Beer in Iceland

Last updated

Beer in Iceland
Drunk 15th century Icelanders.png
An illustration of two intoxicated 15th century Icelanders
TypeBeer
Country of origin Early settlers

Beer in Iceland likely dates back to the island's settlement by Norsemen. [1] In more modern history beer was effectively banned in Iceland for most of the 20th century. Since that ban was lifted in 1989, Iceland's consumption of beer has increased markedly and new breweries have begun to emerge.

Contents

Early history

Iceland's early settlers came from cultures where drinking beer and mead was commonplace. Poems such as the Hávamál reference the drinking of ale (öl). The climate of Iceland (particularly the cooling trend of the Little Ice Age, c. 1300–1850 locally) may have made beer production difficult as it became impossible to produce barley domestically. [2]

Prohibition

By the early 20th century, Icelandic attitudes toward beer and alcohol had shifted. A temperance movement similar to that in other countries pushed for a ban on moral grounds. In Iceland there was a political aspect to the movement as well: as the Icelandic independence movement began to form, beer was often associated with Denmark and thus "not the patriotic drink of choice." [3]

In a 1908 referendum, 60.1% of voters approved a complete ban on alcohol set to take effect on January 1, 1915. This ban was partially lifted in 1921 in response to a trade dispute with Spain and Portugal; the two countries threatened to stop importing Iceland's salt cod if they did not allow for the importing of Spanish and Portuguese wines. Public support for the complete ban eventually began to fade and, in a 1933 referendum, 57.7% of voters approved lifting the ban. [3]

Despite the referendum lifting prohibition, beer was still prohibited from containing more than 2.25% alcohol by volume (well below the 4–5% of an average beer). Some full-strength beer was smuggled into the country or produced by homebrewers. Icelanders also worked around the restriction by adding strong alcohol, such as Brennivin, to their beers which, while effective, was described by historian Unnar Ingvarsson as tasting "interesting and totally disgusting." [3]

In 1979, an Icelandic businessman, Davíð Scheving Thorsteinsson, attempted to bring beer into the country after a business trip. His beer was confiscated but he refused to pay the fine, arguing he should have the same right to purchase beer from a duty-free shop that airline personnel and foreign tourists were allowed to. While he lost his case the resulting press and attention provoked a new law which permitted Icelanders to bring 6 litres (12.2 pints) of foreign beer into the country. [3] [4]

In May 1988, the Althing passed legislation legalizing beer above 2.25% ABV. The restrictions were lifted on March 1, 1989. [4] The lifting of restrictions on beer is celebrated as Beer Day on March 1.

Post-prohibition

After the prohibition on beer was lifted, Icelandic drinking habits shifted away from hard alcohol to beer and wine. Between 1989 and 2007, per capita liquor sales decreased by nearly half while per capita beer sales more than doubled. Sales in 2007 were 19.4 million litres. [5] :13 A 2014 World Health Organization report showed that 62% of the alcohol consumed by Icelanders came from beer. [3]

The two largest domestic brewers in Iceland are Egill Skallagrímsson Brewery and Víking (part of Coca-Cola European Partners). Beginning in the late 2000s more small craft brewers have emerged which produce a wider variety of styles and have even won international awards for their beers. The terms brugghús and ölgerð are the most commonly encountered term for brewery. [2]

Beer sales

Off-premises alcohol sales in Iceland are available only through the state-owned State Alcohol and Tobacco Company of Iceland (ÁTVR). They operate a chain of 46 stores called Vínbúðin. A bill was proposed in 2015 to end the state's monopoly on alcohol sales. [6]

Beer brands

This is a non-exhaustive list of Icelandic beer brands.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iceland</span> Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean

Iceland is a Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is linked culturally and politically with Europe and is the region's most sparsely populated country. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 36% of the country's roughly 380,000 residents. The official language of the country is Icelandic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prohibition</span> Outlawing of alcohol

Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage, transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The word is also used to refer to a period of time during which such bans are enforced.

<i>Egils Saga</i> Icelandic saga

Egill's Saga or Egil's saga is an Icelandic saga on the lives of the clan of Egill Skallagrímsson, an Icelandic farmer, viking and skald. The saga spans the years c. 850–1000 and traces the family's history from Egill's grandfather to his offspring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siglufjörður</span> Town in Northeast Constituency, Iceland

Siglufjörður is a small fishing town in a narrow fjord with the same name on the northern coast of Iceland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borgarnes</span> Town in Northwest Constituency, Iceland

Borgarnes is a town located on a peninsula at the shore of Borgarfjörður in Iceland and is the largest town in the Borgarbyggð municipality with a population of about 3800 residents. It is a main junction in Iceland and the gateway to the Snaefellsnes National Park. Iceland's capital Reykjavík is 69 kilometers from the center of Borgarnes. The second largest bridge in Iceland, the Borgarfjarðarbrú, connects traffic to and from Reykjavík.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egill Skallagrímsson</span> Viking Age Icelandic poet, warrior and farmer

Egil Skallagrímsson was a Viking Age war poet, sorcerer, berserker, and farmer. He is known mainly as the anti-hero of Egil's Saga. Egil's Saga historically narrates a period from approximately 850 to 1000 AD and is believed to have been written between 1220 and 1240 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Besta deild karla</span> Football league

The Besta deild karla is the top level men's football league in Iceland. The competition was founded in 1912 as the Icelandic Championship. Because of the harsh winters in Iceland, it is generally played in the spring and summer. It is governed by the Football Association of Iceland (KSI) and has 12 teams. By end of season 2022–23, UEFA ranked the league No. 48 in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malt beer</span> Low-alcohol brewed beverage

Malt beer is a sweet, low-alcohol beer that is brewed like regular beer but with low or minimal fermentation. To keep the alcohol content low, one of two methods may be used: either the yeast is added at about 0 °C or fermentation is halted at the desired alcohol content. It is made from barley malt syrup, sugar, yeast, hops, and water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egill Skallagrímsson Brewery</span>

Olgerdin is an Icelandic brewery and beverage company based in Reykjavík. Established on 17 April 1913, the oldest beer-producing factory in Iceland. Annually, it produces 45 million liters of beverages. The brewery is named for Egill Skallagrímsson, an early inhabitant of Iceland and main character of Egil's Saga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Settlement of Iceland</span>

The settlement of Iceland is generally believed to have begun in the second half of the ninth century, when Norse settlers migrated across the North Atlantic. The reasons for the migration are uncertain: later in the Middle Ages Icelanders themselves tended to cite civil strife brought about by the ambitions of the Norwegian king Harald I of Norway, but modern historians focus on deeper factors, such as a shortage of arable land in Scandinavia. Unlike Great Britain and Ireland, Iceland was unsettled land and could be claimed without conflict with existing inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icelandic cuisine</span> Cuisine of Iceland

The cuisine of Iceland has a long history. Important parts of Icelandic cuisine are lamb, dairy, and fish, the latter due to the fact that Iceland has traditionally been inhabited only near its coastline. Popular foods in Iceland include skyr, hangikjöt, kleinur, laufabrauð, and bollur. Þorramatur is a traditional buffet served at midwinter festivals called Þorrablót; it includes a selection of traditionally cured meat and fish products served with rúgbrauð and brennivín. The flavors of this traditional country food originate in its preservation methods: pickling in fermented whey or brine, drying, and smoking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whaling in Iceland</span>

Whaling in Iceland began with spear-drift hunting as early as the 12th century, and continued in a vestigial form until the late 19th century, when other countries introduced modern commercial practices. Today, Iceland is one of a handful of countries that formally object to an ongoing moratorium established by the International Whaling Commission in 1986, and that still maintain a whaling fleet. One company remains concentrated on hunting fin whales, largely for export to Japan, while the only other one previously hunted minke whales for domestic consumption until 2020, as the meat was popular with tourists. In 2018, Hvalur hf whalers killed a rare blue whale/fin whale hybrid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isavia</span> Icelandic state-owned airport operator

Isavia ohf. is the national airport and air navigation service provider of Iceland. The company operates all public airports and air navigation services in a vast area in the north-eastern Atlantic. The company headquarters is at Reykjavík Airport in Reykjavík.

2. deild karla is a football league in Iceland. It is the third division in the Icelandic football league system. The current champions are Afturelding from Mosfellsbær, who won their 1st title in 2018.

In Iceland, Beer Day is celebrated every year on March 1, honoring the elimination of the 74-year prohibition of beer. Prohibition lasted from January 1, 1915 to March 1, 1989.

Prohibition in Iceland went into effect in 1915 and lasted, to some extent, until 1 March 1989. The ban had originally prohibited all alcohol, but from 1922 legalized wine and in 1935 legalized all alcoholic beverages except beer with more than 2.25% alcohol content. As in many other states with prohibition, "illegal brewing and smuggling of alcoholic beverages were widespread during the ban."

ON Power, is an Icelandic power company, headquartered in Reykjavík, that produces and sells electricity to industry and households by harnessing renewable, mainly geothermal, resources. ON Power also provides water for space heating in Reykjavík and surrounding areas. Traditionally, ON Power's main service area is Reykjavík and surrounding areas in the south-west part of Iceland, although households and businesses can buy electricity from any supplier in Iceland, regardless of location.

<i>Trapped</i> (Icelandic TV series) Icelandic TV mystery drama series

Trapped is an Icelandic television mystery drama series, created by Baltasar Kormákur and produced by RVK Studios. Broadcast in Iceland on RÚV started on 27 December 2015. Co-written by Sigurjón Kjartansson and Clive Bradley, the first series of ten episodes follows Andri Ólafsson, the chief of police in a remote town in Iceland, solving the murder of a former townsman whose mutilated corpse is recovered by fishermen. The series was directed by Kormákur, Baldvin Z, Óskar Thor Axelsson and Börkur Sigthorsson.

Viking Beer is an Icelandic brand, brewed by CCEP "Víking Brewery". The brewery is located in Akureyri, Iceland, just south of the Arctic Circle.

Appelsín is a fizzy orange-flavored soft drink, manufactured by Egill Skallagrímsson Brewery in Iceland since 1955. The products are accompanied by the slogan ‚hið eina sanna‘, meaning 'the one and only‘. During Christmas time, it's traditionally mixed with Malt (Maltextrakt), called Jólaöl, also available pre-mixed. To prevent the foam from overflowing, the Appelsín can be poured before the Malt.

References

  1. Zori, Davide Marco (2016). The Norse in Iceland.
  2. 1 2 Hauptmann, Katharina (26 November 2013). "Beer in Iceland". Wall Street International.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Why Iceland Banned Beer". BBC News. March 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Beer (Soon) for Icelanders". The New York Times . Associated Press. 11 May 1988.
  5. Kristjánsson, Sigmundur. "Icelandic Beer Market" (PDF). Aarhus University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2015-08-10.
  6. "Alcohol monopoly bill must wait". Iceland Monitor .