ATVR drops Westfjords liqueur after weak trial sales

The Westfjords craft liqueur Eldblóm has been removed from Icelandic alcohol retailer ÁTVR’s shops after it failed to sell enough during a one-year trial, mbl.is reports. Its creator, choreographer Sigríður Soffía Níelsdóttir, says the rules make it difficult for small Icelandic producers to compete with major foreign brands.

For much of the trial, Eldblóm was available in only two shops, Kringlan and Heiðrún, with six bottles offered at each and no stock available if they sold out. It was added to shops in Patreksfjörður and Ísafjörður six months later, despite Níelsdóttir’s efforts to make it available in the Westfjords, where the drink is made.

Níelsdóttir says ÁTVR’s rules for deciding which products get shelf space, and in how many shops, are unclear. She also says the liqueur could not be advertised during the trial, making it difficult for a new Icelandic drink to match the sales of established brands.

Although she could not sell Eldblóm in shops in the Westfjords for a year, she has supplied restaurants, including in the region, under a wholesale licence. Customers can also order it online through ÁTVR as a special order. She says tourists who have tried the drink at hotels have been unable to buy a bottle in shops.

Producers must wait a year before applying again for an ÁTVR trial sale. Níelsdóttir has already reapplied for Eldblóm and has also applied to sell a new gin she has produced.