Anja Molin’s vision for Spirit of Hven begins with the island that gives it its name and the family that gives it its character. As co-founder, owner and CEO, she has cultivated the hospitality and relationships that connect people to the place behind the bottle. Together with co-founder and master distiller Henric Molin, she has built an independent business represented in more than 40 countries. Now, as their son Charlie takes on greater responsibility, Anja is carrying their shared vision forward, preserving the freedom to create, the pleasure of welcoming guests and the care that turns a family enterprise into a lasting legacy.

A family vision for Hven

Spirit of Hven’s story is often told through the craft of distilling, but its growth also reflects years of decisions involving hospitality, investment and brand development. As owner and CEO, which decisions have most shaped the company, and how has your leadership guided its evolution in recent years?

When Henric and I founded the resort Backafallsbyn in 1998 and the distillery Spirit of Hven in 2008, we did not simply want to build another hotel or distillery. We wanted to create something that was genuinely connected to the island of Hven and to the experience of coming here.

From the beginning, our vision was therefore broader than having a restaurant and producing spirits.

We wanted people to be able to come to Hven, stay here, eat well, learn about distilling, taste our products and understand why we had chosen this particular place.

That vision gradually led to the development of Spirit of Hven into the destination it is today, with the distillery, hotel, restaurants, conference center, tasting facilities and laboratory all forming part of the same business.

One of the most important decisions we made was to invest in the entire experience rather than focusing solely on production. This has required substantial investment over the years, but it has also given us something that is difficult to copy. A bottle of Spirit of Hven can be experienced anywhere in the world, but the place where it is made can only be experienced here.

My role has naturally been different from Henric’s. Henric has always been deeply focused on distillation, chemistry, fermentation, maturation, flavour development and experimentation. Henric is the “Nose” and the person identified as a perfectionist. My responsibility has been more focused on hospitality, people, sales, international relationships, and creating an environment where the products and the destination strengthen one another.

We have always believed that a premium product needs a premium environment around it. The way guests are welcomed, the food they are served, the design, the story we tell, and the knowledge of our staff all contribute to how the brand is perceived.

We have also made a conscious decision to remain independent and family-owned. That has not always been the easiest route, particularly as costs have increased and the international spirits market has become increasingly competitive. But it has allowed us to think long-term and make decisions based on what is right for the company rather than focusing only on short-term volume.

Another important development has been the gradual expansion of our international business. Spirit of Hven is now represented in more than 40 countries, and we have learned that international growth is not simply about selling more bottles. It is about finding the right partners and building relationships with people who understand what makes the brand different.

Today, we are also entering a new phase as a family business. Charlie, our son, is increasingly taking responsibility within the company. He is becoming more involved in markets, brand representation, and the development of the guest experience, while Henric and I remain deeply involved.

For us, this is not simply a change of management. It is the beginning of a generational transition, and I see that as one of the most exciting developments in the company. We have built Spirit of Hven over almost three decades, and now we have the opportunity to allow the next generation to develop it further while protecting the foundations we have created.

Where hospitality meets expertise

Few producers bring together a distillery, laboratory, hotel and restaurant in one destination. How do these elements strengthen one another commercially and creatively, and how are you refining the experience for guests who travel to Hven?

The different parts of Spirit of Hven are really one ecosystem rather than separate businesses.

The distillery is at the heart of everything, but over the years we have built several areas of expertise around it. The laboratory, the distillery, our consultancy business, the restaurants and the hotel all have their own role, but they also strengthen one another.

Henric has never been interested in simply following established recipes. He wants to understand why something tastes the way it does, what happens during fermentation and distillation, how different raw materials behave, and how maturation influences the final spirit. He is very careful with what equipment he uses, where the oak for the barrels has grown, how the farmer has treated the crop and how it is handled as it enters the distillery. Every drop is carefully crafted, with taste and scent coming together in perfect harmony, like a symphony.

Henric´s knowledge has also developed into a consultancy business, Spirit of Hven Consultancy & Laboratory, where we now help other distilleries and spirits projects internationally. We can become involved at almost any stage of a project. Sometimes a client is starting from scratch and needs help designing a distillery, selecting the appropriate equipment and understanding the technical requirements. We can assist with sourcing equipment, working with equipment manufacturers and suppliers, developing production parameters and recipes, and establishing processes for fermentation, distillation and maturation.

We also work with existing distilleries that may have a product that is not performing as they want it to. In those cases, we can analyse the spirit, identify where problems may be occurring, and help them adjust their processes or recipes. Our work can include laboratory analysis, GC/MS fingerprinting, recipe development, sensory evaluation, staff training and hands-on support during test distillations. In some projects, we stay involved over a longer period, following the client from the initial idea through equipment selection, commissioning and production, and sometimes well beyond that. This has become an important part of who we are.

The change in legislation in Sweden 2025, allowing us to sell spirits where the product is produced, has also added another dimension to our business.

International visitors in particular appreciate being able to purchase a bottle directly from the place where it was produced and take that part of their Hven experience home with them. Ultimately, we want guests to leave with more than a bottle. We want them to leave with a memory.

Building lasting connections with Japan

Henric has described Japan as a significant market for Spirit of Hven. How has that relationship developed in recent years, what do Japanese consumers and business partners respond to most, and where do you see opportunities to deepen that connection?

Japan remains a very interesting market for us, particularly because there is a natural respect for craftsmanship, precision and attention to detail.

There is also a cultural appreciation for producers who are prepared to take their time, and that fits very well with our philosophy.

Spirit of Hven is small compared with many international spirits companies, but that can actually be an advantage in Japan.

We are able to tell a very specific story about where we come from, how we work, and why our products are made the way they are.

Japanese whisky consumers are generally very knowledgeable. They do not necessarily need a long explanation about what whisky is. Instead, they are interested in what makes a particular whisky different, the raw materials, fermentation, distillation, cask selection, maturation, and the philosophy behind the producer.

That is where Henric’s experimental approach becomes particularly interesting.

He has always been interested in exploring how different raw materials, distillation techniques and types of oak influence the final spirit. Our long-term experiments with different woods, including mizunara, are a good example of this. We approach these experiments from both a scientific and a sensory perspective, rather than simply using a particular wood because it is fashionable. Henric is known for his relentless pursuit of perfection. He wants to understand every detail, from the smallest component of the process to the final drop in the bottle, and then uses that knowledge to create spirits of exceptional quality.

At the same time, I believe Japanese consumers appreciate the fact that we are a real family-owned company. There is a story behind the bottle, and there are real people behind the company.

The relationship with Japan is therefore not simply about selling more bottles. For us, it is about building relationships with people who understand what we are trying to achieve.

There is also an interesting connection between Japan and Hven itself. Both cultures have a strong appreciation for nature, craftsmanship, and precision, even though the traditions are very different. Hven also has its own strong scientific heritage through Tycho Brahe, which adds another dimension to our story.

Going forward, I see opportunities to deepen the relationship through more direct interaction with consumers, specialist whisky retailers, bars, restaurants, and collectors. We would also like to welcome more Japanese visitors to Hven.

There is something particularly valuable about taking an international customer from the bottle to the place where the bottle was made. Once someone has stood in our distillery, walked around the island, and met the people behind the whisky, the relationship with the brand becomes much more personal.

Growth with an island identity

As international interest grows, how do you protect the small-scale craftsmanship and island identity that distinguish Spirit of Hven, and what would meaningful growth look like for the company over the next five years?

For us, meaningful growth does not mean becoming a large-volume spirits producer.

We have never wanted to compete primarily on volume. Our strength is that we are small, independent, experimental and connected to a very particular place.

The island is not simply the location of our distillery. It is part of the identity of the brand. Hven gives us a story, a physical environment and a sense of place that cannot be reproduced somewhere else.

Protecting that identity means that we have to be selective. We cannot make everything for everyone, and we should not try to.

Our products need to have a reason for existing. We want to make spirits that are technically well made, interesting and distinctive rather than simply increasing the number of bottles we produce.

At the same time, we need to grow internationally. We already have customers and distribution relationships in more than 40 countries, and international markets are important for the future of the company. But international growth has to be controlled and strategic. It is much more important to us to have the right partners who understand the brand than simply to have our bottles available in as many countries as possible.

There is also an opportunity to grow through knowledge rather than volume. Our consultancy and laboratory business allows us to share the experience we have accumulated over the time with new and existing distilleries around the world.

In many ways, this is a very natural extension of what we have built at Spirit of Hven. We can help someone who is starting a distillery from the very beginning with equipment, production design and recipes or we can help an established producer understand why a spirit is not performing as it should and how it can be improved.

That means that our future growth does not have to come solely from producing more of our own spirits. It can also come from our knowledge, our laboratory and our ability to help other producers succeed. The same applies to tourism.

We see considerable potential in developing Hven as a destination for people who are interested in food, drink, whisky, craftsmanship and unique experiences. We want more international guests to discover the island, stay overnight, eat at our restaurants, visit the distillery and spend time here.

The next five years will therefore be about strengthening the quality of what we already have rather than simply making everything bigger.

We want to develop our international markets, strengthen our direct relationship with consumers, continue our product development and research, expand our consultancy and further develop the hospitality experience.

At the same time, we want to make the generational transition within the family in a thoughtful way, with Charlie increasingly becoming part of the future leadership of the company.

For us, success would be to look back five years from now and feel that Spirit of Hven has become stronger without losing its soul.

I would like people to still recognise the same family behind the company, the same curiosity in the products and the same connection to Hven, but with a stronger international reputation and an even better experience for the people who make the journey here.