25 Jun Midsummer, dancing and sunshine – Weekly Update
This weekend is an important weekend in the Swedish calendar. It’s the period of time centred upon the summer solstice, and more specifically the Northern European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice or take place on a day between June 19 and June 25 and the preceding evening.
More importantly though it’s a time for everyone to just let go, enjoy the sunshine and get together with friends and family for the tradition lunch which consists of pickled herring, egg, meatballs, hard bread and lots of schnapps. In the end there’s always strawberries.
The other part of Midsummer consists of raising and dancing around a maypole. Greenery placed over houses and barns were supposed to bring good fortune and health to people and livestock. To decorate with greens, in Swedish was called “att maja” or “to may” in English and may be the origin of the word “majstång”, where maja originally comes from the month May, or vice versa. Today, however, it is most commonly called a “midsommarstång”, which literally translates to midsummer pole.
There’s also the pagan rites side to the Maypole and has a lot to do with Freyja and Freyr which has a phallic symbol. During the Viking age there were rituals centered around this, as a worshipping of fertility and a rich harvest.
So midsummer is a great time to visit Sweden. It’s when we’re at our happiest.
During this last week, Henrik and I went to Stockholm, to release five new beers at Bishop’s Arms in Södermalm. It was great to see so many familiar faces, and meet so many new faces. The beers we took with us was in Sally the Saler, Man goes crazy for peaches, Monkey Business, I (f*cking) made it and Beerbiblioteket, if that is your real name?
It was quite a variety, from Pilsner, to Berliner, to IPA and Pale Ale. Man goes crazy for peaches has also been packaged and has already been leaving the brewery in both bottles and kegs. So look out for it in a pub near you 🙂
In this last while we’ve been focussing a lot on our canning line, even though we still produce more beer in bottles and even more in kegs. One of the reasons for cans has been because of the environmental benefits if you compare cans to bottles. The same goes for kegs, when you compare metal kegs to the KeyKegs we use.
The KeyKeg company has a very big environmental focus. KeyKegs are lightweight and recyclable, because all the raw materials can be separated in just a few steps and used to make new KeyKegs. Probably the most important parts of KeyKegs are they they’re already made from 100% recycled plastic.
Fewer shipments are required, and empty kegs do not need to be returned, which is around a 65% saving on transport, which in the end affects the price of the beer.
From a design perspective they are very compact, which means that KeyKegs have a 25-30% higher loading capacity than steel kegs, which is great for the environment. Fewer shipments are required, and empty kegs do not need to be returned, which is around a 65% saving on transport, which in the end affects the price of the beer.
Using recyclable kegs also means we don’t need harsh chemicals for intensive cleaning, as you do with steel kegs.
So there’s a lot you can do if you’re an environmentally conscious beer drinker.
This last week we posted about our Berliner “A Passion for Gingers“, that we in error discontinued at the Swedish monopoly Systembolaget. We have rectified the error, and the beer will again be available from this coming Monday. Just in time to stock up for your summer vacation.
You can follow this link to order it to your closest store.
That is it from us for this week’s brewery update. We hope you’re enjoying the weekend, and stay safe if you’re on holiday or travelling.
Until next week. Cheers.
#FreshestCanInTheLand #Competition
Compete in our freshest can in the land competition and stand a chance to win tickets to the All in Beer Festival.
Festivals
All in Beer Festival 4-5 November 2016
One of our favourite festivals is the All In Beer Fest. The reason? It’s just about beer.
We’ll be attending again this year, but if you’d like to attend, then there’s two ways to go about it. Buy a ticket, or enter our #FreshestCanInTheLand competition, where you stand the chance to win two entrance tickets.
Finding our beers in Sweden
Systembolaget
Have a look at our Systembolaget page, where you’ll find a map that features the stores that have our beers on their shelves. If you live in other parts of Sweden, then you can follow this link to order the beers directly from Systembolaget.se to your closest store.
Folköl (Low ABV Beers)
Visit our Folköl page if you’d like to find out which Stores & Supermarkets, such as ICA & Hemköp stock our low ABV or “folköl” across Sweden.
You can also follow us on Instagram
Our brewers didn’t go with the flow, but crossed the stream to brew up this crossover between the forgotten Black IPA, and the big New England IPA.
This Black IPA, Crossing the streams in the dark, will be available @systembolaget Monday 1st march 10:00 online and in stores all over Sweden.
Out now at all good bars and restaurants in Sweden, and the rest of the world, at all our usual export markets.
You can cross over to our blog to read more about this Black IPA. Follow the link in our bio.
#beerbliotek #bryggeri #swedishcraftbeer #craftbeer #beer #craftöl #öl #starköl #folköl #systembolaget #bolaget #systemet #sweden #gothenburg #beercans #cans #can #canart #blackipa #bipa #cascadiandarkale
As a brewery we are constantly taking on the challenge to brew new kinds of beers. Sometimes, as the name suggests, we brew Even more of exactly the same.
🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪
Available @systembolaget Monday 1st March at 10:00.
🗺 🗺 🗺
For those not in Sweden, this juicy Double IPA is out now at our usual Export markets all over the world.
💛💜🍻
You can read more juicy details about our latest DIPA on our blog. Follow the link in our bio.
#evenmoreofexactlythesame #ipa #doubleipa #beerbliotek
#beercans #systembolaget #cans #can #canart #craftbeer #beer #sweden #gothenburg
Our brewers have brewed our second White IPA to add to our beer library. The first one we did was our collaboration with @moondogbrewing in Australia, called Modersmjölk, way back in 2017.
Inspired by the classic Belgian Witbier, or ‘white beer’, our brewers decided to mix things up. This White IPA is a marriage of two distinct beer styles; the American IPA with its high hop character and the wheat-based Belgian Wit with its refreshing and spicy presence. We punched up the orange zest and pulled back on the Citra and Cascade hops to let the typical Witbier tones of orange, citrus and a light spiciness from the coriander through.
#beerbliotek #bryggeri #swedishcraftbeer #craftbeer #beer #craftöl #öl #starköl #folköl #systembolaget #bolaget #systemet #sweden #gothenburg #beercans #cans #can #canart #whiteipa #ipa #squarepegroundhole
This afternoon we walked down the road from our brewery for the opening day of @hermanos_tacokiosk to support Niklas and his fun new TacoKiosk adventure! 🌮 And of course we dropped off some beer to add to their menu. We thought our little Pilsner, Li’l Pils, would pair nicely. 👌
Niklas has been a big part of the beerbliotek family and friends with us for a very long time. We wish him and the Hermanos TacoKiosk team the very best of success! We’re all excited to have a new lunch destination.
If you’re in or around Majorna, Gothenburg 🇸🇪 and in the mood for a ‘not entirely traditional’ tasty taco menu with some folköl, this is the new place to be.
Take Care & Stay Safe
#supportyourlocal #hermanostackokiosk #majorna #gothenburg #beerbliotek #folköl #lilpils #pilsner
We don’t know about you, but we’re ready for the snow to disappear and longing for warmer, sunny days to come 🌞
#sunnydisposition
#supportyourlocal
This is Riccardo, the newest member to grace the beerbliotek brewing team, brewing what is to be the latest beer in our single hop series, Single Hop Idaho 7! More will be revealed soon.
If you enjoy tasting single hop beers as much as we do, our Single Hop Mosaic is currently out in the world, and at @systembolaget , Sweden, right now.
#beerbliotek #supportyourlocal #supportyourlocalbarsandbreweries #swedishcraftbeer #sweden #gothenburg #craftbeer #öl #hop #humle #singlehop #singlehopmosaic #singlehopidaho #singlehopidaho7 #mosaic #idaho
Is the world getting you down?
We have a proposition.
Do the same as a funny clown,
put on a sunny disposition.
🌞
Sunny disposition, a 5,2% New England Session IPA. An ideal springtime beer for all of you hop heads looking for a fresh IPA. The first batch will be heading out the door in a few weeks. More news to come.
#beerbliotek #bryggeri #swedishcraftbeer #craftbeer #beer #craftöl #öl #systembolaget #bolaget #systemet #sweden #gothenburg #hazy #session #ipa #sunnydisposition
Hello world. Happy Shrove Tuesday, or as we say in Sweden, Fettisdagen! Which is also known here as Semla Day.
Way back in 2018, when collaborations were a thing, our old local bakery @sanna_konditori__bageri experimented with our beer in these sweet buns, as can be seen in the video, and won the competition for “Gothenburg City’s best Semla”. Pretty sweet! 🤙
We loved testing their baked goods as much as they enjoyed baking with our beer. What’s your favourite recipe to make with beer? 🍻🧑🍳
For this year we recommend pairing your semla (or semlor) with our newest Porter, Follow me into the dark. Available @systembolaget 🇸🇪
If you’re not Swedish, and a bit confused as to what all the fuss is about, then here’s some Semla facts 👇
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The name semla (plural, semlor) is a loan word from German Semmel, which was the name used for the finest quality wheat flour or semolina. The oldest version of the semla was a plain bread bun, eaten in a bowl of warm milk. In Swedish this is known as hetvägg, from Middle Low German hete Weggen (hot wedges).
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Today, the Swedish semla consists of a cardamom-spiced wheat bun which has its top cut off, and is then filled with a mix of milk and almond paste, topped with whipped cream. The cut-off top serves as a lid and is dusted with powdered sugar. Today it is often eaten on its own, with coffee or tea. Some people still eat it in a bowl of hot milk. (Many bakeries distinguish between the two by decorating the traditional bun with almonds on top, whereas the jam-filled version has powdered sugar on top).
#bakingwithbeer #semla #pancakeday #shrovetuesday #fettisdagen #öl #beer #gothenburg #göteborg #sweden #beerbliotek #swedishcraftbeer #craftbeer #porter #ipa
Our next Single Hop brew is on the way!
Idaho 7 is one of our favourite Hop varieties, so we decided to show off its peachy characters in this beer. Full bodied and fruity, this is going to be a luscious IPA. 👌
#singlehopidaho7 #singlehop #idaho #ipa #beerbliotek #bryggeri #swedishcraftbeer #craftbeer #beer #craftöl #öl #starköl #folköl #systembolaget #bolaget #systemet #sweden #gothenburg #beercans #cans #can #canart
#supportyourlocal
This is Axel, one of our Brewers, and Madison, one of our Marketing people, in the midst of filling some Red Wine and Bourbon barrels with one of our favourite dark beers we’ve done, Eternal Darkness.
More will be revealed soon on our recent Barrel Ageing project.
In the meantime, Sweden, if you want to have a taste of Eternal Darkness, an Imperial Stout, you can grab a can or two at @systembolaget to #supportyourlocalbrewery.
#beerbliotek #supportyourlocal #supportyourlocalbarsandbreweries #swedishcraftbeer #sweden #gothenburg #craftbeer #öl #barrelageing #redwine #bourbon #eternaldarkness #stout
