TIps on Drinking Copenhagen

After a short holiday in Copenhagen, I have a few drinking epiphanies:

1. Bartenders in Copenhagen are excellent.  I saw so many outstanding examples of beer service, style explanations and patron-to-beer matching that I'm not even going to give a specific example for fear of offending by omission. The service industry is not only working hard to grow craft beer in their community, they are providing insight and education as well.

2. Bring money. Not a shocker, but it's so easy to spend monopoly money, especially when numbers in Kroners are about 5.5 times higher. The numbers are so big that I just started to blow them off.  But, a 50 Kroner beer is a nearly $10 pint. Smaller glasses run 25 to 35 Kroners, but it adds up quickly.

3. Walk and ride. The public transportation is great. It's one subway ride from the airport to the heart of the city. Occasionally using the metro, we walked most everywhere with little effort.

4. Wear a waterproof jacket. Copenhagen, at least over the holidays, was in near constant overcast with significant drizzle or dampness. Never really raining hard, I pulled out my umbrella once to protect my snow-of-Minnesota appropriate wool coat from getting soaked.  From watching the locals, just dress like it's Seattle.  Layers go a long way toward adjusting to the on-again, off-again sunshine, temperature changes and the ever looming darkness.

5. Danish beer geeks are knowledgeable and friendly. We found true believers of craft beer almost everywhere. Great time interacting with locals and not-so-local lovers of good beer. Careful, Danes can more than hold their own drinking.

6. Don't forget Sweden. The train ride to Malmo is just over a half hour.  It's a pretty city in its own right, bagging another country is fun, and all of this comes with the joy of Malmo Bryghus.

7.  Beer for all.  Reading over my hit list for this trip, the cross-section of bars and brewpubs range from upscale like Nørrbro Bryghus to divey local like Lord Nelson and whatever one wants in between.  There's a real egalitarian feel to the beer drinking in Copenhagen.  Drinking is a part of Danish life and beer drinkers seem to hit wider cross-section of society compared to a pub atmosphere in the US.

Fermentoren (Copenhagen, DK)

12/29/11, 12/31/12

Ian and I were able to hit Fermentoren twice on this trip, the second being our New Year's Eve outing.  On the evening prior, we met a friend for a single draft at the Mikkeller Bar, left because it was crowded, and then walked in to a packed Fermentoren.  We each grabbed a beer, so I started with Beer Here's Lupulus for a hoppy start. We sat outside in the 40 degree weather under a heat lamp and were quite contented through a second and third draft.

The owner Søren and Ian are friends from Ian's year abroad in Copenhagen.  Søren showed Ian the beer world of Copenhagen of the time, like the Den Totoverede Enke.  So, indirectly, I have Søren to thank for the great beer tour of Denmark.

On New Year's Eve, Søren came into the bar dressed to the nines, chatting with friends and patrons.  He is the epitome of a host in his own place, living the life most have imagined when dreaming of owning a bar over a pint.

Upon arrival tonight, I bellied up to the bar for the Croocked Moon Purple Haze, listed as a DBIPA--Double Black India Pale Ale.  Living up to the billing, Søren  noted that this was the first of his brews that he really feels that he's gotten exactly what he was aiming for and it was an honor to compliment his accomplishment.  Croocked Moon is the house brewery that's in the back of the bar.  I was so distracted by other brewery names--Ugly Duckling, Beer Here, Beer Couch and The Perfect Crime--that I only had the Purple Haze of Søren's brews, but I really like the direction that he is heading.

And if you thought for a second that I've misspelled the name, I did not; it's definitely Croocked Moon and pronounced "crook-ed moon."  Søren said that his mother, in a show of maternal support, had bought him his first brewing kit for Christmas.  She also purchased a domain name, spelling error included, which he decided to keep--an etymology that embodies the love and passion that are needed to start a brewery.

Sitting at the bar on New Year's Eve, the couple filling out the bar with us--one partner originally from Kansas and the other from Helsinki, spending NYE in Copenhagen on their way home to Germany--traded pluses and minuses of varies beers with us, helping each other find the next satisfying beer.  Between us, we tasted the range on the board, finding fault with none besides our own varied tastes that were met exceedingly well. When adding my drafts into my taste database, I spent an inordinate amount of time researching the various breweries tasted here, including several that were collaboration brews--a testament to the well form tap list.  Fermentoren is doing an amazing job and should be high on any beer geek's short list for drinking in Copenhagen.

Nørrebro Bryghus (Copenhagen, DK)

12/31/12

Brew house from upstairs restaurant

Most everything seemed to be closed on new year's eve day, but we found Nørrebro Bryghus open for lunch.  I've had a bottle of their brew at home from the Four Firkins and a draft of Julebryg, a Christmas beer, earlier in the week with dinner at RizRaz, a vegetarian buffet.

Nørrbro has clean, industrial chic lines and decor that are elegant and cozy for a brewpub.  While there, we saw a range of clientele with a party of kids in the downstairs restaurant and two older couples next to us with beers and shots of vodka (sipped lightly), providing an open, accepting environment even though it feels upscale.
Limited menu with chef choices for the day.  The waiter said he would be back when I said I'm a vegetarian who eats fish.  They changed the day's smørrebrød menu to match my diet, which was appreciated since Ian had been trying get me this traditional Danish open sandwich on butter rye bread all weekend.  However, smørrebrød tends to be heavily laden with meat, so getting a veggie and fish option was fun.  For me, the guessed the salmon would be a bit strong for me, so I enjoyed it first.  The second was Christmas herring and eggs, which was my second divine encounter with this combination.  The final sandwich was potato with tomato, onion, and a white sauce, and it ran a close second to the herring.

Not interested in their lagers and having had the red or Christmas beer already this trip, we ordered the two we hadn't tried yet: Molasses, a stout, and Stjernestund, a Belgian Dubbel.  Molasses had a significant molasses and roast flavor, but a thin body for a stout.  The Dubbel was vaguely Belgian and dark, but not a beer I'd order again.  Overall,  Nørrebro Bryghus has an charming atmosphere and an elegant lunch, but the beer was adequate at best.

Mikkeller Bar (Copenhagen, DK)

12/29/12 and 12/30/12

An Italian home brew shop owner, a SABMiller rep and two Minnesotans walk into a bar. No joke--that's just the sort of beer geek pull that is the Mikkeller Bar.  Hampus of the Malmo Bryyghus sent us on our merry way to this exquisite find in the Vesterbro section of Copenhagen.  On our first visit, we were literally standing on the corner across a narrow street, map in hand, saying "It must be here!"  The trick is to look on the outside of the street's bend to the subterranean Mikkeller.  Or, check for a slew of bicycles parked irregularly but away from neighbors (a sign kindly asks bikers to park appropriately).

Packed on a Saturday night, we left for dinner and our first foray to Fermentoren.  Returning on Sunday, it wasn't much less crowded.  It thinned enough later that we scored two seats at the small bar with the tap list in full view.  Primarily an outet for Mikkeller beers, we drank our fill of the house brew. The fresh hop Green Gold and an IPA called Tiger Baby were my favorites.  But I also had excellent offerings from To Øl, Stillwater and a fantastic collaboration ale by Amager, Kissmeyer and Mikkeller.

While at the bar, one patron excitedly exclaimed that "We can't get beer like this in our country!"  He was from Italy and we chatted briefly about drinking Rome before his beers arrived.  He was either a bottle shop or brew shop owner, hard to understand, but clearly knew and appreciated beer.  Literally, it was better than Christmas morning for this Italian.

Then came trouble: we looked at the extensive and well curated bottle list.  And, yes, I said curated: a wide range of select specialty beers, including but not restricted to Mikkeller brews.  Brew Dog's Tactical Nuclear Penguin was daring us for just 600 Kroners (about $120 US).  I was about to take the plunge when I did some last minute research on BeerAdvocate (again, love free WiFi), which changed my mind.  I didn't mind the price (cheaper than at Delirium last summer), but repeated reviews were from disappointed drinkers. Then I turned to the very front of the bottle list and looked at the staff recommendations.  A bit more research and we ordered a more reasonable splurge of 225 Kroners: Mikkeller's 2012 Nelson Sauvingnon. Exquisite.

A young Swedish couple at the end of the bar ordered the same beer but the 2009 version.  Daniel, Agnes and us became quick friends sharing sips of our respective bottles while chatting about the Scandinavian brewing world, Daniel being an SABMiller rep with a fine taste for beer.  For me, our night epitomized a peak moment of beer questing: old and new friends laughing and learning in an environment of beer respect while drinking the art.

Nelson Sauvingnon 2012 (Mikkeller, Copenhagen, DK)

12/30/12

Got them to pull this one from the back. We thought about getting the Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin, but the BA reviews were so low that it didn't seem worth the 600 Kroners. The Mikkeller was less than half the price for twice the bottle and significantly higher BA ratings.

Came wrapped, cork and caged as a 75 cl. Effervescent body creates a clean white head that falls almost immediately to a ring around the edge. Yellow copper ale when back lit that's amber in the low light of the bar.  Assertive yeast spiciness that's clean and pleasant, white wine, grapefruit, tangerine and pear. Great blend.   For flavor, Ian called it as Welch's white grapefruit juice as a metaphorical base of  sweetness that's tempered by a yeasty tartness. Champagne yeast smooths and blends it all together into a version far more fun than actual champagne. Similar to Deus, but with a fuller body and it's more palatable.  But I don't like champagne as a rule, so take it for what it is--in Danish, Værsgo.

Daniel and Agnes, our new friends at the end of the bar, ordered the same bottle aged--2009.  Musty and muted, the taste had lost a significant spiciness but possessed more Belgian yeast.  They liked it better, but we preferred the brighter 2012 version.  Drink this one slow since it opens up well with some degrees on it.  Happy with our choice for an elegant champagne beer that was recommended on the front page of the bottle list by Mikkeller HQ versus the big-for-the-sake-of-big Brewdog beer.

Carlsberg brewery tour (Copenhagen, DK)

View of brewhouse from Jacobsen Bar

12/29/12

With a wedding of  Ian's friend on Friday within hours of getting off the plane, Carlsberg was at the top of the list for Saturday.  Getting to the visitor center opened in the morning made the self guided tour very sparse, so easy to see and read at a leisurely pace, even on a Saturday. When we were finishing lunch, the top floor bar and the brand shop on the way out were filling up in the early afternoon.

One reason to consider a weekday tour would be the design of the bar; only glass separates the top floor bar from the first floor bottling line.  As I've noted before, it's rare to see the a bottling line up and running because of the noise, danger and difficulty of having tourists on the floor while running. The Carlsberg brewery solves this problem in elegant fashion. Not a big deal, but it could be fun for those interested in a modern, high speed brewery in operation

Getting to the Carlsberg complex is an easy walk for a nearby metro stop.  However, we walked by the brand shop entrance and retraced our steps from the elephants, which is worth the walk to see anyway.  On the elephant, there is a swastika, which was the symbol of Carlsberg from 1881 until World War II.  According to a sign at the first sampling site, the swastika was originally an Indian symbol that meant "that which is good." How it transformed to the Nazi symbol is beyond my scope to comment, but the symbol showing up, even minimally, in a modern setting was disconcerting.

With the tour entrance fee, two drink tickets are included. A sample of Jacobson Dark Lager based on the original 1854 recipe is offered part way through the tour, which we accepted.  Probably should have shared one since neither of us was impressed by it, and saved a ticket for the final bar.  Drinking the historical recipe in the old brewery does have some appeal, though the samples at the end seemed larger.  Might want to save the ticket, might not, depending on one's dedication to nostalgia or experience with Carlsberg beers.

Overall, Carlsberg is a self guided Danish analogue of the Anhesuer-Busch tour in St. Louis, right down to the horses.  Both are slick, old school beer history of a major lager.  I found visiting Carlsberg to be of interest, but could see the argument that spending time elsewhere, especially if similar tours have been done elsewhere.

One of the differences for me was the final Carlsberg bar, the Jacobsen Brewhouse & Bar. Brilliant, from a capitalistic point of view, to sell more pints than they give in samples.  Relaxed atmosphere was enjoyed by many, including us, that were in no hurry to leave.  For lunch I savored each morsel of the Christmas herring with hard boiled egg, cress, and curry/apple dressing.  Just fabulous and I found that two of my very favorite things--herring and hard boiled eggs--are a perfect match.  I think I have a new dinner at home.

For dessert, Ian and I shared two bottles of the high end Jacobsen line of beers, 75 cl bottles of 2011 Barley Wine and 2012 Single Malt ale. Both were adequate and neither was worth the high price of admission.  But we merrily worked our way through these big bottles while watching Carlsberg and Tuborg commercials projected on the far wall while sitting on bean-bag like floor chairs, comfortably planning, thanks to the free WiFi, our next stop at Malmo Brygghus.

Den Tatoverede Enke (Copenhagen, DK)

12/28/12

Luckily, we made Den Tatoverede Enke (The Tattooed Widow) tonight, our next stop after the Lord Nelson Bar, because they were shutting down for the weekend until the 3rd.  Hard to find in a side alley without a sign, this Copenhagen hideaway supposedly specializes is some pretty good beer food in the restaurant upstairs, but we only stopped in the downstairs bar.

Sixteen taps that I can see and a bottle selection that tends towards Belgians. So they didn't have leftover beer in the kegs for their holiday shutdown, only a few beers remained on tap tonight.  Sad for us, but I like the respect for beer and customers. We had two excellent beers that were well served: Stronzo's Golden Santa and Mikkeller's From To Via, a Christmas beer with a tap handle designed after present label.  While chatting, I noticed how meticulous and attentive the bartender was--one of the best I've ever seen.

When Ian had studied in Copenhagern, he picked up a Westvleteren crate that he brought home for me. Several of the crates sat in the windows as decoration.  Fun to see the "siblings" of my home decor.  We lounged at the bar with a draft and music soft enough to actually be background.  My first night in Denmark, the full darkness by 5:00 pm was a bit shocking to my jet lagged system, as were the two drafts that went right to my head, so we headed home for the night.  However, the Widow is at the top of my list, restaurant included, for a return visit.

Lord Nelson Bar (Copenhagen, DK)

Lord Nelson from our corner high top table near the windows

12/28/12

We had been warned.  Lord Nelson Bar is a smoky bar, even early the place exudes a nicotine fueled stench in the below sidewalk level bar.  Dark and seedy and seemingly full of locals who seemed to know each other, the thirteen taps of the Fadøl (draft) Menu are filled with Danish beers.  I felt our presence had been noticed by the generally older crowd in this late afternoon stop, but it was merely a note that was never anything but friendly.

In fact, in spite of the warning, the focus on local beer was the reason for giving it a try.  We had well served drafts of Beer Here's Kama Citra and Wookie IPA from Amager (pronounced ah-mah), the latter coming with an uncanny Chewbacca imitation by my drinking mate Ian.  We would have stayed for more based on the beer selection, but the one, two punch of both us fighting upper respiratory congestion and a winter stuffiness of a shut up bar conspired against having another.  A bright summer day, the tapping of a hyped beer or an invitation by a friend could all get me into the Lord Nelson again.  Website says they are smoke free on Monday and Friday from opening until 10 pm, so we happened to be there on a smokeless night.  I heard bartenders and locals at other pubs mention Lord Nelson several times during the weekend, so it clearly has a positive rep among those that know beer.

Mediterranean Bistro (Gates 60-68 Newark International Airport)

12/28/12

Because I missed my connecting flight to Copenhagen yesterday, I had an inordinate amount of time at the airport for my late afternoon flight. Decided to go through security and had choice of only two restaurants because of Newark's compartmentalized gate system.

I found a pleasant surprise in the Mediterranean Bistro. While the choice was small, the Hoegaarden Wit was very clean and served well enough that I had another pint.

The server asked what I was reading in her down time and it happened to be a copy of The Growler from Minnesota. We chatted about Surly from their recent bike versus beer article, which she had heard of neither. I complimented them on the that they do a good job on the draft lines. She said the lines are serviced every two weeks and she was glad to now work at a place that handled beer well.

And it may be the first time I haven't felt slightly ripped off having a beer in an airport. While still gotcha pricey, at least it was a draft worth the time and money. The falafel sandwich and fries were also a good send off for my overnight flight.