Norway's Best Drink 2026 receives NM status

In March 2026, the entire Norwegian beverage industry will gather at Rebel in Oslo when Norway's
Best Drink for the first time receives official NM status.

Over two days, March 18–19, the house will be filled with professional content, judging, tasting experiences,
workshops – and a great prelude for everyone who is passionate about Norwegian taste. Day two ends with
awards ceremony and party for producers, industry and the public.
Then the doors open for an even bigger celebration – to the Rebel Beer & Cider Festival, Friday and
Saturday, March 20-21. Together, this creates a four-day drinking festival in the capital –
with Norwegian crafts, raw materials and producers in the center.

A boost for Norwegian drinks

– I think this could be a big boost for Norwegian drinks and one of the year's most important meeting places for
both the industry and the public, says project manager in HANEN, Erling Kristensen.
Norway's Best Drink is now being developed into a national reputation project that will strengthen
the knowledge of what Norwegian drinks are actually made of – and why Norwegian raw materials provide unique
taste and sustainability.
Through the establishment of NM status for the categories of beer, cider, mead, aquavit and non-alcoholic,
both small and large producers get a common professional platform, a professional jury and a clear
brand.

Drinking culture

The project highlights Norwegian raw materials without additives: malt, apples, honey, grains, berries,
herbs and natural yeast cultures. The audience gains insight into the value of pure Norwegian raw materials: What is
actually malt? Why do Norwegian apples taste different? What is kveik – and why does it speak
the whole world about it?
The festival will therefore not just be an award ceremony, but a knowledge arena where tradition, innovation and
origin meet.
At the same time, all existing categories and important parts of Norwegian drinking culture will be continued.
are highlighted – from grain farmers and maltsters to cider producers, mead brewers and
spirits distillers. In addition to beer, cider, mead, aquavit and non-alcoholic, the other
categories such as regular apple juice, fruit wine, grape wine and fruit spirits.

Norway's largest

With Norway's Best Drink 2026 takes HANEN goal of creating Norway's largest and most
unifying meeting place for Norwegian drinks, where professional communities, the industry and the public together build
pride in Norwegian raw materials and Norwegian taste.
Welcome to Rebel in March – to four days of taste, insight, craftsmanship and the NM finals that
puts Norwegian drinks on the map.

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