Since 2000 a total of 35 new micro breweries have emerged, producing sublime ‘hand-brewed’ beer and we expect at least one new micro brewery to open every month over the next two years. As well as the micro breweries there are 12 classical breweries with Carlsberg in the lead. Denmark is once again a world leader in beer production. No other country in the world has a similar sized selection of quality beers in relation to its size and population. The breweries are spread all over the country, and there are so many of them that you rarely have to travel more than 30 km before you reach the next one! Why not go on a beer journey of Denmark, to see how it is produced and taste it before it leaves the brewery?

Denmark has always been a beer country. Until the end of the 1990s we hardly knew more than one type of beer production – the lager, or pilsner as we call it in Denmark. This, however, was 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 how it was produced, and so we started to show an interest in drink, too - and not least our beer. We wanted quality, we wanted to know where the beer originated from and how it was produced - we wanted a 'beer experience' and no longer just to drink 'consumer beer'.

What has taken place in the Danish beer market is no less than a revolution. The specialist 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 dominating the market, but since 2000 around 35 new breweries have seen the light of day. These breweries produce ‘hand-brewed’ beer of the highest quality and, in most cases, completely new ranges of beer, yeasted in the Belgian, German, English and Czech style. This is beer that is produced with the greatest of care and which is given 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.

Herslev Brewery

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

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

The Refsvindinge Brewery

On the main road between Svendborg and Nyborg, just outside the village of Refsvindinge you will see signs that suggest it might be 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. On this wall you will see the many prizes and awards with which brewmaster John Juul Rasmussen has been honoured through the years of brewing good beer.

At the Refsvindinge Brewery it is not the packaging that is in focus, it is the craftsmanship. The brewery is not kitted out with highly polished copper and brushed steel equipment. It is old and it is well-used, and the stories of four generations hang on the walls telling you 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

The Beer Factory is situated on a small farm in a summerhouse area only a stone’s throw from Vejby Strand between Rågeleje and Tisvilde in North Sealand. The small farm brewery was established at 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 reading 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 parents’ 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 visitor’s 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 Brewery

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 would imagine an old farm brewery should have – charm, a rustic appearance and romance. The brewery is based in the old cowshed – it has been renovated with a blend of respect and love for the building and its original features.

When brewer Casper Vorting shows you round you feel, perhaps nostalgically, the very rare feeling of atmosphere and pride you normally only discover in the vineyards of southern Europe. This special atmosphere and spirit is reflected everywhere in this place. The way it is built, in the choice of bottles, the choice of labels - it simply oozes quality and respect for beer and everything related to it.

Casper Vorting is a man of many talents. He is an absolute perfectionist and has a big weakness for old-fashioned technology. This cocktail was probably the reason that he decided to ‘go all the way’ and he founded what is 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.

'The beer simply runs from barrel to barrel, and from barrel to bottle by a type of hoist and differing height levels. Many would most likely get fed up with this laborious 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 in all areas of the production process.

Micro Breweries you can visit:

For up-to-date information on micro breweries please please click here 



By: Henrik Bøegh