Denmark has always been a beer country. Until the end of the 1990’s we hardly new of more than one type of beer production – the pilsner. It was, however, available in many different variations sold under different names. Back then it was called a “consumer beer”. But around the year 2000 everyone became more aware of quality food, its origin and where it was produced and we started to show an interest in drinks too - and not least our beer. We wanted quality and we wanted to know where the beer originated from and how it was produced, - we wanted a “beer experience” and no longer just drink “consumer beer”.

What has taken place in the Danish beer market is no less than a revolution. The special beer sale is by far the fastest growing category in the whole of the Danish consumer industry. Ten years ago Denmark had only about 10 breweries with Carlsberg and Tuborg domineering the market, but since 2000 approx. 35 new breweries have seen the light of day. Breweries who produce hand-brewed quality and, in most incidents, completely new ranges of beer, yeasted in the Belgian, German, English and Czech style. Beer which gets the necessary personal care and time to mature.

It sounds like a fairytale and it is. It is a fact that the selection of specially brewed beers on offer has never been wider - and one thing is certain, the development is here to stay. In the years to come we will see many more micro breweries and an even bigger selection of beer productions in Denmark.

In the middle of the idyllic village of Herslev, about 10 km from Roskilde at the southern edge of the Roskilde Fjord, Tore Jørgensen opened a charming farm brewery in 2004.

The Herslev Brewery produces approx. 3000 litres of unfiltered and non pasteurised hand-brewed beer a week. The brewery produces approx. 4 – 5 regular named brands and a further 4 -5 seasonal beers during the year. The brewery has its own shop and bar where visitors can purchase, taste and have a chat with the brewer.

On the main road between Svendborg and Nyborg just outside the village of Refsvindinge you see signs implying it is worth stopping. Beer Sale at the Refsvindinge Brewery. In the farmyard the arrows point you in the direction of the warehouse behind the old brewery. In the warehouse beer crates are stacked along all walls apart from the wall between the brewery and the warehouse. Here you see the many prizes and awards which brewmaster John Juul Rasmussen has been honoured through the years of brewing good beer.

At the Refsvindinge Brewery it is not the packaging which is in focus, it is the craftsmanship. The brewery is not made up by highly polished copper and brushed steel. It is old and it is worn and the stories of four generations hang on the walls telling us about then and now. Here we use our hands and we will continue to do so.

The brewery produces 23 different beers which are sold in bottles directly from the farm and from shops all over the country.

The Beer Factory is situated on a small farm in a summerhouse area only a stone throw away from Vejby Strand between Rågeleje and Tisvilde in North Zealand. The small farm brewery was established in the end of 2004 by two young IT consultants, Martin Sønderkær Larsen and Christian Skovdal Andersen. About four years ago, when one of Christian’s friends introduced him to a Brøckhouse IPA, it occurred to him that beer is more than a cold lager and his world has never been the same since.

The two friends started off in the kitchen experimenting with homebrew and read books about brewing beer, they also started taking part in internet discussions about the subject. By coincidence they got in contact with a brewer in England who wanted to close down his brewery. The English 800 litres brewery is now installed in a barn on Martin’s parent’s farm and the two friends have become full-time micro brewers. Their vision is not to become a big brewery, but simply to produce four main quality beers and some seasonal beers. They only produce about 2000 litres of beer a day.

They have opened a visitors room beside the brewery where guests can come in to taste the beer, have a chat, a guided tour and buy beer and glasses to take home.

Bøgedal is the name of a very old farm in Høllund only 10 km from Vejle in East Jutland. It is also the name of a truly old-fashioned farm brewery, which has everything you imagine an old farm brewery should have – charm, a rustic appearance and romance. The brewery is based in the old cowshed – it is renovated with a blend of respect and love for the building and its original features.

When brewer Casper Vorting shows you round you feel, rather sadly, the very rare feeling of atmosphere and pride you normally only discover in the vineyards of southern Europe. This tender atmosphere and spirit reflects in everything this place is about. The way it is built, in the choice of bottles, the choice of labels - it simply oozes of quality and respect for everything beer is all about.

Casper Vorting is a bit of a multi-artist. He is an absolute perfectionist and has a big weakness for old fashioned technology. This cocktail was probably the reason for him deciding to go all the way and he founded probably Denmark’s most low- tech hand brewery in 2002. He has now finished the building work and has created a “free flow brewery” where no beer is being pumped.

“It simply runs from barrel to barrel and from barrel to bottle by a type of crane and differing height levels. Many would most likely get fed up by the tiring process whereas I have decided just to get on with it as I believe it is the best process for the beer”, explains Casper Vorting. The long term vision is for Bøgedal to be self-sufficient with raw materials, as Casper sees it as his ultimate goal to have full control of the quality on all parts of the production process.

By: Henrik Bøegh

The list was updated in December 2005, but as new micro breweries open and some close we recommend you look at www.ale.dk for up-to-date information or click here for more information.