SHIFT 2025: Whey-A-Head, northern Europe's first circular economy vodka produced in Turku
The latest innovation from Turun Tislaamo Oy, is made from whey a by-product of cheese production setting a new precedent in Finland.
Kicking off SHIFT Business Festival 2025, Turun Tislaamo Oy unveiled its newest and most innovative product: Whey-A-Head, Northern Europe’s first circular economy vodka, crafted from a by-product of cheese production.
It was CEO Tapio Järvenpää who introduced the product: "For a long time, people have asked us for a product that works perfectly on its own as a drink, so we listened closely to consumer feedback throughout the entire development process."
And indeed, the new Whey-A-Head vodka blends eco-innovation with the strength of Finnish craftsmanship. With this launch, Whey-A-Head joins the Turun Tislaamo family of responsibly produced vodkas.
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"So it's basically it's milk i would say that people can expect more kind of a traditional kind of finnish vodka this is not as this doesn't taste as sweet as our current Kaiho vodka this has a little bit sharp, sharper taste a little bit different mouth feeling, but still it's a really really good vodka Kaiho", says Järvenpää to Entreprenerd.
A CIRCULAR ECONOMY VODKA
This new vodka is made from organic whey sourced from Finnish milk. While grain-based distillation is already a well-established technology, developing whey-based alcohol took over a year of intensive work — resulting in a bold, all-natural vodka unlike anything seen before.
"Vodka are made of organic winter wheat and artesian water and this is made of whey so kind of a side side product side stream from cheese manufacturing", explained to Entreprenerd.
"While our Kaiho vodkas are positioned in the premium segment, Whey-A-Head is aimed at the mid-range category. We believe this new product will attract an entirely new audience — one that enjoys drinking responsibly, but also casually", says Järvenpää.
IT'S LACTOSE FREE!
The CEO said this product is lactose-free: "Yes, of course it is. The lactose intolerance is because the process we use is such that it contains no water, leaving very little residual lactose, but when it is fermented and, after fermentation, distilled, there is absolutely no residual lactose left in the vodka. To call an alcoholic beverage vodka, you first have to distill it to 96% of its alcohol content, so it does not contain lactose, and the same goes for grain vodka, so it does not contain gluten residues".
Whey-A-Head will be available at retail stores starting early July, with restaurant and festival deliveries beginning mid-June.
