Beer in Denmark: history, traditions and breweries
A small country with a big influence on the science of brewing – and one of the liveliest craft beer scenes in Europe.
History
The Vikings already drank beer and mead at feasts. Until the 19th century most farms and households brewed their own beer.
In 1845 J. C. Jacobsen travelled by stagecoach to Munich and obtained yeast for bottom-fermented beer from the Spaten brewery. In 1847 he founded the Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen, named after his son Carl.
At the Carlsberg Laboratory Emil Christian Hansen produced the first pure yeast culture in 1883. Jacobsen refused to patent the method, and Carlsberg gave the yeast to breweries all over the world free of charge. In 1909 the chemist Søren Sørensen developed the pH scale in the same laboratory.
In 1876 J. C. Jacobsen set up the Carlsberg Foundation. It still holds the majority of votes in Carlsberg today and uses the profits to support science and the arts. His son Carl founded his own brewery, Ny Carlsberg, in 1882 and collected art that can be seen today in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.
Since the 2000s Denmark has been a centre of craft beer. For a long time Mikkeller (2006) brewed without a brewhouse of its own, as a guest at breweries all over the world.
Traditions and drinking culture
On the first Friday in November the Danes celebrate “J-Day”: at 8:59 pm Tuborg’s Christmas beer arrives in the bars. In spring comes the Easter beer, “påskebryg”. The toast is “Skål!”.
Fun facts
- In 1845 J. C. Jacobsen carried the yeast home from Munich in a specially made hatbox. On the 20-day journey he kept stopping to keep it moist with cold water.
- The name Tuborg goes back to “Thuesborg”, an inn from the 1690s north of Copenhagen.
- The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen was a gift to the city from the brewer Carl Jacobsen. The statue has sat on the Langelinie promenade since 1913.
- A bottle of beer from 1883 with yeast still alive was found in the old Carlsberg cellars. In 2016 researchers used it to rebrew the lager of that time.
- In Denmark even strong beer is sold normally in supermarkets – unlike in Norway, Sweden and Finland with their state-run monopoly shops.
Typical beer styles
- Pilsner
- Christmas beer (juleøl)
- Easter beer (påskebryg)
- Craft beer of all styles
Beer cities and their stories
Copenhagen
The Elephant Gate of the Carlsberg brewery, built in 1901, rests on four granite elephants. Pure yeast (1883) and the pH scale (1909), which homebrewers use today to measure mash pH, were developed here.
Hellerup
Tuborg was founded in 1873 at the harbour north of Copenhagen. Tuborg brewed its first pilsner in 1880, and the brewery has belonged to Carlsberg since 1970.
Fredericia
Carlsberg and Tuborg are brewed today in this town in Jutland, including the Christmas beer for J-Day.
Odense
In Hans Christian Andersen’s home town, the Albani brewery has been brewing since 1859.
Aarhus
The Ceres brewery brewed here from 1856 to 2008. A new city district has grown up on the old brewery site.
Breweries and their stories
Carlsberg
J. C. Jacobsen founded the brewery and named it after his son Carl. Pure yeast and the pH scale were developed in its own laboratory. Today Carlsberg is one of the largest brewing groups in the world; it also owns Feldschlösschen in Switzerland and Kronenbourg in France.
Known for: Carlsberg Pilsner, Elephant
Tuborg
Named after the old “Thuesborg” inn. Since 1990 Denmark has celebrated the arrival of Tuborg’s Christmas beer on J-Day.
Known for: Tuborg Grøn, Julebryg
Mikkeller
Mikkel Borg Bjergsø founded Mikkeller together with Kristian Klarup Keller; the name combines their two names. Its unusual recipes made Mikkeller world-famous.
Known for: Beer Geek Breakfast
To Øl
Two former students of Mikkel Borg Bjergsø founded the brewery, which also became known internationally.
Albani
Traditional brewery on the island of Funen, now part of Royal Unibrew.
Known for: Odense Pilsner, Giraf
Timeline
- 1845Copenhagen
J. C. Jacobsen brings yeast back from Munich – in a hatbox that he keeps moist with cold water on the way.
- 1847Copenhagen
Jacobsen founds Carlsberg and names the brewery after his son Carl.
- 1856Aarhus
The Ceres brewery is founded in Aarhus. It brews until 2008.
- 1859Odense
The Albani brewery is founded in Odense, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen.
- 1873Hellerup
Tuborg is founded at the harbour north of Copenhagen. The name goes back to the old inn “Thuesborg”.
- 1876Copenhagen
J. C. Jacobsen sets up the Carlsberg Foundation, which uses the brewery’s profits to support science and the arts.
- 1880Hellerup
Tuborg brews its first pilsner.
- 1883Copenhagen
Emil Christian Hansen produces the first pure yeast culture at the Carlsberg Laboratory. Carlsberg gives it away free to breweries all over the world.
- 1901Copenhagen
Carlsberg’s Elephant Gate is built: four granite elephants carry it.
- 1909Copenhagen
Søren Sørensen develops the pH scale at the Carlsberg Laboratory – the scale homebrewers use to measure mash pH today.
- 1913Copenhagen
The Little Mermaid, a gift from the brewer Carl Jacobsen, is placed on the Langelinie.
- 1970Hellerup
Tuborg and Carlsberg merge.
- 1990Fredericia
Denmark celebrates J-Day for the first time: on the first Friday in November, Tuborg’s Christmas beer arrives in the bars. Today it is brewed in Fredericia.
- 2006Copenhagen
Mikkel Borg Bjergsø and Kristian Klarup Keller found Mikkeller and brew as guests in breweries all over the world.