Smögenbryggarn

In the past, beer was not only brewed from hops, malt, yeast and water. The men and women behind the kettles used a range of different herbs and plants to give their beer character and taste. In order to bring unity to the wild goings-on and make beer a product of reliable quality, the Bavarian Purity Law was passed in 1516. From then on, breweries were only allowed to brew their beer from the four known basic ingredients. For a long time, this rule was irrefutable, but the craft beer movement brought the rule of the Purity Law into question 500 years after its introduction. More and more brewers are keen on variety in the kettle and are venturing into unknown territory. This is also the case with the Smögenbryggar'n brewery from Sweden.

Marine conservation in its most palatable form

The brewery was founded in 2019 as a local initiative. A team of committed citizens from the small town of Smögen came together to set up an exciting project. Smögen is located on an island and is surrounded by the rough waters of the North Sea. Traditionally, the population of this region lives from fishing and the fruits of the sea, but today tourism has become an important source of income. Smögenbryggar'n was founded to remember their roots and to stand up for sustainable use of the treasures of the sea: the finest beer is brewed from local raw materials, environmentally friendly algae and all kinds of other marine products, which is intended to draw attention to the inestimable value of our waters.

pure nature

Anyone who thinks that the brews from Smögenbryggar'n taste like matcha, fish or nori is wrong. The brewery does not primarily use the fruits of the sea for flavoring, but at very different points in the brewing process. While the algae add minerals and a delicate hint of umami to brews such as ham oil , mussel shells, for example, are used to regulate the pH value of the water from the Lilla Dale surface spring. The spring water flows through granite, which gives it a high degree of softness. Brewing requires slightly harder water, which can be achieved naturally by using mussel shells. In order to brew as environmentally friendly as possible, a circular economy is used. Malt and hop residues that remain from the brewing process are passed on to make bread and sausages, used as animal feed or delivered to the local biogas plant and processed into biogas and organic fertilizer. The organic fertilizer in turn goes to the local farmers who supply the brewery with their grain. This is where the circle closes and Smögenbryggar’n has saved a lot of waste.