Brew Brethren,
Come gather 'round, for I have a story to tell! I figure now would be an appropriate time to take a break from my beer reviewing and focus a little more on beer experience. With that, I take you back to Fall, 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Denmark, exporter of Carlsberg and several other well-known beers around the world, is home to a craft brewery scene that, on a smaller scale, mirrors what we have going on in the United States. Small but strong organizations are allaying together to preserve Denmark's reputation as a beer consumer and fuel the innovation that beer has seen elsewhere (particularly in the States). That's my nugget of an intro.
Skands, a small brewery in the Copenhagen outskirts, is one of these breweries that draws on the successes of Denmark's beers and additionally strives to produce some fun, clever varieties. The co-founder, Birthe (pronounced a little like "Beer-duh") Skands, worked for many years at Carlsberg, so she already brings a lot to the table. I had the fortune of visiting this brewery, which volume-wise is about the size of a barn. You have a couple small vats and, as I recall, a bottling line, plus a couple nice tasting tables, and that's about it. I'm not sure if they do any public tours, as like many Danes they prefer to keep their appearances modest.
I visited this little gem of a brewery with my international marketing class, which at the time was taught by a Danish gentleman who had worked for Royal, another fairly large Danish brewery, and Pepsi out in New York (he was basically the younger Danish version of Michael Cane both in looks and demeanor!). So this could not have come together any better.
In this class I was to create a detailed marketing report as to how Skands could enter an international market. They [Skands] were pretty set in their Danish confines but were working out a deal with a Japanese airline company, thinking it would be good to take an emerging beer market and present to them a tasty standard to hold and appreciate. Skands had already seen their sales increase as well as their audience; at this point, they were distributing their beer to the Whole Foods equivalent, Irma. In addition, Skands was also creating customized brews, for which I'm sure they would charge a pretty penny (it's expensive over there!). Now where have you seen something like this before? Sam Adams Utopias? 55% abv "beer" that comes in taxidermied animals? This is something that, even if on a smaller scale, definitely happens overseas as well.
With Denmark, there is no distinct popular style of craft beer. The Danish pilsner might be the closest guess. It's not spicy like a Czech pilsner and can vary from moderately malty, such as the popular Tuborg, to lightly hoppy. Skands' Danish pilsner, called Hymlefryd (something like "Hoom-leh-fru"), is, to my recollection, more on the hoppy side of a pilsner. I don't remember liking it at the time, but I'm sure I would upon second taste. Danes are also known to import the British and American IPAs as well as produce rye ales. If you look at a previous review, you'll see I found this style of beer out in California. Furthermore, Denmark thrives on "Julebryg," or "Christmas Beer," during the months of November and December. That's a rich story in its own!
Looking at this diverse beer portfolio, we go back to Skands, which incorporates styles from all over the world. From their Danish pilsner, to their English pub ale, to their Christmas beer and dark Czech lager, Skands has just about something for everyone. All you have to do is cough up a couple dozen kroners (Danish currency) at Irma and you will enter a familiar, but unique world of Danish craft beer. I had sampled Hymlefryd, Elmegade IPA, New Stout (Czech dark lager) and a couple others and overall enjoyed them to the point at which I sought them out in my remaining weeks abroad. I even drank a bottle of Elmegade IPA on my 21st birthday over there, and even though I was in my freezing studio in my sweats and had no one with which to consume, I will always remember it as a happy time. Hmm, it seems as if Danish humor has rubbed off on me as well!
You Stay Hoppy California,
Pink
PS: I've got more to come, so stay tuned!
Check out Skands!
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