The ")" is in your website URL, and results in a "page not found" error. I renmoved the ")", and got to the website OK.
Yes, I am interested in Scandinavian beer. I understand the beer prices are enormous in Scandinavia (at least thery are in Sweden), due to enormous taxes placed on alcohol.
Actually, I cannot think of any Scandinavian beer available at my local beer store here in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Unless you count Holland as part of Scandinavia.
I would hope the taxes are not included in any beer that Scandinavia exports to the U.S.
Actually Scandinavia is quite diversified concerning alcohol taxation. Norway and Sweden have heavy duty on beer, while Denmark actually have quite low taxation compared to the european average. In addition the legal system has regulated differently concerning what exactly they taxate. In Denmark we taxated the gravity, while the swedes (as I recall it) taxate the alcohol content. However these things are changing, as we are undergoing a revitalisation of the danish beer market. It has been mentioned that alone in Denmark the number af breweries will grow from 19 to 35 in two years! Compared to the population of 5,2 mill, you'll get a new population/brewery ration of 1 for each 150.000 inhabitants (compare that to the US ratio).
I wouldn't count Holland as a part of Scandinavia.
I'm not that familiar with the rules, but my guess is that - afterall scandinavians are pragmatic people - export goods are untaxed. After all the taxation is meant to lower the domestic consumption of beverages, not to destroy the business entirely...
Well, one cannot escape mentioning Carlsberg Breweries. They have market shares in the range of 60-70% in all Scandinavian countries, due to agressive buy-up and mergers. They main brand of Carlsberg is of course Carlsberg Pilsner. They also brew Tuborg - which used to be exported to Northamerica. In Denmark the second largest brewery is Bryggerigruppen - they have a fairly popular export beer called 'Red Erik' and they also brew an equally strong 'Giraf'. But it is the bunch of microbreweries and old regional breweries that brews the most interesting beer in Denmark. Unfortunately you will not find these beer in the US, as they do not have the economic power to start exporting. In Sweden the development in microbreweries have seemingly already peaked. The swedes started their beer revolution somewhat earlier than the danes, and unfortunately some breweries have already been forced to close. Lets hope it finds a steady pace once more... Anyway you could probably find Carnegie Porter in the US. Carnegie Porter is quite an experience. Likewise the Finnish Koff Porter is worth mentioning, as it also is exported to the US. In Norway one finds the excellent Aass Bock. That too is probably exported to the US. Otherwise I just recommend looking for microbrew from Sweden, Norway, Finland or Denmark. In time I'm confident that you'll be able to taste the fruits of the new changes...
Thanks for the information on Scandinavian beer. I had heard of Carlsberg and I remember being able to buy Tuborg Ale ( I think, many years ago) for a low price here in the U.S.
I do not recognize the other beers you mentioned.
I will check out the imported microbrews at my beer store and look for Scandinavian addresses on them.
Even though I live in the "wealthy" USA, my beer funds are currently limited since I have recently "destressed" my lifestyle, and also decreased my income, with my new low-stress job. Oh well, one must make choices. I can afford to get some microbrew once in a while.
DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.