Iceland is an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, located almost 550 miles (885km) north of Scotland's Orkney Islands. At a northern latitude of 64 degrees, there is little chance of successful viticulture being carried out on the volcanic island, and few have tried. Even with the natural warming effect of the island's geothermal activity and the North Atlantic Current, the climate here is classified as subpolar oceanic. The capital, Reykjavik, lies at a latitude of 64 degrees north, comfortably beyond the assumed (but increasingly challenged) 'vine belt' of between 30 and 50 degrees, within which viniculture is traditionally said to be possible.
Iceland's limited alcohol production focuses on grain rather than grape, and on vodka rather than beer. Of the few Icelandic beverages available on the international market, the best known are Reyka Vodka and iS Vodka. The waters added to the grain spirit are taken from one of the largest glaciers on earth, in the Vatnajokull region. Their natural purity makes them ideal for the production of high-quality vodkas.
