Tradition or innovation?

The Norwegian breweries used to have a very lucrative market. The mediums sized ones gobbled up the smaller ones, and we ended up with half a dozen regional breweries in the Seventies. They whimpered a bit about the ban on strong beers, the phasing out of ads for alcohol and other government regulations, but at [...]

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Thoughts at 1000

It’s been quite a ride. My WordPress blogging interface tells me this is blog post no 1000. One thousand.  Add to that the hundreds of posts at my old blog now disappeared into the graveyard of cyberspace, it is quite a figure. But does it matter? Looking back, the first couple of years were spent [...]

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Rumours from the Norwegian beer scene

A new proper blog post sooon. For now: Samples of a Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout aged in Cognac barrels are reported. I don’t know anything about a release date. A new cranberry IPA, Zombie IPA on tap at Schouskjelleren in Oslo tonight. Their import list is as strong as ever. Lots of good stuff at [...]

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Christmas wasn’t over

Well. I had paid for it. I had bought the beer, paid the postage, forked out the Norwegian duties. But it’s nive to receive a package anyway. When it is filled with beer from Marble, Hardknott and others. From myBrewerytap.com.

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A German beer Wiki

Still in its infancy, but all such initiatives are to be applauded: A Wiki for the German family owned breweries – Private Brauereien. There are a thousand of them, and, while there are some good regional sites, a comprehensive site for Germany would be very welcome.

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Yet another Oslo micro

I have mentioned the two  food emporia in Oslo taking shape. Mathallen at Vulkan, on the rapidly gentrifying East end of town, has just announced that Ølakademiet will have a beer shop and what they call a small micro brewery. Ølakademiet is what I would call a beer event company, conveniently located across the road from Vulkan. [...]

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How I would run the Haandbryggeriet festival

As I’ve told you, Haandbryggeriet will organise their own festival in Drammen, Norway in May this year. Lots of guest breweries from near and far,and they have asked on Facebook for suggestions on how to proceed with the plans. I’ve never organised something on this scale, but I have attended enough festivals to know what [...]

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Resolutions be damned!

Adnams Tally-ho and some cheese. Port-like flavour, dark cherries. Bitter almonds in the finish. Should have had some Stilton……

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A pardon for everyone?

Some Germans are working on the rehabilitation of people who were burned as witches between 1500 and 1800, according to Der Spiegel. Sounds fine. But, on the other hand,  some of them were convicted for spoling beer….

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