250!

Beer Sagas is usually a beer blog in English. This 250th post is the first ever in Norwegian. It discusses Norwegian alcohol politics. Please use Google Translate to read this text somewhat accurately in English.

Beer Sagas er en subjektiv, engelskspråklig blogg som tar for seg øl, ølopplevelser og reiser. Dette er postering nummer 250, og for å markere jubiléet publiseres det denne gangen en tekst på norsk om ølpolitikk.

Norge er annerledes. Norge er spesiell. Økonomien vår har andre vilkår enn det vi finner mange andre steder i verden. Vi har et velferdssamfunn mange utenom Norge misunner oss. Selvsagt er det ting med Norge som kunne vært bedre, men i det store og hele har vi det veldig godt her på berget.

Turistene liker Norge. De skryter av flott natur og imøtekommende innbyggere. Fjorder, Nordkapp og uberørt natur er blant det vi kan tilby, og det er grunn til å være stolt av det. Men turistene klager på prisnivået her til lands. Mange turister står over norgesbesøket av den grunn, mens andre fyller opp bobilen med vått og tørt før hjemlandet forlates. De har rett og slett ikke råd til å betale norske priser.

Det samme ser vi med motsatte fortegn. Strømmen av østlendinger som inntar de vestlige delene av Sverige for å kjøpe flesk, godteri, sprit og øl på et annet prisnivå er stor. Östersund lokker befolkningen i Trøndelag med blant annet en fillial av Systembolaget, mens finske matvarepriser og mulighetene på Alko har fått mange fra Nord-Norge til å ta turen over grensen til Finland. Og da har jeg ikke nevnt de millioner av kroner vest- og sørlendinger legger igjen i taxfree-butikkene på danskebåtene.

Dette er en ølblogg, og jeg skal være en av de første til å slå fast at enkelte deler av norsk alkoholpolitikk er feilslått. Tradisjonelt har Norge vært annerledes. De siste hundre årene er Norge ett av få ikke-muslimske land som har hatt et alkoholforbud. I dag fremstår landet med en restriktiv alkoholpolitikk, høye avgifter, statlige vinutsalg, begrensede salgstider for alkoholvarer og krav til dem som får tildelt skjenkebevillinger.

Mye av den gjeldende alkoholpolitikken i Norge er både riktig og viktig, men det finnes trekk vi bør tenke over. Er det ikke tåpelig at man selv inne på puber og utesteder må teipe over varemerker fordi det regnes som alkoholreklame? Og nåde den pubvert som ønsker å drive forbrukeropplysning ved å gi bakgrunnsinformasjon om ølet som selges på en norskspråklig hjemmeside!

Prisnivået er også latterlig høyt. Spesielt tåpelig er prisene på utestedene, som skremmer bort både turister og fastboende. Hvem unner seg en halvliter lagerøl til nesten hundrelappen når man heller kan drikke minst tre øl hjemme til samme prisen. Likevel er prisene i dagligvarebutikkene for høye. Dette fører til handelslekkasje til Sverige, Danmark og Finland, og jeg er overbevist om at smuglingen inn i landet er mye større enn de offisielle oversiktene viser.

Jeg synes heller ikke noe om at salgstidene for øl ikke stemmer overens med butikkenes åpningstider. La butikkene ha ølsalg så lenge de er åpne! En norsk komiker sa det greit på tv en gang: Samfunnsproblemet er ikke de som vil kjøpe øl mellom klokken 8 og 10 på kvelden, men de som må ha øl mellom klokken 8 og 10 på morgenen!

Makrobryggeriene bør også gå i seg selv i utvalget de tilbyr norske kunder. Må hvert bryggeri ha fire-fem ulike lyse lagerøl som strengt tatt er temmelig like på smak? Selv kjøper jeg ikke norsk industrilagerøl når jeg for eksempel kan få tsjekkisk kvalitetspilsner til omtrent samme prisen på et norsk supermarked. Det norske ølet er rett og slett ikke like godt!

Jeg er overbevist om at bryggerne hos for eksempel Ringnes og Hansa er særdeles dyktige i jobben sin, men at det er økonomene som i praksis bestemmer hva som skal brygges. Et mer spennende produktutvalg i butikkhyllene er nødvendig. Hva med en IPA eller en Bitter, Ringnes? Og hvorfor ikke prøve en Mild eller en Stout, Hansa? Vi trenger ikke flere premiumskjærgårdssommerplatinumpils nå!

A citizen's pub

Skostredet street in Bergen has had a renaissance during the last few years. Shops and cafes have popped up, and now and then there are markets days offering buyers everything from jumble sale goods to modern art.

Folk og røvere is among the newer establishments in the street. This is a pub owned by a group of 46 friends who have tried to make a pub concept that the owners believe that the city of Bergen needs.

I liked the atmosphere at Folk og røvere. The music played was quality rock from the seventies and eighties, and the cute waitress was both charming and nice talking to. But what about the draught beer in the pub? Folk og røvere only sells Hansa pale lager from tap. I have had my share of Hansa during my years as a beer drinker, and these days I usually buy other brands when I want a pale lager.

Hansa Pils was with the usual pale colour, a lot of carbonation and a small head. The nose was malty and sweet with a touch of flowers. In the mouth I felt more malts, some sweetness and a malty finish with a hoppy twist. It was better than I expected, but Hansa Pils is still among the average lager beers.

Folk og røvere also sells bottled beers from various breweries, but it would be great if some of them also were offered on tap. Nowadays a good pub should be able to have more than one draught beer. That also goes for Folk og røvere.

Another taste of Cantillion

Lately I have often found a sour beer on tap at Henrik in Bergen. Earlier this month the pub offered Cantillion Gueuze. This Belgian sour beer is a blend of several lambics. In the glass there was a small head, but the beer had some carbonation. The beer was cloudy, and I felt some sour cherries in the nose. In the mouth there was cherries and not yet ripe gooseberries. I liked it, and I felt it was refreshing even though it had a sour taste.

After having tried some sour beers this year, I feel these beer styles are both different and exciting. I also like Henrik's rotating tap system, where there is always at least one surprising draught beer available from Nøgne Ø or imported by the Norwegian craft brewery. Henrik is one of Bergen's best beer bars, and beer interested visitors to Bergen should make a visit a must.

Liquid fruit

Now and then I go to Baran in Bergen. This is the pub with the most beer taps in the West Norwegian city, and there are always some interesting draught beers available.

On my last visit I tried Fyr & Flamme from Haandbryggeriet. The name is an idiomatic expression meaning fire, so I was expecting a rauchbier. What I was served was something different. Fyr & Flamme was actually an IPA.

In the glass this was a cloudy beer with some carbonation. I felt grapefruit and mango in the nose. The beer was very fruity. I felt peaches and mango before a partly bitter finish. The beer was enjoyable, but one half litre was enough.

Baran is a great place for beers in Bergen, and it is more than worth a visit.

Overshadowed?

Biskopen is situated in the beer district of Bergen. On the other side of the street you can find Naboen, and within a minute's walk you can find either Baran or Henrik.

The bottle selection is very nice at Biskopen, and there are also more draught beers than in most pubs in Bergen. Hansa takes care of the pale lagers together with Heineken, while Murphy's delivers both stout and red ale. It is also interesting to note that Biskopen also sells the local Waldemar beers. On tap you can find both the wheat beer and the brown ale at the moment.

I was not looking for something special, so I settled down with a pint of Murphy's stout. As always, it is a good stout. The beer has been reviewed here earlier, so I did not make any tasting notes. Instead I enjoyed the beer and the pub.

Biskopen is an excellent taproom, but the draught beer selection could have been more interesting. When it is crowded at Naboen, I sometimes think that the two pubs should have swapped beer taps. Biskopen often has a better atmosphere, while Naboen has the better draught beer selection. To have a tap dedicated to an IPA from for instance Ægir or Nøgne Ø could be a wise move from Biskopen's management, or perhaps a rotating tap could be a good idea?

Vinmonopolet's September news

Every other month the state owned alcohol outlet Vinmonopolet in Norway releases new products. This month two beers are among the offers. Ægir Harvest Ale was also available last year, but Høst Porter from BrewDog is a new beer.

The little Ægir brewery from Flåm is not able to make all their beers at the brewery site in the Fjord district. Harvest Ale is therefore brewed in Belgium at a disclosed brewery. This year's beer is a brownish and somewhat cloudy beer. It has some carbonation and a small head. There are aromas of yeast and fruit. I feel grapefruit and a touch of fruit cocktail in the mouth. The aftertaste is yeasty with a touch of bitterness. The beer is nice and has 6% alcohol. It is above average, but I felt this was a better beer last year.

BrewDog Høst Porter is a new beer. For some reason this beer from BrewDog has a Norwegian name. I guess the brewery wants to check out the Norwegian market with a beer that sounds Norwegian. The name is in English translated into Autumn Porter. The subtitle of this beer is Renaissance Baltic Porter. By the way: BrewDog should be reluctant paying their Norwegian language consultant. Høst Porter should be spelt in one word in Norwegian and not in two.

This is a nearly black beer with some carbonation and a small sized head. There is lots of cocoa in the nose. Coffee and cocoa struggle for domination in the mouth with a touch of cold coffee in the aftertaste. This is a nice porter that I will not turn down if somebody offers it to me. In shops I will prefer Sumbel porter from Ægir or Aass' Gourmet Stout if I fancy a black beer.

The Session: Label, Coaster and Cap Art

The first Friday each month is the day for The Session. The Session is the beer writing project where beer writers and bloggers from around the globe write on a single beer-related topic on the same day. This month the topic is "Label, Coaster and Cap Art", and it is hosted by Curtis Taylor at Hop Head Said. Thanks for hosting, Curtis! And also thanks for finding a beer related topic that is both imaginative and nice to write about.

Coasters or beer mats are a kind of merchandise I find interesting. I fancy drinking beer out of original branded glasses, and I try to buy some of the beer glasses I really like. Coasters are also of interest. Especially because pubs and bars rarely offer them here in Norway. Therefore I often ask waiters and bartenders abroad if I can take coasters home from the bar. They add to the enjoyment of having a beer at home, and they are also excellent souvenirs after a great vacation.

My beer travels have usually been to the Czech Republic. Therefore most of my coasters are Czech. Here is a collection of some of my favourites:

Pilsner Urquell is one of my favourite beers. This beer mat has a simple, but striking design focusing on a beer bottle label. The coaster from Pivovarský Klub in Prague uses the pub's logo. It is effective, and it is a fine coaster. The little brewpub Pražský most u Valšů in Prague shows hops, grains and beer in something I feel is a nice and nearly epic design. Svijany's beer mat is also visually striking combining a keg and the beautiful Svijany logo.

But my favourite? I like this coaster from the Ježek brewery quite a lot. It has a simple but enjoyable design. And it is difficult not liking the cute hedgehog.