What is The Cider Embassy?
The Cider Embassy is a dedicated bar inside Bergen Bobler for international ciders — many of which have never been available in Norway before!
The format is built around timeslots. Throughout the day, the programme lists exactly when each producer is being poured — so guests can plan their afternoon around the ciders they most want to try. The ambassadors are Norwegian Pommeliers who represent every producer and guide each pour. The timeslot format is a dedicated moment, a proper introduction, and glasses poured until they'r empty.
Example:
14:00 — Oliver’s Cider( Herefordshire. UK. )
Keeved Perry
Red Love Pet Nat
Coppy season 2022+ 2023
The Timeslot Format
Every producer featured in The Cider Embassy gets a scheduled timeslot in the festival programme — visible to all guests in advance. This turns each pouring into an event in its own right, not just a stand you walk past.
– Timeslots published in the festival programme and on the Bergen Bobler website
– Each slot introduced and poured by Norwegian Pommeliers, who have studied up on your cider.
– Limited availability — when the bottles are empty, the slot is closed
– Producers present can serve the ciders themselves in the time slot.
– Included in the festival ticket — no separate booking or extra charge
Friday and Saturday
The Cider Embassy runs across both festival days, with different audiences each day.
On Friday evening, the Embassy opens for producers, importers and invited industry guests as part of Bergen Bobler's meet & greet preparty. A selection of bottles is opened for bottleshare, in a more intimate setting among the people who make and sell cider for a living.
On Saturday, The Cider Embassy opens to all festival guests with the full timeslot programme. This is the main public event — 900 to 1,000 paying guests, including around 150 HORECA and industry professionals.
Why The Cider Embassy Matters
Norway has one of Europe's most exciting cider cultures, Bergen Bobler was founded to connect this culture to the world.
The Cider Embassy is where that connection becomes real. It is where Norwegian producers and consumers encounter their international counterparts for the first time — and where the conversation about cider as a serious, terroir-driven category moves forward together.
For Producers — Join The Cider Embassy!
We are inviting a select group of international producers to present their ciders at The Cider Embassy at Bergen Bobler 2026. Participation is curated — every producer is approved by festival founder and Pommelier Thomas Digervold.
However many bottles you can send, you get your timeslot. Your ciders are presented properly, to an audience that is genuinely curious and knowledgeable — and that includes importers, distributors and HORECA buyers who could become your route into the Norwegian market.
– A dedicated timeslot in the festival programme
– Your ciders presented by Norwegian Pommeliers
– Exposure to 900–1,000 guests including 150 HORECA professionals
– Coverage in Bergen Bobler's press and social media channels
– Connection to Norway's cider import and distribution network
– Part of an international programme
Festival date
Saturday 8 August 2026, Bergen, Norway
Confirm participation by
1 June 2026
Would you like to be represented?send a request to
thomas@festikjeften.no
Getting Your Ciders to Bergen
A practical guide for international producers at The Cider Embassy
The Most Important Thing to Know
You cannot simply post ciders to Norway. Norwegian customs regulations and alcohol import rules mean that sending bottles by regular post or courier can result in them being seized or returned — and the duty costs are extremely high if they get through.
This is not unusual — Norway is outside the EU and has strict alcohol import controls. But there is a practical solution, and producers who plan ahead will have a greater chance of getting their ciders here.
How to Get Your Ciders to Bergen
Option 1 — The preferred route: piggyback with an existing importer
The simplest and most cost-effective solution is to find a Norwegian importer or distributor who already imports alcohol from your country, and ask whether they would be willing to include some case of your ciders as samples in their next shipment.
– This is a common and accepted practice in the industry
– The importer handles all customs paperwork and duty payments
– You cover the cost of the products and any handling fee the importer charges
This is the route we strongly recommend. If you know anyone who exports to Norway — a wine importer, a beer distributor, — ask them
Option 2 — Hand carry
If you are travelling to Bergen Bobler yourself, you may carry a personal allowance of alcohol into Norway duty-free. The current personal import allowance is:
– 1.5 litres of spirits, OR
– 3 litres of wine or cider (under 22% ABV), AND
– 2 litres of beer or low-alcohol cider (under 4.7% ABV)
This is most useful for small quantities — enough for a tasting pour, maybe not a full festival presentation. You can toll your goods before you arrive in Norway, there is a app for this!
Kvoteappen – contains even more information about the rules for bringing your cider to Norway.
Or you pay your toll when you land. Do not try to smuggle the cider. We have already had people lose all of their ciders, get a fine, and a police report atempting to.
Timeline — Plan Ahead
Now — May
Confirm your participation with Thomas. Identify your import route.
Now — June
Confirm which ciders you are bringing. Share product information, tasting notes and producer bio for the Pommelier briefing.
Now — June
Arrange shipment with your importer. Allow 6–8 weeks for the full import process.
By 15 July
All ciders should be in Norway and confirmed with Bergen Bobler.
7–8 August
Bergen Bobler. The Cider Embassy opens.
What We Need From You
To present your ciders well at The Cider Embassy, we ask all participating producers to provide the following by 1 July 2026:
– A list of all ciders you are bringing, with full product names and ABV
– Tasting notes for each cider (your own words are best — we will work with them)
– A short producer biography (100–150 words) for the Pommelier to use
– One or two high-resolution images (producer portrait and/or orchard/production)
– Any allergen or ingredient information required for Norwegian labelling
Questions?
Thomas Digervold is your direct contact for everything related to The Cider Embassy and logistics.
Contact
Thomas Digervold
Phone / WhatsApp
+47 958 78 179
Confirm participation by
June 2026
Ciders in Norway by
15 July 2026
Velcom to the party at the Embassy!
