Göteborgs Rapé

Trial & Error

Unlike most types of Swedish Snus, Göteborgs Rapé was invented through trial and error rather than deliberate planning. The original formula was created by sailors on merchant ships at the Swedish port of Gothenburg in the late 19th century. Lacking the funds to purchase high quality snus ingredients, these merchants blended a range of spices with their snus, with some of the more popular creations being sold locally under various names. Göteborgs Rapé was made using hand­picked tobaccos, which gave the brand "... a mild and sweet tobacco flavor with tones of juniper berry and fresh herbs". Soon after its creation, Rapé became highly popular within Gothenburg. The name comes from the original Swedish spelling of Gothenburg, combined with the french word Rapé, which means to rip (originally the snus was produced by ripping tobacco leaves).

The Nationalization Of Snus

During 1915, the state of Sweden nationalized the production of tobacco, declaring a monopoly over 103 brands of snus including Göteborgs Rapé. Snus (an important commodity in Sweden) became nationalized as a means by which to fund Sweden’s defense fund during World War I as well as to provide funding for one of Sweden’s first pension reforms. Twenty­five of these brands came from the city of Gothenburg, and after careful selection by a panel of judges, Göteborgs Rapé was one of the few brands from the city that entered production. Since 1919, Göteborgs Rapé has been a factory produced snus.

Göteborgs Rapé Today

Now owned by the tobacco giant Swedish Match, Göteborgs Rapé continues to be manufactured using the original recipe. The production of Göteborgs Rapé is done adhering to Swedish Match’s stringent quality control standards known as GOTHIATEK.

In 1997 Göteborgs Rapé became available as a white portion snus with a dry surface, making it less runny. 2005 saw the introduction of Göteborgs Rapé White Mini, and in 2006 Göteborgs Rapé no.2 Ligon was launched, having a hint of ligonberry. Next in 2012, Göteborgs Rapé White Portion Lime was released to much fanfare. The most recent addition to the Göteborgs Rapé lineup is Göteborgs Rapé Slim, a slim portion format which preserves the brand’s unique taste and was released by Swedish Match in 2013.

All Göteborgs Rapé cans are designed with a blue color in order to symbolize its roots in the seaside port city of Gothenburg. Göteborgs Rapé continues to be produced using quality hand­picked tobaccos and it is one of Swedish Match’s flagship snus brands. As of the year 2010, Göteborgs Rapé had a market share of 14% in Sweden, making it one of the most popular brands of snus on the Swedish market.