Villbrygg – Norwegian nature becomes a world-class non-alcoholic drink

Why aren't there better non-alcoholic alternatives?

This was a question Vanessa Krogh and Cornelia Øiestad kept asking themselves. After several years in the restaurant industry, they decided to develop alternatives that could compete with the complex flavors that alcoholic beverages delivered. The result was Villbrygg. – Both Cornelia and I have backgrounds in different types of positions in the restaurant industry, says Vanessa. – Both are passionate about food and drink and reacted to how little exciting selection there was for guests who did not want alcoholic beverages. Inspired and interested in the philosophy surrounding New Nordic with star restaurants such as Noma and Maaemo, we had a hard time understanding why the trend did not also reflect Norwegian beverages.

Modest start

2016 was the year of the first experiment with fermented drinks based on Norwegian raw materials and wild plants. It took place at home on Cornelia's kitchen counter, who had collected and dried various raw materials herself, including those from the forest. The goal was to create an exciting drinking experience with a chard of Norwegian flavors at the center.

A healthier trend

– We saw that there was great potential to inspire others to take care of themselves, without it having to come at the expense of the good experience. People have become more enlightened. They want a healthy lifestyle and know that alcohol is not just for health. Younger people in particular are more conscious and ambitious, which is not compatible with alcohol. Much of the meal experience lies in the drink, – in search of new alternatives we wanted to create innovative, tasty brews that reflect the unique Nordic flora.

Massive with supporters

After two years of research and experimentation on the kitchen counter, "Villbrygg" was established as a Norwegian beverage company that produces non-alcoholic, botanical drinks based on Nordic wild plants, berries, fruits and herbs. - It has been a long road to go and we have built stone by stone, she assures. - The driving force has been to contribute to a more sustainable flavor system and that we have fun. In addition, we have received enormous support from people, - more than three thousand have invested in the company. Finally, we feel that the ball has started to roll, but it has been many and long working days.

Out of the booth

– How has the process been? – Much of the work has been pure knowledge building, she emphasizes. – Since this is neither beer, wine, cider or mead, it is difficult for people to understand what they can expect from the drinks. These are alternatives that provide a completely different taste experience and references than anything else. We ourselves have also spent a lot of time developing names for the categories the brew will fall under. In the end, we chose to divide it into:

• Nordic Tropics where all drinks are based on wild plants and herbs from local farmers, gatherers and urban gardens in Norway, and

• Sparkling botanical drinks that are sparkling made from organic herbs, berries and fruit.

In short, it's about sparkling, flavorful and complex drinks, made with real organic or wild ingredients from Norwegian nature, devoid of artificial additives.

International attention

Today, eight years after its establishment, Villbrygg's drinks are on the menu at Michelin restaurants both in Norway and in several other countries. – Does that sound like an adventurous, rapid development? The answer comes quickly: I don't feel like it has gone quickly, she assures. – It has been a lot of work over a long, long time. Thanks to long-term planning and good cooperation, we are on track to reach our goal. Sales doubled from last year, – the same happened from 2023 – 2024. – And what is the goal? -We have the same ambitious goal as when we started: We will become an internationally recognized company that is at the forefront of the field when it comes to producing world-class drinks, she assures, and we are already well on our way.

Non-alcoholic drinks, – from niche to favorite

The story of Villbrygg illustrates in practice the development that Vinmonopolet now clearly sees in the numbers. What was a narrow niche market a few years ago has developed into a broad movement where consumers are demanding non-alcoholic alternatives with the same complexity, quality and identity as traditional wine and beer categories. Jens Nordahl, Head of Communications at Vinmonopolet, says: -The macro trend is crystal clear: People want to drink light and easy. Non-alcoholic drinks have gained momentum in recent years. He points to several reasons for the growth. - The first time we registered sales of non-alcoholic cider was in 2020. Then we sold only 1.300 liters. The following year it increased to around 2.500 liters. In 2022 it really started to take off, with 115.000 liters, and last year sales exploded. The fact that a full 145,000 liters of cider were sold in 2025 is absolutely crazy. It is obvious that people have opened their eyes to non-alcoholic drinks.

Two main reasons

– What is behind the development? – There are probably two main explanations, says Nordahl. – The Vinmonopolet is required by law to offer non-alcoholic party drinks. Before 2010, this consisted of a fairly standardized range. Then something happened: Producers started competing to make beer, wine and cider without alcohol.

Wide selection

They experimented with flavors and raw materials – some sourced ingredients such as wild plants from the forest, others focused on ginger beer, for example. The result was a wide selection of non-alcoholic drinks, with and without bubbles, and of far higher quality than before. – The health aspect also plays an important role. Consumers have increasingly abandoned the dark and red categories with high sugar and alcohol content, and have chosen lighter, fresher and brighter alternatives, emphasizes Nordahl, who says that a total of 1,5 million liters of non-alcoholic drinks were sold at the wine monopoly in 2025.

Worth knowing:

The products are available at Vinmonopolet, in Meny, Mega, Oda and specialty stores, and are served in bars and restaurants in Norway and internationally. Caption: The company has been named "Producer of the Year" at the 2025 Food Awards for its work with organic and sustainable drinks. Villbrygg is a Norwegian, innovative beverage company that produces tasty non-alcoholic alternatives based on Norwegian nature and sustainable production.