SKL SKL A CELEBRATION OF SWEDISH BEER at the swedish american - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SKÅL SKÅL

A CELEBRATION OF SWEDISH BEER

at the swedish american museum

välkomna välkomna

SKÅL SKÅL

SKÅL SKÅL

ÖL/øL ÖL/øL

(SWEDISH) (DANISH, NORWEGIAN)

BEER IS AN ANCIENT BEVERAGE.

• It’s been argued that the invention of bread/beer is

responsible for the rise of civilizations.

• Agriculture and technology
• Social structures
• After water and tea, beer is the most consumed

beverage in the world.

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• Drinking culture in Sweden is

also ancient—and was an important part of the religious culture of ancient Scandinavians.

• The Vikings considered mead to

be a divine force that gave them wisdom and immortality.

• Ale was important part of

Valhalla, or Viking heaven.

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THE ORIGINS OF ‘SKÅL’?

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• ¡“Skål” means “bowl” in Swedish.
• While there is art and writings

that reference drinking horns in the Viking era, it was thought they were reserved only for nobility.

• Instead, most ancient people took

their drink out of bowls and it became custom to ask (or demand) “Skål!” to fill up one’s bowl with ale.

• Now, “Skål!” is a way to express

“Cheers!” in Swedish.

SKÅL SKÅL

THE RISE (AND FALL) OF SWEDISH BREWING: 1840-1995 THE RISE (AND FALL) OF SWEDISH BREWING: 1840-1995

Mid 1700s: Mid 1700s: The advent of porter beer in England

• A popular beer amongst the working class, or “porters,” coupled

with the timing of the Industrial Revolution, gave rise to the first large, commercial breweries.

• These breweries also pioneered technological advances such as

thermometers and hydrometers.

• These were gigantic breweries—the Meux Brewery had a large

wooden porter vat that held nearly 6 million pints of beer.

• On October 17, 1914, one of Meux’s large wooden vats burst,

sending porter beer rushing through the streets of London, killing 8 people. It would be known as the Great London Beer Flood.

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• The port cities of Sweden are a fairly “easy sail”

from Britain, so Sweden gained a taste for the style as it was introduced by the English into the country.

• These exported beers were higher in alcohol and

and in hop character, in order to survive the boat ride to Sweden and other Nordic countries along the Baltic Sea.

• As a result, this style of beer became to be

known, appropriately enough, as Baltic Porter.

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1791: 1791: Brit William Knox builds Sweden’s first porter brewery in Gothenburg. In 1836 In 1836, David Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, set up another brewery nearby and starts brewing Carnegie Porter—which is Sweden’s oldest, still existing trademark.*

• Carnegie is now owned by Carlsberg Sweden, but it

still produces its flagship porter. But by the mid-1800s, wine and other spirits had taken

• ver popularity over beer as the drink of choice in

Sweden.

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1843: 1843: After traveling through Munich, Frederik Rosenquist brought lager beer back to Stockholm (in the same way it’s reported that John Wagner brought lager beer to the United States just a couple years prior). As Rosenquist started to market Sweden’s first lager,

• ther breweries started to follow suit, and soon a Swedish

style started to emerge: Bayerskt Bayerskt (Bavaria Beer) (Bavaria Beer) Paler than the German original that Rosenquist had studied, lightly hopped, and around 5.5% ABV. By the late 1800s, porter and Bayerskt were the most popular beer styles in Sweden.

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1905: 1905: There were 205 breweries operating in Sweden, the most that it has ever seen. 1922: 1922: The Temperance Movement takes hold, and there’s a there’s a ban on all alcoholic drinks in Sweden more than 2.25% ABV

• Which meant not only was there no beer produced by

breweries over 2.25% ABV in Sweden, there was also no beer coming into the country over 2.25% ABV

• Sweden’s “beer classes” emerged:
• Went through different classifications over the years, but
• nly Classes 1 & 2 (max ABV of 2.5%, known as folköl) can

be bought in supermarkets

• Up until 1995, the highest class of beer sold in Sweden

was 5.6%

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SKÅL SKÅL

• From 1917-1955, in order to control alcohol consumption, the

Swedish government rationed liquor. In 1955, this rationing was lifted, but the government still has a monopoly over retail sales of alcohol.

• It is the only retail store allowed to sell alcoholic beverages that

contain more than 3.5% alcohol by volume.

1948: 1948: The number of Swedish breweries was at 115— Consolidation was in full swing.

• The Swedish Brewers Association regulated

competition—which, at first could be seen as an advantage for small breweries. Breweries were not allowed to sell outside a certain radius of their location.

• To circumvent this regulation, and to expand sales

beyond a certain radius, breweries started buying

• ut other breweries. Soon, there were only 115

breweries in Sweden, and 66 of them were owned by 16 brewery groups.

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1955: 1955: The “radius system” was abolished, and breweries were allowed to sell anywhere in the country. However, smaller breweries were no longer protected by the local market when the big breweries came in, and they were either bought out or closed. 1963: 1963: Two of Sweden's largest breweries, AB Stockholms Bryggerier and AB Pripps & Lyckholm, merged to create one brewing company, and soon controlled 2/3 of the market. 1992: 1992: There were only 10 breweries operating in Sweden (Remember, less than 100 years before—in 1905—there were more than 200 breweries in Sweden).

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THE RISE OF SWEDISH BEER (AgAIN) 1995-... THE RISE OF SWEDISH BEER (AgAIN) 1995-...

1995: Sweden enters the European Union. 1995: Sweden enters the European Union.

• As a result, alcohol regulations were lessened, and

what was then the legal limit for beer in Sweden, 5.6% ABV, was lifted.

• For the first time, Swedes were able to get beer

from Belgium (legally) in their country; the state monopoly on importing beer was lifted, and there were people going out to bring new beers to Sweden.

• Meanwhile, in the United States, the craft beer

scene was kicking into full gear …

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THE RISE OF CRAFT BREWING IN THE US & SWEDEN THE RISE OF CRAFT BREWING IN THE US & SWEDEN

• In 1978, Jimmy Carter signed a bill that made

homebrewing legal in at the Federal level in the US.

• Soon, homebrewers started opening brewpubs and

breweries, and the craft movement in the States started take off, and more importantly, take hold, with beer drinkers—particularly with its revival of the English IPA style (and the subsequent "Americanizing" of the style, particularly in the West Coast).

• Fast forward 25 years later, and the US is now the

leader in craft beer.

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• Swedish beer drinkers were also taking notice of the

beer scene in the US. According to the Brewers Association, which represents craft breweries with in the US, after Canada, more American Beer is exported to Sweden than any other country in the world.

• Meanwhile in Sweden, the country’s first

microbreweries also open:

• Jämtlands (1996)
• Nils Oscar (1996)

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BEER IN SWEDEN TODA Y BEER IN SWEDEN TODA Y

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2014: There are 167 breweries active in Sweden. 2014: There are 167 breweries active in Sweden.

• Influenced by the American craft beer scene, Swedish brewers
• In addition to Akkurat, one of the world’s best beer destinations,

Mikkeller and BrewDog open bars in Stockholm and Gothenburg.

• Stockholm Beer and Whiskey Festival is held annually last

weekend of September and first weekend of October.

• In spring 2014, Brooklyn Brewery, with Carlsberg Sweden,
• pened Nya Carnegie in Stockholm.
• However, in September 2014, the Systembolaget returned to its

“radius deal” and breweries can only distribute to liquor stores within a certain distance of their breweries, proving disadvantageous to rural breweries.

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What I see as unique to Sweden is the wealth

• f low-point (2.8-3.5% ABV) craft beers

hitting the market over the past year. Because of the Monopoly, these low-point beers have historically and still make up a reliable segment here. You should see what is happening to beer shelves out in the supermarkets. Formerly

• nly carrying Carlsberg and Spendrup

products, many now have a great selection of locally-produced craft beer.

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“ “

—Tobias Göth, 99 Bottles ¡

I ¡don’t ¡think ¡we ¡have ¡any ¡”Swedish” ¡beer ¡style ¡yet, ¡but ¡ hopefully ¡it ¡will ¡come. ¡Since ¡we’re ¡the ¡only ¡brewery ¡in ¡ Sweden ¡brewing ¡with ¡wild ¡yeast-­‑ ¡and ¡bacteria ¡strains ¡ it’s ¡hard ¡to ¡say ¡how ¡other ¡breweries ¡plan ¡for ¡the ¡future. ¡ Almost ¡every ¡new ¡brewery ¡that ¡open ¡up ¡in ¡Sweden ¡ sadly ¡tend ¡to ¡brew ¡the ¡same ¡kind ¡of ¡beer; ¡IPA, ¡Brown ¡ ale, ¡APA. ¡ ¡ I ¡think ¡that ¡will ¡change ¡however, ¡since ¡the ¡quality ¡will ¡ maEer ¡more. ¡Both ¡because ¡you ¡have ¡a ¡hard ¡ compeFFon ¡with ¡all ¡new ¡breweries ¡doing ¡an ¡IPA ¡for ¡ example, ¡and ¡then ¡more ¡and ¡more ¡people ¡will ¡drink ¡ craH ¡beer ¡and ¡be ¡more ¡aware ¡on ¡whether ¡the ¡IPA ¡is ¡a ¡ good ¡IPA ¡or ¡not.

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“ “

—André Ek, Brekeriet Brewery ¡

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BEER LIST BEER LIST

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RAFFLES! RAFFLES!

(One ticket for $5; 3 for $10!) (One ticket for $5; 3 for $10!)

TACK! TACK!

SKÅL SKÅL

A CELEBRATION OF SWEDISH BEER

at the swedish american museum

SKÅL SKÅL

SOURCES: SOURCES: