When the State Wine Monopoly was established in 1922 it sold only wines and fortified wine, since all sale of spirits was
forbidden as a result of the referendum in 1919. The cooperatives, which were municipal retail outlets, were taken over by
the new monopoly. This monopoly then went on to acquire the private wine traders.
In the course of the 1920s the remaining distillation plants were acquired by the monopoly. With the lifting of the prohibition
in 1927, the State Wine Monopoly took charge of all production of spirits in Norway.
Further measures were taken by The State Wine Monopoly to centralise the production. In 1928 it was decided to build a new
plant at Hamar designed for rectification or cleaning of all crude alcohol purchased from the distilleries, which were still
in private hands. The Hamar facilities were completed in 1931 and are still in operation – after a series of enlargements
and modernisation.
The production of aquavit and other finished goods was centralised at a new production plant at Hasle in Oslo. This facility
was completed in 1933.