?

Miika：
This means attracting a diverse customer base, introducing new ways of activation and new style of speaking about whisky. Instead of simply saying we’re producing the same whisky from a new location, we should focus on the culture.

Dear WHISKY：
Where did you find the inspiration for this idea?

Miika：
The idea of transforming our culinary culture into a drinking culture really came to me after experiencing the inspiration of Thomas H. Handy rye whisky from Bufffalo Trace, and their Master Blender Drew Mabel.

It was a combination of our love for rye bread, rye pies, and rye porridge—staples in Finnish cuisine—and realizing that you can craft a distinctive whisky from something already deeply ingrained in our culinary traditions.

From concept to life

Dear WHISKY：
How was the idea of making whisky from Finnish traditional crop turned into reality?

Miika：
When I first brought up the idea of starting our own rye whisky distillery, it was with five close friends in the sauna. It might sound weird, but it’s a very traditional thing in Finland.

Dear WHISKY：
How did you all get to know each other?

Miika：
We had a common friend. In Finland, you just invite random people for the sauna for a weekend. We rent a cabin with sauna in countryside and I always bring some whiskies.

Dear WHISKY：
What was the main challenge you faced when founding the distillery?

Miika：
The problem was, there were the two things we didn’t have: money and experience.

None of us had a background in the spirit industry.

And, those are usually pretty important when you’re starting operation.

Dear WHISKY：
How did you all work together to overcome the challenge?

Miika：
What we did have was a diverse set of skills and plenty of ideas about how to make this work. And of course, a lot of enthusiasm. We came together in a way that allowed us to support each other and the project.

We’re here today because it was the five of us.

Dear WHISKY：
What were each of the founders doing before starting this distillery project?

Miika：
Miko Heinilä worked in the energy and ship-engine industry, Jouni Ritola ran his own project logistics company, Mikko Koskinen co-founded a media start-up, and Kalle Valkonen was a biologist and university researcher focused on energy applications for algae. And, I worked in the pharmaceutical industry, managing corporate-wide change projects.

Sauna: A gathering spot for Finnish people

Dear WHISKY：
Let’s go back to the story of how the Kyrö Distillery project started in a sauna.
What role does the sauna play in Finnish daily life?

Miika：
Sauna is just such a common place in Finland as a pub for British people.

It is a perfect spot where people from very different backgrounds come together, talk about what we want to do in life.

In the cold wintertime, we don’t go out much, so if you want to meet up with your friends or connect with someone, you just call them up and ask to come over. For us, starting a rye whisky distillery felt like a great idea during these gatherings.

Turn old dairy to distillery

Dear WHISKY：
How did you find the location for the distillery? 

Miika：
Kyrö Distillery is located in a fantastic old dairy in the peculiar village of Isokyrö. Although we initially focused on places closer to Helsinki, one of our partners, Miko, was a local boy. He wanted to introduce beautiful buildings and places in his home village in central western Finland.

There, we found a beautiful building from 1908, which had previously been used as a storage space.

Its stunning setting made it the perfect place for us to turn over a next leaf of our journey.

Dear WHISKY：
When has the construction process started?

Miika：
We founded the company in 2012 and begun building the distillery in 2013. Then, our distilling finally started in 2014.

At Last

Kyrö Distillery began with five men brainstorming in a sauna – a true Finnish origin story.

They cherish Finland’s harsh yet stunning landscapes and its regional communities, crafting beloved 100% Finnish rye whisky that captures the core of their culture.

And importantly, Kyrö doesn’t just make whisky; they are pioneers in sustainability and addressing inequality, both locally and internationally. In Part 2 of our interview, Miika Lipiäinen will talk about their award-winning whisky production and bottle lineup. Stay tuned for an inside look at how Kyrö is redefining the whisky world!