KontioMehu: Pure and natural alcohol-free sparkling drinks, made with care

By Malin Norman | Photos & Video: KontioMehu

For over 40 years, KontioMehu has been farming and cultivating berries. Today, the small family business is Finland’s leading producer of alcohol-free sparkling drinks, known for its use of pure ingredients, respect for nature, and a fresh, unique taste. When enjoying its beverages, the taste of tradition is evident.

Based in northern Karelia, KontioMehu makes alcohol-free sparkling drinks and high-quality juice concentrates. Its most popular product, Lehtikuohu, is an alcohol-free sparkling drink made from blackcurrant leaves, known for its unique process and irresistible fresh taste.

The story of Lehtikuohu began in 2008 when Pasi Kiiskinen, the company’s CEO, who had taken over the business from his parents, found a label for a blackcurrant leaf beverage in an old box of labels belonging to his mother. She had produced small amounts of traditional currant leaf juice for her customers, and Pasi came up with the idea to add some fizz to the beverage.

KontioMehu: Pure and natural alcohol-free sparkling drinks, made with care

Offering it to a number of respected chefs for tasting, Pasi was encouraged by their comments and began developing Lehtikuohu, expanding the company’s operations to also cover alcohol-free sparkling drinks. Whilst the production of Lehtikuohu can be compared to making wine or Champagne – in using certain methods to achieve that perfect taste and colour – as no fermentation takes place, this and the brand’s other products do not contain any alcohol.

Lehtikuohu has won several prizes, including a blind tasting review of Finnish alcohol-free sparkling drinks published in spring 2025. It was ranked first as the only five-star Finnish alcohol-free sparkling drink. Impressively, three other products from KontioMehu were also ranked in the top ten – including 2nd, 3rd and 7th positions.

KontioMehu’s CEO, Pasi Kiiskinen, at the production facilities.

The secret to sparkling success

For over 40 years, this family-owned business has skilfully cultivated and processed berries. Set up by Pasi’s parents, the small operations initially focused on farming blackcurrants and selling the berries to contract buyers, and eventually also included a facility for pressing juice.

In 2004, Pasi took over and began producing alcohol-free sparkling drinks a few years later, including the award-winning Lehtikuohu. Over the years, thanks to the expertise passed down from his parents and an entrepreneurial spirit, Pasi expanded capacity and operations, including installing a bottling line. What we know as KontioMehu today is the result of his efforts.

So, what is the secret to KontioMehu’s great-tasting alcohol-free sparkling drinks? Firstly, the high-quality beverages have been produced with a deep respect for nature and using only pure, natural ingredients, without any artificial flavourings or colourings. The taste of real ingredients speaks for itself.

“We handle the entire production process ourselves,” says Pasi. “During the summer season, we employ local young people to hand-pick blackcurrant leaves, which are processed immediately after harvesting. The berries and rhubarb used in our other products are sourced locally from areas close to our production facilities.”

In addition to high-quality products, he explains that one of the company’s strengths has always been friendly and customer-oriented service: “We strive to be transparent and sincere, which means, for example, that we know exactly where our raw materials come from.”

Hand-picking blackcurrant leaves from the fields.

Continuous innovation and refresh

The future looks sparkling bright, as KontioMehu is currently expanding its production facilities, a project set to be completed in May. “This represents an important milestone for us, as the larger facilities will enable more efficient production, improved delivery reliability, and a more pleasant working environment for both production and administration,” says Pasi.

Exporting is part of the company’s future plans, with hopes of reaching markets beyond Finland. Continuous innovation is important, too, as explained by the CEO: “Product development is a natural part of our work, and it also includes innovating entirely new products.” This spring, the brand’s labels will also undergo a visual refresh. Pasi adds: “The redesign gives our products a well-deserved, modern facelift.”