Anna is branded for life with the gin that makes her heart beat.
A pandemic disease is raging all over the world, the restaurant industry is fighting for survival, people’s liberty of action is limited, borders are closed, societies are locked down and solitude breaks a lot of people. All this is setting the scene when Anna Marxén takes the decision to move back home to Sweden after thirteen years in Norway and realize a dream together with her future husband Marelius Moen.
They are opening their restaurant and wine bar Deilig in Varberg 2020. Deilig means everything that is good in life. Deilig is also a great word to describe Anna as a person.
At Deilig, Hernö Gin is the only gin at the menu that also has a personal dedication written by Anna whose heart beats strongly for the gin brand. One reason is the palate. But crucial for Anna is the passion, the values and the business culture that she has experienced when visiting the distillery and meeting people working there.
– The first time when I met Jon Hillgren was when I worked as Brand Manager for Hernö Gin in Norway. Jon visited us, met bartenders working with the brand and told his story with that special tone of voice that distinguish Hernö Gin and above all Jon himself. Informal, modest and unpretentious. Including others in a way that invites to participate and co-create. I was so inspirated by his ability to build communities. He made a very strong impression on me, Anna remembers.
Co-creator and strong ambassador for Hernö Gin.
For a couple of years, Anna is an important part of the team, working with the brand in Norway, and a strong link to the Norwegian bar scene with her large network in the industry. Responsible for Team Norway she takes part of the international final for Hernö Gin Cocktail Awards at several occations.
– The overall experience during Hernö Gin Cocktail Awards bears witness to Hernö Gins values. You can really feel the fellowship, the concern for others, the curiosity, the openness and the sincere will to include everybody. International bartenders are coming together in friendship, sharing knowledge and helping each other out to co-create during an cocktail event where the competition is stiff, Anna says.
– It’s amazing that Hernö Gin is able to build all this. The friendship and the experience of the beautiful nature in the High Coast of Sweden are memories to cherish for life, she adds.
A true statement that highlights a matter of heart.
You really could say that Anna is marked for life after the years working with Hernö Gin. The drawing of a Hernö Navy Strength Gin on her arm is a statement showing how much Hernö Gin means for her.
– I had been thinking about it for a long time, to get a tattoo, but hadn’t had the courage. So when my mission at Hernö Gin shifted to new challenges, I felt that the time was in. I showed a picture of myself by the sea with a bottle of Hernö Navy Strength Gin in my hand to the tattoo artist and said: Let’s go for it!, Anna tells.
Look at her arm and you'll know.
The result is a very personal symbolic drawing with a heart on the Hernö Gin bottle. At Annas restaurant Deilig in Varberg, the tattoo tells the guests that Anna is the girl who loves Hernö Gin, is a gin expert and knows everything about gin cocktails. Regular guests know. New ones figure it out quickly. Without doubt.
– Deilig is my scene where my passion comes true, where I can invite and introduce people to experience gin. As for example my regular guest Britta that is over eighty years old. She challenged me by questioning if there really is a difference between ”ordinary gin” and the multiple awarded gin I was talking about. She bought a bottle of gin from a well-known giant producer to compare with Hernö Gin at home, just to see if she could sense the artisanal feeling and quality I was talking about. There were no doubt. Today Hernö Gin is her first choice when it comes to gin, Anna laughs.