MEIR is founded on our ambition to unleash the potential of aquavit, taking it beyond its esoteric Scandinavian past and into the global realm.
Our story begins one autumn day of 2019 when Ivan, the well-respected master blender for the world’s largest aquavit producer deliveres his letter of resignation, gets on his motorcycle, and drives home. His fitness tracker later revealed that his resting pulse was significantly lower after resigning. It still is. Finally, he dared to follow his dream and start his own aquavit company.
Ivan was working on his PhD in lactic acid bacteria fermentation at the University of Life Sciences in Ås, Norway, when he was approached for a job as a product developer in the spirits industry. Having acquired the skills he was seeking in his PhD program, he accepted the offer. Within two years he rose to the position as Head of Product Development in the world´s largest aquavit producer.
Through sheer luck, Rune was made aware that Ivan was looking to strengthen his team. At that time, Rune was working on a krill trawler sailing in Antarctica, an exciting adventure for a young food science graduate. However, being prone to seasickness, Rune realized that carrying out laboratory analysis at rough seas was not his calling.
The job interview with Ivan became his rescue call.
Kristoffer was managing service design projects in Uganda when Ivan persuaded him to join his R&D division.Over the years Ivan, Rune, and Kristoffer proved to be a good match as they bonded over the vision that later would become MEIR.
Ivan, Rune, and Kristoffer are reunited and ready to make aquavit for the world. Ivan brings the knowledge, Rune the creativity, and Kristoffer the ability to tie it all together in MEIR’s trademark aquavit experience.
MEIR is on a mission to provide the world with exceptional aquavit for the senses, created with ingenuity and passion while building a collaborative culture in the process. MEIR is the next evolutionary step in the aquavit history.
Aquavit is Norwegian culture, and MEIR is ours.
