Walking through the streets of Copenhagen, it is easy to note that the city has a definite beer culture. Between all the cafes, the drinking in the streets, the Carlsburg ads that are as common as our own Coca Cola, Denmark is all about the beer. However, like leggings, beer is something that has come, gone, and just recently made a comeback.
According to my host father, before the 1980's, almost everyone in Denmark drank beer exclusively. This was due to the fact that it was really the only alcoholic drink readily available (besides schnapps, of course!). By the 80's, Denmark started importing wines from nearby France and Italy, as well as a few from the newly famous California Napa Valley. Thus the rødvin revolution began. Not only did Danes love drinking their imported cabernet, chianti, and burgundy, they began to experiment on their own, either on small vineyards of their own or in the comfort of their home basements. My host mother recalled the time with a smile, remembering how one glass of the rødvin her family made would give them all borderline migranes the following day. Some vineyards are still active in Denmark today, and their products are sold in stores and even at the 2 Michelin star restaurant Noma, but I think most prefer to stick with the foreign stuff.
While red and white wine are readily available in every grocery store in Copenhagen (and I certainly have taken advantage of this many times!) in the 1990's, Denmark began shifting back to beer culture with the introduction of several microbreweries popping up all over the city. The concept of the microbrewery is a place where artisinal beers are created in small batches (thus, micro) and are sold either on the premises or in a few local shops. Microbreweries are also often cafes or restaurants, where the food is not only prepared with the local beer, but also perfectly paired with a large glass of it. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, but the meal, especially at Norrebro Bryghus, is quite gourmet.
Last weekend my host family treated me and two friends to a spectacular 3 course dinner and beer menu. Three different courses, four different beers. While the food was delicious - garlic soup with chanterelles and wild berries, cockerel (rooster) with a sauce of reduced beer and plum with a side of potatoes in a spinach-cream sauce, and a lovely aebler kage (apple cake!) for dessert - let's not kid ourselves. It was all about the beer.
We sampled four in-house beers, each specifically described by the waitress in her best English (she was a real trooper with us!). The first three went in an order from a light pilsner to a darker ale, and finished with a sweeter ale that tasted strongly of raspberry iced tea (not my favorite). Before each new beer, we all raised our glasses and cried "skol!" toasting the beer, the company, and the overall hygge nature of the evening. I was surprised by how much like wine tasting this was. It wasn't like sipping any old Carlsburg out of a can. Each beer had a distinct smell full of nuances of grains, fruits, honey, and spices. The tastes were extraordinarily complex, and even as I got more and more drunk, I could still feel the level of carbonation, and the different elements of sweet and bitter roll over my tongue, then suddenly change completely as it went down my throat. From all the college and frat parties I have witnessed, who knew that beer could be such an artform?
Needless to say, after 4 large glasses of beer, we were all ready (including my host parents) to head home for the night. As my friend and I began our journey home, I knew exactly why the microbrewery has become such a popular component to Danish beer culture. I felt as though I had a gastronmic experience of a lifetime, yet it had been such a casual and relaxed evening. A simple pleasure, like a good beer with friends, is one of those timeless activities that results in the ultimate feeling of comfort. I felt well-fed and completely content - until I realized we had got on the wrong bus!
Here are descriptions of the beers we sampled from Norrebro Bryghus:
Çeske Böhmer - A very classic 5.0 % ABV Pilsner type beer inspired by the way this is brewed in Bohemia. Brewed exclusively from Bohemian lager malt and Saazer hops this beer is clear, light coloured and crisp. Medium bodied with soft, smooth bitterness, distinctive malty taste, and an elegant spicy, hoppy aroma.
Brugge Blonde – This Blonde Ale is brewed in the Belgian abbey-style. It is a pale golden beer of 6,5 % ABV with a distinct spicy aroma owing to the special yeast strain, the use of honey as well as the spices added - lemon peel and grains of paradise. The taste is full, bittersweet and complex, finishing with a gentle warming sensation that lingers in the mouth.
Ravnsborg Rød - A version of the classic British Amber or Red Ale. Reddish brown, smooth, round and full bodied with 5.5 % ABV. Dense malt character mixed with intense fruity and aromatic aromas. The taste is dominated by the fruitiness supplemented by spicy notes of Amarillo hops. Soft bitterness and a slightly sweet, creamy finish.
Furesø Framboise – a filtered Belgian wheat beer 5.3 % ABV, added raspberry in the last days of maturing. With a low sugar level and fair amounts of acidity it is dry and bubbly fresh. Light pink in colour with a distinct scent and taste of raspberries it is a clear cut winner for the more sensitive mouthes.
pictures are to come, i promise!
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