Elephant's secret

I was not recommending the pub Elefanten in Bergen after my first visit in 2009. This week I was back, and I had a much more positive experience. That also means beerwise. On the other side of the street you can find Henrik, and very near excellent beer destinations like Naboen and Baran can be found. Why should Elefanten be an alternative?

The answer is draught beer from Kinn brewery in Florø. These days Elefanten has two Kinn taps in addition to draught beers like Hansa Pils, Hansa Bayer and Erdinger weizen. There are also some interesting bottled beers available. This means that a beer interested person should also take a look at Elefanten during a pub crawl in Bergen. If for instance the Kinn beers at Naboen are not to your liking, it is worth to check out the available draught beers at Elefanten.

On my visit I had a 0.33 litre glass of Vestkyst, which is Kinn's IPA. The price was 82 NOK, which is about 9 GBP. Vestkyst was a cloudy, nearly golden beer with nearly no head no carbonation. I felt apples and yeast in the nose. In the mouth there was grapefruit and pepper before a hoppy and bitter finish. I liked it a lot, but I felt it was way too bitter compared to a bottled version I enjoyed at home a few days earlier.

I wish Elefanten good luck with the venture into craft beers from draught. Suddenly the elephant pub has become a dark horse!

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.

A nice waiting room in Oslo

Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) is the main railway station in the Norwegian capital. It is centrally placed in Oslo with tram, metro and bus connections nearby. The railway station is also the terminus for the Airport Express Train, Flytoget.

Oslo S has several cafes and restaurants. In the oldest part of the station, Østbanehallen, you can find two pubs. The most interesting of them is Kristiania. Named after Oslo's former name, Kristiania used to be the large waiting room at the railway station. These days it is a combined restaurant and pub.

Kristiania is based in a big and spacy room. The ceiling is high above, and the interior seems classy and beautiful. Some of the feeling of being at an old railway station is kept, and it is interesting sitting at the bar enjoying the architecture.

Like most pubs in Norway, pale lagers are kings at Kristiania. Draughted Hansa beer from Bergen and Heineken made on licence in Norway seem to be the biggest sellers based on the evening I was there earlier this month. From tap there is also Murphy's stout and Erdinger wheat beer together with a beer of the month.

On my visit the monthly beer was Samuel Adams' Boston lager. I like this beer a lot, and it was the best draught beer offer at Kristiania that day. In the glass this was a golden lager with some carbonation and a nice head. I felt grapefruit in the nose, while the taste of toffee, grapefruit and a touch of lemon dominated in the mouth before a bitter finish. This was a lovely lager, and I hope to find it soon elsewhere in Norway.

Kristiania is the best place to drink beer at Oslo Central Station. The pub has a nice atmosphere, and the beer offers are better than what many other pubs and bars in Norway have on the menu.

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.

More Christmas beers

There are many juleøl beers (Christmas beers) to be found in Norwegian supermarkets and at Vinmonopolet. Here you can read about some of them.

Hansa juleøl is the weaker version with a lower alcohol content than the traditional Christmas beer. It is a copper coloured beer found in supermarkets. There is some carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose I feel some caramel and a touch of malts. In the mouth there is little taste, but the caramel and malts are still there. In addition to this the beer feels a bit watery. This is not my favourite this year. It is just an average juleøl.

Grans julebrygg is also found in supermarkets. This is a better beer than Hansa with aromas of licorice and malts. In the mouth there is caramel and some burnt notes. This is a nice effort, but not among the better Christmas beers in Norway.

Erdinger Schneeweisse is a German wheatbeer brewed for the holiday season. In the nose I feel some malts and a touch of yeast. Typically for the Erdinger beers I have tasted, there is not much taste. I feel some fruitiness and hints of banana and cloves in a watery beer. Schneeweisse feels boring, and I prefer other wheatbeers to this beer.

Tuborg juleøl is the Norwegian variant of the Danish Christmas brew. It is brewed on licence by Ringnes, and it is a coppercoloured beer with some carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose there is some caramel, and in the mouth I feel toffee, cinnamon and a touch of licorice. It feels a bit watery, but it is the best of these four Christmas beers.

Beers and cacti

Not far from the harbour in Bergen you can find Cacti Art Cafe. It is located in Øvregaten street, and it is a great place for tea connoiseurs. The cafe brags about having the biggest selection of tea in Bergen.

I visited Cacti Art Cafe earlier this week, and I was not there to drink tea. Instead I wanted to check out the beers sold at the cafe. On a street sign Cacti Art Cafe advertises that more than 80 different beers are available. That was a reason to visit the cafe.

Any bar or restaurant can build a good selection in bottled beers. That can also be said of Cacti Art Cafe. In addition to beer in bottles, Cacti Art Cafe had three kinds of draught beer: Mack Arctic pale lager, Bitburger pale lager and Erdinger weissbier.

The Arctic beer is the cheapest one, and a half litre of the North-Norwegian beer costs 50 NOK. For a half litre of Bitburger you must pay 65 NOK, while a half litre of Erdinger costs 75 NOK.

I chose Bitburger, as it is the first time I have seen it available as a draught beer in Bergen. It had a lot of carbonation and a medium sized head. In the nose there was little aroma, but some malt and grains could be found. In the nose the grains were more present and it was blended with sweetness and a nice, bitter finish.

Bitburger is supposed to be the best selling beer in Germany, according to the friendly and service minded bartender. That does not mean that it is the best beer in Germany. In my opinion Bitburger is an average pale lager, but it is a better alternative than many Norwegian lagers.

Cacti Art Cafe looks like a place for local students. The atmosphere is nice, and the cafe also hosts a small exhibition of pictures. For beer tourists it is not a must in Bergen, but a place to find something else than Hansa or Ringnes on tap. But perhaps the three available draught beers can become five or six on my next visit?

A question of credibility

When the biggest newspaper in Western Norway praised Kafé Spesial for its beers, I knew I had to check out the little restaurant in Bergen. The newspaper article in Bergens Tidende claimed that Kafé Spesial was the best beer place in Bergen.


Kafé Spesial feels a little bit shabby at first sight. The furniture looks old and well used, and the floor could need some paint. The guests are mostly in the early twenties, and it looks like Kafé Spesial is popular among the local students.

But then there was the beer. Kafé Spesial has a very good selection in bottled beers. They are not the best in town, as places like Naboen, Henrik and Kontoret also have a wide range of beer in bottles.

Perhaps the draught beer is what made Bergens Tidende call Kafé Spesial the best beer place in Bergen? Absolutely not! There are only three different beers available on tap at Kafé Spesial: Hansa and Heineken pale lager together with Erdinger weissbier. That is not impressive, as a lot of pubs in Bergen have both more taps and more interesting draught beers to offer.

I decided to have a half litre of Erdinger at Kafé Spesial. It was served in a branded glass with some carbonation and a little head. It is not among my favourite wheat beers, but it took care of my thirst very well.

Kafé Spesial is not the best beer place in Bergen, and the journalists from Bergens Tidende should know that. But perhaps they do not know beers?

Draughted wheat

Finding wheat beer in Norway is easy if you go for bottles. There are few brands available, but both Paulaner and Erdinger wheat beers are sold at most Vinmonopolet outlets. Finding wheat beers as draught beers is another case, but recently I found two places in Bergen selling Erdinger weissbier from tap.

Across the road from Henrik in the Vaskerelven street of Bergen, you can find Elefanten. Elefanten is a trendy, little cafebar with many students frequently enjoying their drinks there. From tap there is the local macro's Hansa pils at 52 NOK for 0.4 litres of beer, which is slightly more than 5 GBP or around 6 EUR. There is also Erdinger weissbier at 71 NOK for a half litre.

I was served a cloudy, golden beer with a large head. There seemed to be more aroma in the nose from this draugted beer than from the Erdinger bottled wheat beers that I have tried earlier. The nose had both yeast and some sweetness. In the mouth there was little taste, but the yeast was still present with hints of banana. I enjoyed this draught beer more than the bottled beers from Erdinger, but wheat beers from the German breweries Paulaner and Franziskaner are better and more tasty offers than this beer. The same goes for the Czech weizen from Primator.

In one of the side streets from Vaskerelven, my favourite Norwegian bar of 2009, Naboen, is located. Across the street from Naboen you can find Biskopen. I have only been to Biskopen once. On my way to Naboen I stepped in to see what Biskopen was like. There were few people in the bar, so I took a look to find out what beers that were for sale. Bingo! This was another place for draughted wheat beers, and just like Elefanten, they sold Erdinger weissbier at Biskopen.

The Erdinger looked a little bit more cloudy in the glass, but otherwise it was the same beer. It was also served with more beer in the glass and less foam.

I prefer Naboen and Henrik as beer drinking places to both Biskopen and Naboen, but I like being able to drink draughted wheat beers in Bergen. Erdinger is not my favourite, but an OK wheat beer is better than no wheat beer when I want to taste the beer style.

More wheat

Erdinger's Dunkel Weissbier has been waiting for me at the local Vinmonopolet outlet for some time. It was time to try it out, so I took home a bottle. Poured into the glass, there was a lot of carbonation, and the beer got an enormous head. The colour was very brown, almost black.

Like the other Erdinger beers I have tried, the nose was really anonymous. This Dunkel had some malts, but otherwise there was nearly no aroma. In the mouth there are some burnt notes together with malt and hints of coffee. The aftertaste is watery. In all this is another boring beer from Erdinger. There is little taste and little to get excited about.

I also had a bottle of Paulaner's hefeweien. This is another cloudy wheat beer, but the head is smaller and there is no carbonation. It has a much more interesting nose with sweetness, yeast and a hint of bread. The bread and yeast are also in the mouth, but the sweetness is balanced by some bitterness. The body is much more solid than the three offerings from Erdinger, and this is the best of the four beer. And one more thing: This is the real thing! A tasty wheatbeer!

I am not sure if it is the best weizen I have tried. I liked the Franziskaner wheat beer I tried from can in Spain earlier this year, but I have not compared it head to head with Paulaner's hefeweizen. And then there is the excellent Primator weizen from the Czech Republic. A great beer as well!

German wheat

There are several variants of Erdinger wheat beer available in Norway. Some supermarkets sell Erdinger Champ, while Erdinger Weissbier and Erdinger Schneeweisse is available at the state owned wine and spirits outlet, Vinmonopolet. I wanted to try some of the Erdinger beers at home and ended up buying two 0.33 litre bottles of Champ and a half litre bottle of Weissbier.

I started with Champ. It has a cloudy look. In the glass it comes with a small head that dissolvess quickly. There is nearly nothing to be felt in the nose - only a hint of yeast. In the mouth the beer is boring and feels thinbodied and watery. The yeasty notes are there together with hints of banana and malt, and the banana stays through the aftertaste. All in all this is an uninteresting beer. "Mild und pur" says the label. I can agree on the mild part. This beer is so mild that it is more or less bland.

The weissbier is as cloudy as Champ, but it looks a little more amber. The head is higher, and it also stays for a longer time than Champ's. The nose is more or less the same. There is some yeast, but that is all. The weissbier has a fuller body than Champ, but it is still quite thinbodied. There is a bready taste to it with notes of bananas. The beer is more interesting than Champ, but I feel that it is quite unremarkable.

I have been drinking some other wheat beers this year, and they were much more interesting than Erdinger Champ and Erdinger weissbier. The Czech Primator weizen comes immediately to mind, but also the Paulaner weissbier. I guess I will avoid these Erdinger beers in the future, but I am willing to give the weissbier a chance as a draught beer.