sydväst

The craft beer movement has opened the door to exceptional raw materials. Countless brewers have turned their backs on the Bavarian Purity Law and have ventured into unknown, flavor-intensive territory. A variety of fruits, citrus zest, honey , coffee beans , chili and all sorts of other ingredients are no longer uncommon. Even cookies , marshmallows and chocolate go into the kettle because of their aroma.

The Swedish brewery Smögenbryggar’n also brews with unconventional extras, but the reason for this is not their taste. The Sydväst warehouse, which is based on the historic province of Bohuslänsk, contains water, yeast, malt and the hop varieties Magnum, Tettnager and Saaz as well as seaweed and mussel shells. The latter have no aromatic function, but are used before the brewing process to bring the soft water from the Lilla Dale surface spring to the right level of hardness for brewing. Mussel shells are a natural pH regulator but do not affect the taste of the beer. The same applies to seaweed, which only adds a certain saltiness and valuable minerals.

Sydväst presents itself in a shiny gold in the glass and is crowned with a fine-pored white head of foam. The pleasant interplay of aromas is made up of grain notes, floral hops, freshly mown grass and creamy forest honey. The bitterness keeps the soft sweetness in check and makes Sydväst a drinkable refreshment.