Craft Brewing in Denmark – a personal Story

Anders Kissmeyer

‘MBAA – RMD Meeting

Grand Lake, Colorado September 25th, 2010

 

Craft Brewing in Denmark – a personal Story

Introduction The Danish beer market The Danish craft scene History,

present and future The story of Nørrebro Bryghus

 

Introduction Who am I?

My history in relation to craft beer

What’s next for me? (www.kissmeyer.com)

History and traditions Beer is (more than) the national drink Traditional European ’beer history’ Before the ’lager revolution’ (LR) the

market was dominated by weak top-fermented beers

After the LR Carlsberg slowly eliminated the competion – both breweries and styles

No or little original Danish beer styles left

Danish craft beer – the market

Total beer market around 5 mio. HL Per capita consumption ~ 90 L/year

- dropping 5 – 10 % per year since late 80’ies Share of Danish craft, 2000 = 0, 2009 = 3.6 % Share of imports, 2000 = 1 %, 2009 = 3.4 % Danish craft overtook imports in 2009 Price premium for craft: + 50 – 500 % (!) Average price for craft is under pressure! No ’3 tier system’ in DK, but distribution is still

a huge challenge for all

Danish craft beer – the history

14 breweries in Denmark in 2000, 50 in 2005 and 125 in 2009!

The number of breweries has levelled, but not dropped

Most new breweries very small and only ’semi-commercial’

During the early 2000’s: Fascination of traditional, European - particularly British - beer cultures. Pale ales (incl. IPA’s), other ales, pilsners, porters and stouts

Danish craft beer – The present

Probably only 5 – 10 craft breweries have current ambitions to be nationally distributed

Exports are only slowly starting Late 2000’s: The fascination shifts to the US

craft scene - bigger beers, lots of US hops used, belgian styles, wheat beers

Today, more inspiration from the US - sour beers wood ageing, ’limited editions’ is a big trend.

Scandinavian craft beers can be said to be more subtle and balanced that their US ’templates’ – except the most succesful (i. e. Mikkeller)!

Danish craft beer – The present, cont’d

About 30 of the new craft breweries are members in the ’old’ Danish Brewer’s Association

About 20 smaller craft breweries are members in the new organisation ’Danish Brewhouses’

The Danish Master Brewer’s Association now accepts ’Diploma Brewers’ as members

The Scandinavian School of Brewing have over 3 years educated 72 Diploma Brewers form the craft breweries

The Diploma Course is a two week theortical course + project work at the home brewery

Danish craft beer – The present, cont’d

A very strong consumer organisation, The Danish Beer Enthusiasts (DØE), have been instrumental in creating the ’Danish Beer Revolution’

DØE has 12.000 members out of 5 mio. people DØE organizes the annual Copenhagen Beer

Festival (our equivalent to the GABF) DØE issues a bi-monthly magazine, The Beer

Enthusiast (ØlentusiasteN) The Danish Master Brewer’s Association issues a

bi-monthly magazine, Scandinavian Brewer’s Review. AK the technical editor, so free copies for everyone!

Danish craft beer – the future Continuation of the trend towards ’Ultra

premiums’ - big beers, wood ageing and sour beers, exotic ingredients (i.e. weasel shit coffee!), bottle conditioning, fancy packaging

More focus on very local raw materials – the ’rebirth’ of locally grown and processed malting barley and hops

Further exploration into the roots of Scandinavian brewing (sahti, farmhouse ales, etc.)

Nørrebro Bryghus www.noerrebrobryghus.dk

Opened in Sep 2003 as the 2nd brewpub in Copenhagen, 3rd in the country

US inspired re. layout and brewing Contemporary concept, design and cuisine The mission was to lead the market and support

the growth of the new beer culture Biggest new restaurant succes in Copenhagen in

decades! Opened an 8000 HL packaging brewery in March

2006 No. 38 on ’ratebeer.com’s best breweries

worldwide list 5 World Beer Cup Medals so far

Shaun E. Hill, Mikkel Borgsøe and the undersigned on the front page of ’ØlentusiasteN’

Q and A time!

Thanks for listening!

Questions are welcome!