Meet the Kyrö people
Over the years Kyrö has grown to a world known distillery. Five guys with a dream turned into a supersized family. Get to know the Kyrö people.
Founders
Miika Lipiäinen
Gives the beat as a CEO but plays real drums, too. Winning the fight with Coke Zero addiction.
Mikko Koskinen
Mikko is an ok guy who takes care of the brand while taking over Berlin. Has lots of hobbies, facial hair and ideas.
Miko Heinilä
Watches over the premises and tells never-ending stories about (Iso)Kyrö history to everyone who wanders his way.
Kalle Valkonen
Before becoming the head distiller for a Finnish whisky distillery, this (crazy) scientist was developing biofuels and brewing beer.
Jouni Ritola
Fearless salesman spent a year in Chicago enjoying live sports events. Moved back to Helsinki to teach small talk to Finns.
Visitor Center
Tony Sivula
Sheep farmer and distillery bar manager who keeps leaving his keys in places he forgets about.
Jenni Hautala
Dreams about growing potatoes but for now she´s the heart (and the soul) of the restaurant. Responsible for distillery events. Never says no to a glass of white wine.
Joni Pukkinen
Grandma's pancakes with real butter and sugar and the joy of finding wild strawberries started the story. Our head chef makes taste journeys at Kyrö unforgettable.
Eveliina Hyppönen
Cooking, stewing and toasting in Kyrö kitchen this master chef remembers the trips she made as a kid to the beach and the sandwiches they ate after swimming. She still loves food. The very favourite dish? That would be entrecôte.
Joonas Saarela
Foodie who chose candy over “promising” hockey career as a kid. In the Kyrö kitchen Joonas makes all kinds of tasty things, at home he experiments with gluten-free ideas.
Lyydianna Hangassalo
When she´s not hosting distillery tours, she enjoys Hogwarts spiced with magical tattoo ideas and ice cream bowls.
Meeri Luhtala
The never ending smile left Isokyrö just to come back with more stories to tell. Makes the tours and drinks tasty.
Kristiina Perkiö
Kristiina works behind the bar. She believes fighting makes sense when you do it in Spanish and mornings are worth it when you can sleep.
Hermanni Kauranen
When he’s not working, Hermanni is most likely playing or coaching American football. Besides hosting distillery guests he also teaches about travel industry (you are truly in good hands during your visit).
Katariina Kallio
Every tour she hosts, the safety is guaranteed. Mainly because she's a paramedic.
Eeva Iivari
From running barefoot in Kilimanjaro to run tours around rye distillery in Isokyrö. The only one of us who can tell the story of Kyrö in Estonian.
Susanne Koivisto
Tour host got very excited about Disney+ coming to Finland. Loves sushi, iced coffee and her cat.
Marketing & Sales
Sanna Dooley
Head of the Brand Commercial Team is full of plans and has a laptop full of excels. Nothing gets you to her good graces quicker than a shared belly laugh accompanied by a classic whisky cocktail.
Reija Penttinen
Marketing and managing the visitor center and when she’s not doing that she just keeps dancing. Reija loves to travel and loves her kiddo; the curious and open-minded little human being we could all learn from.
Hanna-Leena Huhtala
hanna-leena@kyrodistillery.com
The one who loves to sleep late in the morning and dream about travels. Has a work related social media addiction, creates (good) content and handles all things digital.
Liv Fleischhacker
Berlin superstar likes salt and Italy: together and separate. The third thing she'll gladly tell you about over good cocktails. When she’s not drinking she gets into a bottled water and new marketing ideas.
Eerik Lähteenpää
Collects data rather at the official office than at the home office. Besides solving digital problems and selling barrels builds furniture. Not necessarily fancy enough to have in your living room.
Pirita Litmanen
Busy with brand related stuff and happy when the sun is shining. Art director of the office and Kyröfest.
Janni Markkula
Our product manager could easily survive on a deserted island if there was Asian food and puppies running around.
Jonna Kytömäki
Our marketing warehouse and customer service coordinator claims not to be a morning person but works like one. Uses every possible hour dreaming about a cottage by the ocean.
Max Sabato
Spreads the rye in Germany and drives a Volvo. Also the one we like to send in the kitchen and see magic happen.
Vladimir Tsetsadze
Russian market manager dreams about making dreams come true. Hasn't visited his favourite city yet but wishes to find Khinkali from there, too.
Jenna Toivonen
Baby mama is out of office.
Whisky team
Mari Saarenpää
Prefers whisky smoky and knows how to replace problems with solutions. Leads the whisky team with loads of love.
Jonas Backlund
Besides whisky distilling and creating new drinks, masters Swedish dialect closest to ancient language and surely after meeting him, you'll know where he's from.
Timo Mäkelä
Surprisingly talkative introvert who says he can distill whisky and play bass at the same time but no one has seen that happen yet.
Tommi Pöytälaakso
Our master of barrels is an introvert with social butterfly wings. Tommi enjoys nature and conversations: also with barrels. If he only had one wish, it would be to see his kids grow up to be happy and healthy. If he had another wish? He would buy a horse ranch for himself.
Terhi Vuorimaa
Besides barreling, loves London vibes and animals.
ABV (all but whisky) team
Matti Leppälehto
Gin blender who likes sauna, loves electronic music and laughs at really bad jokes. Better known as “the sauce guy”.
Sanni Aittanen
Former aircraft mechanic is a talent on the baseball field and in gin distilling.
Ásgeir Bergmann Pétursson
It’s weird his favourite city is Madrid due to good weather, great wines and amazing food. Yet he just moved to Isokyrö. Contract says Geiri does research and development. We think he’s also really good at making us all happy.
Bottling, logistics and production
Jani Kujala
In this case it takes one to tango and Jani is the one singing it while managing the Kyrö production.
Outi Heiniluoma
Kyrö bottles would get lost in translation without our head of logistics team – the one with the Fernet-Branca coin.
Ann-Marie Kallio
Gardening enthusiast who keeps packing materials strictly in order and spices Isokyrö with her Swedish flavour.
Taina Perttula
Works in logistics and masters in casseroles. Loves animals when they are not spiders.
Kaisa Havunen
Dreams about having another Hanami picnic in Tokyo one day. In charge of sending the bottles out to the world. Fan of whisky, drinks it neat.
Elisabeth Killinen
As a kid, this master of logistics and bottling used to drive around in a truck with her dad listening to Swedish hits. Nowadays loves to wake up early and admits her favourite drink is milk.
Office and finance
Linda Hasi
Financial director who comes down the hills freeriding. Loves mushrooming and art galleries.
Jenni Soini
Remembers more than is humanly possible even for a finance manager. Spends most of her free time renovating a 100-year-old house by the Kyrö river.