Drink your way through Norway

Follow your thirst

Cider in Hardanger .
Photo: Visit Hardangerfjord

Drinks as pure as untouched nature.

Cider in Hardanger .
Photo: Visit Hardangerfjord

Exclusive apple juice and cider from fjords and valleys.

Apple juice from the Fruit Village .
Photo: Finn-Erik Rognan / Visit Norway

Nutritious and tasty milk from summer mountain farms.

Cat drinks milk .
Photo: Spætt Film / Visit Norway

Coffee anytime and anywhere.

Sagene, Oslo .
Photo: Maverix / Visit Norway

All over Norway, you can sample delicious drinks from cafés, craft breweries, distilleries, countryside farms, and much more. Here are top tips on a few Norwegian drinks you won't want to miss.

“To be able to drink pure water directly from both the tap and a mountain stream is a luxury that I believe is quite unique in the world,” says Vidar Lund, senior scientist at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Mountain streams – natural luxury

Make sure to bring a drinking cup along in your backpack when hiking in the mountains. You can then enjoy cold, naturally pure water straight from a small mountain stream. Look for water that flows steeply, and get an overview of the terrain to make sure that the stream isn't contaminated by animals.

By the way, Fjellbekk (mountain stream in English) is also the name of a classic Norwegian cocktail based on aquavit, vodka, lemon, and lime. Aquavit is spelled “akevitt” in Norwegian and is the country’s most popular spirit.

A woman drinking water from a mountain river in Jotunheimen, Eastern Norway.
Photo: CH / Visitnorway.com

A word about water

Tap water is considered safe to drink all over Norway.

Bottled water from Norwegian sources is gaining popularity at the expense of soda products.

Bottled water is mainly sold to people 'on the go', rather than as a substitute for tap water at home.

There is a deposit on plastic bottles, which you can redeem at supermarkets and other vendors.

Sources: Bryggeri- og drikkevareforeningen and Norsk vann

Award-winning apple ciders and juices

The same water is absorbed by trees that bear fantastic fruit, from which Norwegian cider and fruit juice is made. Handcrafted Norwegian apple juices and ciders consistently rank at the very top in international competitions.

The microclimates by the Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord and in Telemark are particularly favourable. The surface of the water reflects the sunshine onto the steep hillsides where the trees bloom. The soil is based on moraines deposited by glaciers.

'Hardanger cider' and 'Apple juice from Hardanger' are protected as geographical indications in the same way as ‘Champagne’. The apples found in the fjords are as diverse in type as French grapes.

More and more exciting cider makers, craft breweries, and quaint farm shops are popping up throughout the country. Explore the culinary universe of Fruktbygda (The Fruit Village), in Gvarv in Telemark. The farmers here have won many awards, including for Norway’s best apple juice.

Scroll below to discover how the first apple cider saw the light of day in Hardanger, and where to embark on the incredibly beautiful Fruit and cider trail.

Cider on the side

Norwegian cider production has long traditions and has recently been revived by the introduction of the industry's leading French and English apple varieties. These varieties have a more tart flavour compared with the sweet, Norwegian fruit.

You can now find both old and new producers on the menu at hotels and restaurants throughout the country.

Visit Hardanger's fruit farms

Sample word class apple juice and cider, take a cider cruise, and explore the unique fruit and cider trail!

Strolling around among the fruit trees in Ulvik .
Photo: Øystein G. Haara / Visit Hardangerfjord

A beer brewing boom

Beer has been brewed in Norway for 3,000 years, and the Vikings were known for their beer. Today, you can enjoy a wide variety of beers from north to south. Many brewers are creative and like to experiment with an ever-expanding range of ingredients and flavours, including different kinds of fruit and even spruce trees. Hundreds of new breweries are popping up, gaining international attention for their delicious craft beers.

Book a visit to a brewery to see the brewing process first-hand, sample some brews, and purchase a selection of your favourites. You'll be sure to find a craft beer to sample no matter where you visit.

Norway is also home to several new gin and whiskey distilleries. You can find several in fairly remote and dramatic windswept locations far from the mainland, including the Myken Destilleri on the Helgeland coast, the Feddie Ocean Distillery on the island of Fedje on the outermost coast of Fjord Norway, and the Oss Craft Distillery near Bergen, whose Bareksten Navy Strength Gin won gold at the 2022 London Spirits Competition.

You can also visit the world's northernmost whisky distillery, the Aurora Spirit Distillery by the mouth of the Lyngenfjord in Northern Norway, where you can enjoy an Arctic distillation experience.

Coffee anytime and anywhere

Norwegians have the highest coffee consumption in the world, and we can boast several world champions in barista art. If you travel to Oslo, you can enjoy coffee from World Barista Champion Tim Wendelboe. His café - a micro roastery, coffee training centre and espresso bar, all in one - is located in Grünerløkka, Oslo, near the beautiful Akerselva river.

Find the coolest places in town to get your caffeine fix, and make sure to sample the new wave of independent coffee bars found around the country.

Milk that tastes like nature

It's nature that makes Norwegian milk and dairy fresh and tasty. Even milk purchased in the supermarket is good. That's because Norwegian cows roam freely, eat well and are well cared for. Many Norwegian farmers are at the forefront of animal welfare, and care a great deal about their animals.

Visit a quaint Norwegian farm or summer mountain farm, some of which are happy to offer you fresh milk straight from the cow. Many farms are situated in stunning cultural landscapes, so you can indulge your taste buds while enjoying the view!

The Milky Way to great taste

Did you know that cows in Norway have at least 8 weeks of vacation? Learn why Norway has some of the finest dairy and beef in the world.

Cow in the Lodalen Valley .
Photo: Øyvind Heen - fjords.com

Vitamin power

Nourish your senses with refreshing kombucha brews (a fermented tea drink) and fermented smoothies made in Norway.

Fermentation is the process through which organic substances are slowly degraded. The method can be used for far more than beer, apple cider, and food when using starter cultures such as thick milk, kefir grains or whey.

Gry Hammer is the author of the book Fermentation and an enthusiastic advocate for the revival of this old, Norwegian tradition.

“Smoothies based on Norwegian clotted sour milk mixed with seasonal berries and fruit are an easy way to use a fermented base. Any fermented drink is an elixir, a potion with a lot of vitamin power,” says Hammer.

Throughout Norway, you can satisfy your thirst with a great variety of drinks that are as pure as pristine nature. Go where the freshness in your glass comes naturally.