The best drinks come from nearby

Tori Cidery – home to apple orchards and newts

Tori Cidery was founded in 2014 when the family moved back from Tallinn to their grandparents' farm in Pärnu County. The heart of the farm is nearly 10 hectares of apple orchards and four hectares of berry plantations, which provide all the ingredients for the farm's ciders and sparkling wines. On the farm, you can see an apple picking harvester unique in Estonia, as well as modern production and bottling equipment that help keep production on track.

The farm's most well-known product is Ice Cider (Jääsiider), which has been awarded the title of best drink in Estonia in its class by the Estonian Sommelier Association for two years. In addition to ciders, Tori Cidery also produces highly praised non-alcoholic drinks and sparkling berry wines, such as blackberry, cranberry and rhubarb. They are special in that they contain no added sugars, artificial colourings, or preservatives.

"A quality product starts out on the field where we grow our apples and berries. We find the taste of apple and berry varieties to be very important," the owner emphasises, adding that the farm grows varieties that are hard to find elsewhere. This allows Tori Cidery to make products that are unique, pure in taste, and distinctive. In addition to the varieties and taste characteristics, production technologies and the skills of the beverage master also play an important role, and are continuously being developed in collaboration with other international cider producers and the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

A distinctive feature of Tori Cidery is its close-to-nature management, the purity of which is also vouched by the newts living in the farm's ponds – these rare amphibians only live in pure nature. Finding them is what gave the idea for the company logo. When they were looking for a symbol for the cidery in the early days, they were struggling to come up with a good idea. One late autumn day, however, an old concrete staircase had to be dug up from the farmyard. When it was removed, small newts that had been hibernating there, looked up from the deep hole. After the initial surprise, it appeared that these rare creatures are a sign of pure and well-preserved nature.

"For us, the newts are like beloved pets, and when we see them busy in our farm ponds in the summer, we know that everything is fine with our environment," says Karmo Haas. From that moment on, newts have been the symbol of the farm.

Jaanihanso Ciderhouse – ciders made using the champagne method

Jaanihanso Ciderhouse is a family business founded as a successor to a historic farm. In 2013, it was decided to turn the long-standing hobby of making home-made wine into a job and a profession, and thus the Jaanihanso Ciderhouse was born. Then, the renovations of the abandoned Edasi Collective Farm repair shop began, and the 2014 vintage apples were already crushed there.

Primary fermentation is always done using wild yeast, which gives each vintage a unique nuance. This way, each bottle becomes like a small time capsule where nature has left its mark. Even though exclusive ciders made using the champagne method are at the heart of Jaanihanso, the ciderhouse has expanded its portfolio to include canned ciders and non-alcoholic beverages to offer a wider selection and reach more cider lovers. These innovations offer greater flexibility and an opportunity to create new, exciting flavours, while maintaining the naturalness and craftsmanship that are characteristic of Jaanihanso.

The most popular products are the Jaanihanso Doux champagne method cider, Ice Cider (Jääsiider), and Rheum Naturel rhubarb and apple cider. Jaanihanso's non-alcoholic ciders, such as the Quince Naturel and Rosé Naturel, are also very popular with the customers, bringing an enjoyable taste experience to those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks. “We don't just make sweet sparkling drinks – our non-alcoholic drinks are made from real cider or apple wine, from which we remove the alcohol to preserve the cider's unique character and crisp, authentic depth of flavour,” Veronika Roosimaa points out.

Jaanihanso, who has been collaborating with Prisma for six years, turns Estonian apples, pears, and blackcurrants into natural, high-quality drinks. The ciders and sparkling wines are made from the produce of their own apple orchard, as well as that of local orchards and apple growers, much of which is organic. They also use Estonian blackcurrants to enrich the flavour and bring out the best qualities of the local ingredients. In addition to cider and wine production, we are developing the Jaanihanso Ciderhouse as a comprehensive experience centre, where you can enjoy theatre, trips, cooking classes, a seminar venue, and parties – so that every visit is special and memorable.

Põhjala Tea Farm – the pure taste of Estonian herbs

The story of Põhjala Tea Farm began back in 2013, when the hostess and tea master Ly was faced with a choice – whether to let the farm of her ancestors fall into disrepair or give it a new life. Her love for plants and nature led her to tea production.

Põhjala Tea Farm focuses on berry and herbal teas made from pure ingredients, where every detail matters – from planting and weeding to cleaning and packaging dry herbs. "Our goal is to damage the plants as little as possible so that more of the wonderful aromas and flavours would reach our customers," Ly Kaasik said. This is precisely why freeze-dried berries, which preserve their flavour, vitamins, and natural sweetness, give Põhjala Tea Farm teas their particularly strong berry flavour. This way you can avoid adding sugar and artificial flavours and fragrances.

The collaboration with Prisma began in 2021, and the most popular products are Mint Raspberry, Mint Black Currant and Sweet Mint, the flavour combinations highly praised by consumers. Põhjala Tea Farm uses mainly local ingredients, organically growing its own tea herbs, such as peppermint, sweet mint, and chamomile.

Environmental friendliness is important to Põhjala Tea Farm. For example, they use pyramid-shaped filter bags that are made from GMO-free corn fibre and are industrially biodegradable. “Many tea bags are bleached and contain microplastics, but we are always looking for solutions to offer tea lovers a high-quality taste experience,” says Ly's son Erki Kaasik, who founded Põhjala Tea Farm together with his mother.

Põhjala Tea Farm is planning to develop tea culture in Estonia further and continue being a pioneer in the Estonian tea world. "Many coffee fans have discovered our teas and then reduced their coffee consumption – this is a sign that natural and authentic flavours are increasingly valued," Erki Kaasik adds.

Anderson’s Brewery – creativity and passion in every bottle

Anderson's Brewery started out in 2014, when a home brewing hobby grew into a serious business. In the first years, they operated as a "gypsy brewery", which means that they did not yet have their own production facilities and the beer was brewed at other breweries. “In 2020, our own brewery was finally opened in Tartu, marking the onset of a new stage for the company. "We produce very unique and tasty beers and other beverages with passion and love, and thanks to this, our brewery has become one of the best-known names in the circle of small beer producers, both in Estonia and abroad," says head brewer Sten Anderson.

The product selection of Anderson’s Brewery includes craft beers with the most distinctive, versatile and playful designs, using the best natural ingredients.

One of the most popular products is Westworld – a classic West Coast IPA that has become a favourite of many due to its strong hop profile and balanced flavour. In addition, Catch UP! Chili will soon be available at Prisma stores – a unique tomato and basil beer spiced with Carolina Reaper chili.

Anderson’s Brewery, which started its collaboration with Prisma in 2021, is constantly contributing to product development and innovation, increasingly focusing on its non-alcoholic product range. “Our goal is to offer beers with exciting flavours, test the boundaries, and surprise you with our flavour combinations,” says Anderson. If possible, Estonian apples are used in the popular apple and cinnamon beer Appelhoff. In the past, they have also brewed beer from blueberries picked from Estonian forests, and local rhubarb and the products by Rõngu Mahl have been used.

Anderson’s Brewery currently has strong collaboration with the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Bulgaria and Lithuania, where their boldly creative beers are highly appreciated. "We want to gain a stronger foothold in the Estonian market as well and be more visible and accessible to Estonian consumers," Anderson adds.

Õllenaut – beer that tastes like beer

Õllenaut started out in 2013, when craft beer enthusiasts decided to turn their passion and knowledge into a real brewery. The idea came about after a long and boring workday, when Urmas Rootsi recalled a man he met on his birthday, who had talked for hours about the history and brewing of beer and gave him a taste of the delicious beers made in his home brewery. At that thought, Urmas, tired of his corporate job, e-mailed his plans to start a new brewery to Ilmar, the home brewer he met on his birthday. Ilmar immediately took up the idea and became the brew master at the new company, Õllenaut.

When they started out, Õllenaut wandered around various beer varieties to try and meet the consumers’ demand as per the "craft beer revolution", but for over five years now, their most popular products have been the traditional light, copper and stout beer, the flavour nuances of which do not need to be explained – the word "beer" will do.

The Õllenaut brewery also produces Estonia's most popular non-alcoholic beer series, Kaineken, which really does taste like real beer. "Because we produce our non-alcoholic beers exactly the same way as our regular beers, without removing or adding anything to them in later processes, the beer's recognisable flavour is not lost," Roots points out.

The collaboration with Prisma began in 2014 and has now lasted for over ten years. During this time, Õllenaut has brought both classics and innovative products to the store shelves. The innovations include a more environmentally friendly packaging option – a partially printed can, in which the label covering the entire can was reduced to a narrow strip so as not to spoil the recyclable aluminium with plastic.

Õllenaut has the most modern and automatic brewery among small beer producers, which is why it is constantly experimenting with new flavours and will soon launch a non-alcoholic lager, and this summer, its early hit product Simko Eili, which will complement the brewery's popular can series with a pale ale-type beer. Although it is not yet possible to grow cultivated hops or malt local barley in Estonia, Estonian rye malts are used in the brewing of Rukki Eili to give the beers their characteristic fullness and flavour.

One of the most special stories about the Õllenaut brewery is related to the legendary Lumelausuja (Snow Whisperer). In the autumn of 2013, several beers had already been brewed, but the imperial stout did not reach the desired strength in the secondary fermentation and remained in a corner of the warehouse, unlabelled. The craft beer revolution was gathering momentum, but the stout was still waiting for its time.

Christmas and New Year's Eve were black, but the weather forecast promised snow soon. “One evening after a long day of brewing and bottling, as I was watching the January rain beating on the window and appreciating the quality of the wonderful, still unnamed stout, my thoughts started to wonder. Snow… Winter… Snow…,” Roots recalls. Snowy winter arrived on Saturday, and the foreign stout Lumelausuja hit stores on the second Monday of January. Since then, it has been released every winter at the beginning of winter, and so far it has always happened to coincide with snow, except for 2019/20, when the brewery moved and production was paused – this was also the only winter without snow.

The best drinks come from nearby – support small Estonian producers!

Prisma's campaign "The best food comes from nearby" emphasises the importance of local ingredients and environmentally friendly production methods. Tori Cidery, Jaanihanso Ciderhouse, Põhjala Tea Farm, Anderson’s Brewery and Õllenaut are excellent examples of how creativity and commitment to quality lead to success and consumer trust.

In March, make sure to check out the domestic drinks available at Prisma. Posters with beautiful pictures and messages will guide you into the world of flavours by local small producers – whether these be sparkling drinks, craft beer, cider or herbal teas. The best flavours come from nearby!