Eimverk Distillery

Eimverk Distillery is a family-run Icelandic distillery based in Garðabær. Its origins date to 2009, when members of the Þorkelsson family began experimenting with whisky made from Icelandic-grown barley. The formal company, Eimverk ehf., was established in the summer of 2011, following several years of research and product development, and its first commercial products reached the market in 2013.

The project grew from the family’s connection with grain farming in southern Iceland. Brothers Haraldur “Halli” Þorkelsson and Egill Þorkelsson were central to developing the distillery, with Egill working on distillation and Haraldur on the business side, while several other family members became involved in production, farming, quality control and international sales. The whisky recipe alone went through more than 160 experimental distillations and maturation tests before the family settled on the version that became Flóki.

Eimverk built its production around Icelandic barley and Icelandic water, using custom-made distillation equipment developed for the character of the local grain. Barley has been grown on the family farm at Bjálmholt in South Iceland as well as sourced from other Icelandic farms. The distillery subsequently developed three principal spirit families: Flóki whisky, Vor gin and Víti Brennivín, with the gin and aquavit originating from the same Icelandic barley-based spirit used in the whisky production before additional botanical distillation.

Eimverk remains an independent family operation at Lyngás 13, Garðabær. Its current range continues to center on Flóki, Vor and Víti, and the company identifies itself as Iceland’s first whisky distillery and as a producer working with 100% Icelandic barley.