A winning combination

Once it was a one of Norway's better record store with a terrific vinyl selection. Now Apollon is also a pub. With several draught beers on tap, it is an interesting addition to the beer scene of Bergen.

Most beers available are pale lagers, but Apollon also offers other beers including selections from Haandbryggeriet. At my recent visit Norwegian Wood was available, and I chose to check out this copper coloured smoked beer.

Norwegian Wood had a medium sized head and no carbonation. In the nose I felt burnt bacon and malts. The beer tasted of smoke, wood and some smoked mackerel with a touch of sweetness. It was nice, but I felt that one glass was enough.

Apollon is a fine attraction. It is an great place for music lovers and a good place for beer lovers. If you like beer and music, Apollon should be close to heaven.

Two Drammeners (and a Drammen beer festival)

The city of Drammen is home to two Norwegian breweries. Aass is the traditional, local macro brewery, while Haandbryggeriet is the newer craft brewery. The first weekend of May 2012, Drammen will be the arena for Norway's first craft beer festival. Haandbryggeriet is the arranger, and Aass will be one of the guest breweries attending. Among the other guest breweries you can find Alvinne and Rulles of Belgium, Magic Rock of the UK, De Molen and Emelisse from the Netherlands, Närke of Sweden, Loverbeer of Italy in addition to Kinn and Nøgne Ø from Norway.

But back to Aass and Haandbryggeriet. Both breweries have extensive beer line-ups. Aass is going the traditional route in Norway with various pale lagers as the main focus of their product line. In addition to these, they have a gourmet line including a stout, a pale ale and a weizen. Most bigger breweries in Norway also make a beer in the Bavarian style, and Aass is no exception.

In the glass Aass Bayer is a copper coloured beer with some carbonation and a large head. In the nose there is a combination of burnt malts and some caramel. In the mouth I feel some toffee, sweetness and some burnt tones. The finish is watery and nearly anonymous. This was an inoffensive Bavarian beer that I felt was just average. In Norway I prefer Frydenlund Bayer if I will drink a beer in the Bavarian style.

Haandbryggeriet is one of Norway's experimental breweries. I am especially fond of the brewery's beers Pale Ale and Dobbel Dose, but there are also other gems in the product line. One of them is the Fyr & Flamme IPA. I have tried this beer earlier this year as a draught beer, and I felt that the beer was enjoyable.

From bottle Fyr & Flamme has a cloudy brownish colour. The beer has barely any carbonation, but there is a medium large head. I feel aromas of fruit cocktail, wood and yeast. In the mouth there is fruit and a lot of hops. The finish is partly bitter with a touch of tutti frutti chewing gum. This was a nice beer, but I feel it was better as a draught beer.

Grünerløkka Blues

Something has happened in Norway during the last few years. There is an interest in beers that go beyond the ordinary pale lagers, and many pubs and bars now have a decent selection of bottled beers. There has to be an interest for these beers among the guests, and I am happy to see beer menus expanding with more available beers than before. There is no mumbo jumbo doing this for any proprietor. They just have to buy the beers, and any bar owner can do it!

Myself, I rarely bother drinking bottled beer at a bar. Usually I can buy it myself and drink it at home. I prefer drinking draught beer. Therefore I like it when a bar expands and gets hold of more beer taps. It is also a treat when a pub gets a house beer brewed especially for itself.

I had an hour to myself before attending a meeting in Oslo. I chose to take the tram to the Grünerløkka district, as there are several interesting pubs there. Among them you can find two brewpubs and also some with house beers. I chose to visit Grünerløkka Brygghus. The pub's name tells that it is a brewpub. It is not. Grünerløkka Brygghus started up in 2010 aiming to be a brewpub, but so far only beers from outside the building have been available there. But they have house beers brewed for them by Nøgne Ø, and I really liked the Kjell Pop Single Hop I drank there last year. This time around there were no possibilities to check out the beers at Grünerløkka Brygghus. The pub was closed, and it would open a few hours later. OK, I thought. Then I will try Aku Aku Tiki Bar further down the road.

But no such luck. Aku Aku Tiki Bar was also closed. That was a shame, as I wanted to taste the house beer. It is a pale ale brewed by Nøgne Ø called Aku Aku Lemongrass Ale. It is only available a a draught beer, and it is a rather rare beer as this bar is one of the very few places to sell it. Two letdowns so far. Would there be more? Was I just way too early in the day to drink other draught beers than pale lagers from Ringnes and Frydenlund in this area of Oslo?

At the square further down the street I saw Parkteatret. Once this was a big cinema, but these days there are concerts there. The former lobby is now a bar. It has a great retro look with leather chairs and sofas. I enjoyed being there. And as a bonus there were interesting beers on tap!

I chose Dobbel Dose from Haandbryggeriet. This cloudy beer had barely any carbonation nor head. The nose was very fruity with lots of grapefruit. In the mouth sweetness and bitterness met in a great balance. I felt fruit cocktail and grapefruit before a partly bitter finish. This was lovely! A great beer.

Time was up. I rushed down the road to catch the next tram heading downtown. There was work to be done.

Haandbryggeriet Duo

At a local supermarket I found two beers from Haandbryggeriet that I had never tried from bottles. This is a nice time for Norwegians. The beer selection is slowly getting larger, and several supermarkets are offering more than pale lager beers from the big, national breweries and the ordinary import beers.

I started out with Haandbryggeriet Pale Ale, which is an old favourite from tap. In the glass this 4.5% beer was a copper coloured cloudy brew with some carbonation and a medium sized head. I felt aromas of grapefruit and grass together with a touch of apples. In the mouth there was grapefruit, spices and more apples before a partly bitter and hoppy finish. This was a lovely beer!

Haandbryggeriet London Porter was a new aquaintance. The beer was black with some carbonation and a medium sized head. I felt dark chocolate in the nose. The beer tasted of more dark chocolate and some cold coffee. This was another fine beer that I really enjoyed. Haandbryggeriet is still one of Norway's most interesting breweries!

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.

Hands on Haandbryggeriet

In all praises on various beer blogs for Norwegian craft brewers like Nøgne Ø, Ægir and Kinn, we must not forget Haandbryggeriet. The Drammen based brewery has several interesting beers on the market, and some of them are very innovative.


As I read the label, Southern Cross India Pale Ale looked like a winner to me. After tasting it I am not that sure. The beer is cloudy and nearly golden in the glass. Although it has been in the fridge for a week, it has an extreme amount of carbonation. As you can see from the photograph, there is not room for all the beer in a half litre wheat beer glass.

In the nose there are hops and scents of pepper. It has a bitter taste with a touch of pepper, but it lacks the fruity notes as mentioned on the beer label. The finish is hoppy and bitter. It is a nice IPA, but give me a pint of for instance Ægir IPA from bottle any day. It is better and much more fruity than this effort from Haandbryggeriet.

Haandbryggeriet's Dark Force is marketed as a wheat stout. In the glass this is a nearly black beer with as good as no carbonation nor head. In the nose I feel dark chocolate and some sweetness. The taste is more interesting, as I feel both dark chocolate, some coffee and a touch of mints. The finish is semi bitter with cold coffee taking the lead. Dark Force is a great beer, and it is one of the best I have tried from Haandbryggeriet.

Back to Baran and Cacti

After my first visit to Baran Cafe earlier this year, the cafe has become one of my favourite beer temples in Bergen. Friendly bartenders, a nice atmosphere and an excellent selection in draught beers with 16 taps. That some of them are dedicated to craft breweries like Haandbryggeriet, Nøgne Ø and Ægir make Baran a must for visitors to Bergen. In addition to this Naboen and Henrik are nearby, so the Engen area of Bergen has become a mecca for beer lovers.

On my recent visit to Baran Cafe I wanted something simple and ordered a lager. Not just any lager, actually, as I decided to have a Pilsner Urquell. Sure, it is better on tap in the Czech Republic, but it is probably the best lager beer you can get on tap in Norway.

From the visitor statistics I see that many visitors these days look at my post about Cacti Art Cafe in Bergen. A new visit was therefore neccessary to see if the cafe had changed during the last months. Cacti Art Cafe has a reputation of having many beers available, but this month I only found three draught beers. Just like in August these were Bitburger, Mack Arctic Beer and Erdinger wheat beer.

Of course the bottled beer menu is large at Cacti Art Cafe, but I am interested in draught beer. I can drink bottled beers at home. Therefore I ended up with Mack Arctic Beer from tap. This is a nice Norwegian pale lager with a distinct nose and body with a grainy character. It was as expected at Cacti Art Cafe, but I should have chosen the Bitburger. It is a better beer.

Cacti Art Cafe has a better draught beer selection than most pubs in Bergen that normally only sell Hansa or Ringnes pale lagers. But to have exciting draught beer, I prefer other places than Cacti Art Cafe. Baran Cafe is one of them, but it is on the other side of Bergen's city centre. But if you want bottled beers in that neighbourhood, why not try Bar Barista at Stølegaten street? It has an exciting and cozy atmosphere that Cacti Art Cafe lacks.

Oslo's new brewpub

In October Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri opened its doors, making itself the second brewpub in Oslo. Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri is on historic brewery ground in the Grünerløkka neighbourhood. The area around the brewpub used to be Schous brewery, which was founded in 1821. Schous brewery was later bought by Frydenlund brewery, which again was bought by Ringnes in 1978. In 1981 the brewery business came to a close for Schous.

Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri is based in a cellar. The brewpub is like a big cavernous beer hall with bricks on the walls and ceiling. On my visit last week, the brewpub was full of people, and it was difficult finding a table. I felt the pub was noisy, but perhaps it would feel different if I was part of a group there?

The two bartenders did a good job, and the female bartender took time talking about the pub and the beers available. Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri has a good selection in bottled beers, and on tap there were five beers. Two of the beers were brewed on the premises, but Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri also offered Nøgne Ø's Wit and Imperial Stout while Haandbryggeriet's Pale Ale also was available.

I started with one of the brewpub's own beer. This was the phonetically incorrectly named beer [aj pi ej], which of course is an IPA. In the glass this was an unclear beer with a copper colour. I felt some orange and bitterness in the nose. In the mouth there was grapefruit and lemon before a partly bitter finish with a touch of grains. This was a lovely beer, and I felt it was one of the better Norwegian IPAs I have tried.

The other draught beer from Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri on my visit was called Batch #10, with Vinterøl (Winter beer) as an extra description. In the glass this was an unclear, dark brown beer with some carbonation. In the nose I felt dry roasted nuts and dried coffee. The taste was of cocoa, cold coffee and a touch of spruce shoots. This was a nice beer, but the [aj pi ej] is the better beer of these two.

If you go to Oslo, you must not miss out on Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri. This is a great brewpub with promising beers. I would love to see [aj pi ej] as a bottled beer and taste it head to head at home with IPAs from Kinn, Ægir, Nøgne Ø and Haandbryggeriet. That could be a fabulous night of beer tasting! In the meantime I promise to be back at Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri later this year.

Brewpub without brewery

Beerwise, Oslo has been getting more interesting during recent years. Some exciting pubs and bars have opened, and craft beers are easier to find both in bottles and on tap. These days there are three brewpubs in Oslo. Grünerløkka Brygghus is one of them, and it started up last Autumn. The pub is situated in the hip and trendy Grünerløkka area, where you can find many bars and restaurants.

It is easy to get to Grünerløkka. Tram number 11 from the city centre takes you to the Olaf Ryes plass tram stop two blocks away from the brewpub. But there is a catch about Grünerløkka Brygghus. The brewpub has not started brewing so far, so the beer menu consists of beer brewed elsewhere including a good selection of bottled beers. There is also a food menu with sandwiches and solid pub grub. On Fridays the pub has a special offer on oysters.

Grünerløkka Brygghus has nine draught beers. On my visit last week, you could drink Samuel Adams Boston lager or pale lager and bayer from Aass brewery. Ale drinkers could enjoy Old Speckeled Hen or be more bold trying out BrewDog's Punk IPA or Nøgne Ø's Imperial IPA #500.

The real deal at Grünerløkka Brygghus are two beers brewed especially for this pub. Haandbryggeriet's Løkka Steamer was not available on my visit, but I had a chance to try Nøgne Ø's Kjell Pop Single Hop. Served in a red wine glass, Kjell Pop Single Hop was an unclear copper coloured beer with some carbonation and a little head. I felt a touch of hops and citric acid in the nose. The taste was dominated by grapefruit, but the beer also had a watery feeling. This IPA was a very good beer, and I felt it was much more sessionable than Nøgne Ø's other IPAs.

Grünerløkka Brygghus is a must for visitors to Oslo. The pub has a great atmosphere, and I enjoyed being there. On the evening I was at Grünerløkka Brygghus, the place was packed and it was difficult to find a table. It looks like the pub is very popular in the neighbourhood, and the draught beer menu is good and varied. I recommend this brewpub, and I hope to be back in the future trying Grünerløkka Brygghus' own beers.

Four Norwegians

The craft beer scene in Norway has been getting more and more exciting during the last few years. These days it is easy to find craft beers in well stocked supermarkets and of course at the state owned Vinonopolet outlets.

The leading breweries are Nøgne Ø and Haandbryggeriet, and both breweries also have a big name abroad. Due to the heavy Norwegian taxation on alcohol their beers are usually cheaper outside Norway.

Ægir is in my opinion the number 3 brewery on the craft beer scene in Norway at the moment. The brewery, which is based in Flåm in the midst of the West Norwegian fjords, has an onsite pub that has been recommended by many beer experts. If things go well, I will do a beer trek there later this year. I am very fond of Ægir's IPA, but these days several of Ægir's beers are found at both Vinmonopolet and in some shops.

If you find Ægir beers at a Norwegian supermarket, it is probably Bøyla and/or Sumbel. Sumbel is a porter with an alcohol content of 4.7%. This is a black beer with little carbobation, but with a large head. The nose is dominated by dark chocolate, while the beer tastes with an even more touch of the chocolate. The finish has some cold coffee. I liked this porter, but I prefer other beers in the same style to it.

Ægir Harvest Ale was a new beer at Vinmonopolet last Autumn. This is a beer with a deep golden colour that built a large head in the glass. In the mouth there was grapefruit, yeast and some malts. In the mouth I felt grapefruit and orange peels before a semibitter and hoppy finish. I liked this beer, but it is not better than Ægir's IPA or their Easter beer, Påskesol.

Haandbryggeriet has released some beers based on classical Norwegian brewing recipes lately. One of these beers is Farewell Ale, based on the Norwegian gravøl tradition. After a funeral, the nearest family and friends met to mourn, and part of the meeting was drinking funeral beer to light up the mourners. Haandbryggeriet's Farewell Ale is a dark beer with a large head. In the nose coffee is present, while in the mouth the coffee is blended with a sugary sweetness before a bitter finish. I felt this beer was much too sweet for me, and it will never become a favourite.

Nøgne Ø's batch number 500 is an Imperial IPA. The beer is called #500, and it is a strong beer with 10% alcohol. In the glass this is an unclear coppery beer with some carbonation and a little head. The aromas of the beer are very hoppy with a touch of grapefruit. In the mouth there is grapefruit, toffee and a touch of cyrup. This is a lovely full bodied beer, and it is the best of these four Norwegian beers. Try it if you find it!

Bergen odds and ends

During December and January I have had several bar visits in Bergen tasting some beers for the first time. Some of these beers were seasonal beers, while others are available now and then at Norwegian taprooms. This post is a collection of tasting notes and beer photos.

At Kontoret you can find two Ægir taps at the moment. Ægir is a small craft brewery based in Flåm. Among the Ægir beers sold in December, were the Christmas beer, Rallar and IPA. Rallar is an amber ale named after the Scandinavian word for railroad workers. In the glass at Kontoret it had a small head and little carbonation. In the mouth I felt some toffee before a partly bitter finish with some caramel. This was a nice beer from Ægir brewery, and I am looking forward to trying it at home from a bottle.

Draught beers from the little Kinn brewery in Florø are always available at Naboen. In December one of the offers was Kinn Julefred. This was a seasonal beer with a name which translated into English means Christmas peace.

Kinn Julefred was sold as a cask beer with a coppery colour. In the glass it had little carbonation and a solid head. The beer had aromas of malts and sweetness. In the mouth I felt this was a boring beer with a strange taste combining some coffee, cloves and a sugary touch. The finish was partly bitter with a hoppy flavour. I did not feel this was worth 84 NOK or about 8.50 GBP for a pint. Other beers from Kinn are better and more interesting than this Christmas beer.

Also available in December at Naboen was Ægir's Julebrygg, which was another Christmas beer. This was a copper coloured beer with some carbionation and nearly no head. The beer had an aroma with a touch of toffee. Otherwise there was nothing in the nose. I felt the beer was very sweet with a dominating taste of syrup and cardamum together with a flavour of glögg, a Scandinavian winter drink. The beer was OK, but nowhere near the greatness of Nøgne Ø's God Jul, which was my favourite Christmas beer in 2010.

Haandbryggeriet's Pale Ale is a main stay at Naboen. I had a glass a December afternoon of the somewhat unclear coppery coloured beer. In the nose there were apples, while malts and apples danced around in the mouth before a semibitter finish. This was a lovely beer, and it is much better than Kinn's Austkyst, which is another pale ale often available on tap at Naboen.

Best beer selection in Bergen?

Back in Bergen I had a walk through the Nygårdsgaten street. On a corner I found a bar I had not noticed earlier. A sign said that Cafe Baran was established in 2002, and through the windows I could see several beer taps.

Inside, I was really impressed. Baran could offer no less than 16 taps. One was for Magner's cider, while the rest had draught beers. The selection was rather interesting being a Norwegian bar except for the local Hansa pale lager.

At Baran you can drink draught beers from breweries like Pilsner Urquell, Erdinger, Old Speckeled Hen, Marston, Newcastle Brown Ale, Murphy's, Bitburger, Haandbryggeriet and Ægir. In all this is the best selection of draught beers in Bergen, and I can see myself visiting this bar now and then to check out the beer line-up on the taps.

There was time for a beer, so I ordered a Marston's Oyster Stout. The beer was black with a solid head. There was a hint of dark chocolate in the nose, and the beer had a lovely, creamy texture. In the mouth I felt some coffee, a hint of roasted nuts, a touch of dark chocolate and a finish with more coffee and some pines. I liked it, and I am happy to know there is an alternative to Guinness and Murphy's stout in Bergen.

Baran was a small bar room with old furniture an a cozy atmosphere. The Swedish speaking bartender was helpful and did a good job. I am sure to be back trying some of the other beers very soon.