Mikkeller

Last updated
Mikkeller
TypeAnpartsselskab, ApS
(limited liability company)
Industry Alcoholic beverage
Brewing
Founded2006
FounderMikkel Borg Bjergsø
Kristian Klarup Keller
Headquarters,
Number of locations
New closures weekly
Area served
Aarhus, Bangkok, Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Paris, San Diego, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, Tórshavn, (bars)
Multinational (distribution)
Products Beer
Revenue€4.5 million (2016) [1]
OwnerMikkel Borg Bjergsø
Website mikkeller.dk
Mikkeller Baghaven is an event center in Copenhagen focusing on DJ music. Mikkeller Copenhagen.jpg
Mikkeller Baghaven is an event center in Copenhagen focusing on DJ music.

Mikkeller is a craft brewery founded in 2006 in Copenhagen, Denmark that was originally based on the so-called "cuckoo", "phantom" [2] or "gypsy" ethos; that is, the company does not operate an official brewery and, instead pays a brewery in Belgium to produce their beer. [3] [4] The company now operates several brewpubs, such as Warpigs in Copenhagen and Mikkeller Brewpub London. Mikkeller was founded by two home brewers: Mikkel Bjergsø, a high school teacher, and journalist Kristian Klarup Keller. Both sought to introduce their home-brewed beer to the public and to "challenge beer friends with intense new tastes", [3] drawing inspiration from the American breweries that "aren't afraid to play and break all the rules". [3]

Contents

A glass of Mikkeller beer Mikkeller (32671065504).jpg
A glass of Mikkeller beer
Mikkeller Bigworst Bourbon Barley Wine beer Mikkellerbigworstbourbon.jpg
Mikkeller Bigworst Bourbon Barley Wine beer
Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast beer Beergeekbreakfast glas.jpg
Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast beer

History

Inception and development: 2005–2007

Before founding the company, self-taught home brewers Bjergsø and Keller experimented on brewing, first by trying to clone existing beers. After success in blind tastings, the two started creating their own recipes and entered many home brewing competitions in Denmark, eventually winning many of them. The brewery's activity was small, with a low level of public visibility, as the brewing was kitchen-based and the beer was only served at a few beer enthusiast meetings and in small local bars. Bjergsø's brother founded a beer shop in 2005 and began to distribute the pair's beer to select destinations in numerous countries. In 2006, encouraged by wider appeal, Bjergsø and Keller founded the Mikkeller brewing company, named after their home brewery operation. [3]

In late 2006, an experimental Mikkeller beer called Beer Geek Breakfast garnered fame for the company when it won in the stout category of an international beer voting event. Following this recognition, Mikkeller made its first official appearance at the Copenhagen Beer Festival, where the brewery successfully introduced eight different beers, garnering further acclaim. [3] The attention that occurred in the second half of 2006 resulted in an international distribution deal, and to cope with demand, Mikkeller started to brew in established breweries by paying rent for the machinery and costs of the brewing process. Therefore, the small company could continue production even though it did not have the funds to invest in a facility and professional brewing equipment. [3]

Keller parted ways with the company in 2007, as he was not interested in production and crafting a greater number of beers, while Bjergsø was eager to constantly create new recipes and tastes. [5] Keller quit brewing in order to pursue his career as a journalist, leaving Bjergsø to oversee the company. [3]

Establishment and expansion: 2008 onward

Mikkeller's beers are sold in 50 countries around the world. Mikkeller's style of brewing is considered to be unique, since many of its beers are experimental with novel tastes. During its history, Mikkeller has released around 2000 different beers in a wide variety of styles, including several variations on the same beers (e.g. barrel-aging a beer in oaken barrels from various origins or having contained various spirits). [6]

Some of the beers are constantly in production, while most of the products are available for a limited time; or in small batches; or at a certain location; or all of these factors combined. With a high number of different beers and a popular reputation among beer enthusiasts worldwide, the Mikkeller microbrewery struggles to meet the demand for its beer. [1]

Consistent with the company's early years, Mikkeller continues to brew solely at a variety of host facilities—mainly at de Proefbrouwerij in Belgium, but also at breweries in Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. All of the various recipes are now engineered with AI; altogether, the company's annual output is 17,000 hectolitres i.e. 1,7 million liters of beer. [7]

In April 2016, Mikkeller opened its first US brewery in San Diego, California. The facility had previously been owned by AleSmith, which relocated to a larger space. Mikkeller's relationship with AleSmith goes back to an early interaction between Bjergsø and AleSmith's owner Peter Zein, who offered Bergsø some advice on how to improve his coffee stout. [8]

In 2017, Mikkeller announced its second US brewery, located at Citi Field in New York City. The place will also have a bar and a restaurant. [9] In 2020, the Citi Field location closed permanently. [10]

In 2017, Mikkeller partnered with singer Rick Astley, opening two pubs over the following years in Islington and Shoreditch, London. [11] [12] [13]

Retail

Mikkeller bar in Stockholm. Mikkeller bar, Stockholm.jpg
Mikkeller bar in Stockholm.

[14] Mikkeller opened its first brick and mortar brewery in San Diego, California. In March 2013, Mikkeller and another Danish microbrewery, To Øl, opened a second Mikkeller bar in Copenhagen called Mikkeller & Friends. [15] At the same time, a Mikkeller Bottle Shop opened, selling bottled beers from Mikkeller and "other praiseworthy microbreweries around the world". [16] Mikkeller also operates an online web store, [17] where consumers can choose from a small, changing assortment of Mikkeller beer, in addition to merchandise, such as shirts and glassware.

In July 2013, the first international Mikkeller bar was opened in San Francisco, California, through a licensing agreement with an American retailer. [18] The San Francisco bar uses the new "on-the-fly" beer taps that allows the beer to be poured in a very sophisticated and controlled manner. Beer, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide are blended in a precise manner and the product is served at the correct temperature, with variations applying to different styles of beer. [19]

In late 2013, Mikkeller announced the January 2014 launch of its second foreign bar, located in Bangkok, Thailand. [20] [21] The brand partnered with an already established Thai-based beer distribution company and seeks to capitalise on the higher earning capacity of Thai people, as well as tourists. At the opening, one of the owners explained: "... and we thought it was about time to elevate the level of craft beer available in Thailand and, hopefully, expand throughout Southeast Asia." A total of 30 beers are served at the venue, including two microbrews exclusive to Thailand. [22] [23]

Collaborations

In addition to regular brewing, Mikkeller also produces collaborative beers with other breweries, such as BrewDog, To Øl, Nøgne Ø, Lervig Aktiebryggeri, Jester King, Three Floyds, Cigar City, AleSmith and Namgay Artisanal Brewery.

Mikkeller has also brewed "house beers" for restaurants (including Michelin starred ones) and bars in Denmark and several other countries. One example is the ramen restaurants "Ramen to Biiru" in Nørrebro and Vesterbro, Copenhagen. [24] They are currently working with an Arizona Brewery called Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. [25]

Some of the breweries Mikkeller has collaborated with are the result of close past relationships. When working as a mathematics and physics teacher in high school, Bjergsø taught two of his students how to brew beer outside of school hours, and in 2010 they started their own microbrewery, To Øl. [15] Additionally, Brooklyn-based Evil Twin's founder and operator is Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Mikkel's twin brother. [5] [25] [26]

Copenhagen Beer Celebration

Since 2012, Mikkeller has organized and hosted a large annual beer festival, the Copenhagen Beer Celebration, which takes place each year in May. The festival mainly features small breweries from around the world, with many of them premiering new beers or small one-off batches of special beer, brewed specifically for the festival. [25] In 2017 the festival was renamed Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen (MBCC).

Awards

Mikkeller won the "Danish Brewery of the Year" award in its inaugural year, in 2006, and again in 2008; [3] in 2009 the award was shared with Hornbeer. Mikkeller has also been judged the fifth best brewery in the world on two occasions. [1] Mikkeller's beers have won multiple awards, too. For example, a pale lager called The American Dream has won a RateBeer's golden award in its category since 2012, and an imperial stout called Beer Geek Brunch Weasel has been in top 20 on RateBeer's "Best Beers in the World" chart for six consecutive years, topping at number six in 2009. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craft beer</span> Brewery that produces small amounts of beer

Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer, than larger "macro" breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, new flavours, and varied brewing techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Canada</span> Overview of the beer culture in Canada

Beer was introduced to Canada by European settlers in the seventeenth century. The first commercial brewery was La Brasseries du Roy started by New France Intendant Jean Talon, in Québec City in 1668. Many commercial brewers thrived until prohibition in Canada. The provincial and federal governments' attempt to eliminate "intoxicating" beverages led to the closing of nearly three quarters of breweries between 1878 and 1928. It was only in the second half of the twentieth century that a significant number of new breweries opened up. The Canadian beer industry now plays an important role in Canadian identity, although globalization of the brewing industry has seen the major players in Canada acquired by or merged with foreign companies, notably its three largest beer producers: Labatt, Molson and Sleeman. The result is that Moosehead, with an estimated 3.8 percent share of the domestic market in 2016, has become the largest fully Canadian-owned brewer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Denmark</span>

The beer market in Denmark is dominated by the brands Carlsberg and Tuborg. Since Tuborg was acquired by Carlsberg in 1970, Carlsberg has held a near-monopoly. A number of regional breweries, however, managed to survive, and most of them merged into Royal Unibrew in 2005. As of 2020, Ratebeer lists over 300 active breweries in Denmark, most of which are microbreweries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in South Korea</span> Overview of beer in South Korea

Beer, called maekju in Korean, was first introduced to Korea in the early 20th century. Seoul's first brewery opened in 1908. Two current major breweries date back to the 1930s. The third brewery established in Korea, Jinro Coors Brewery, was founded in the 1990s. It was later acquired by Oriental Breweries (OB). Hite Breweries's former name was Chosun Breweries, which was established in 1933. The company changed its name to Hite Breweries in 1998. OB Breweries established as Showa Kirin Breweries in 1933. The company changed its name to OB Breweries in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AleSmith Brewing Company</span> Craft brewery in San Diego, California

AleSmith Brewing Company is an American craft brewery located in San Diego, California. It specializes in handcrafted ales in a variety of styles. As of 2015 it produces about 25,000 barrels of beer a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in the Caribbean</span> Beers from islands in the Caribbean

The beers of the Caribbean are unique to each island in the region, although many are variants of the same style. Each island generally brews its own unique pale lager, the occasional stout, and often a non-alcoholic malta beverage. Contract-brewing of international beers is also common, with Heineken Pilsener and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout being the most popular. The beers vary between the islands to suit the taste and the brewing method used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nørrebro Bryghus</span>

Nørrebro Bryghus is a Danish microbrewery located in the Nørrebro neighborhood of Copenhagen. They have an annual production of 50,000-60,000 hectoliters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brewery</span> Business that makes and sells beer

A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of beer has taken place since at least 2500 BC; in ancient Mesopotamia, brewers derived social sanction and divine protection from the goddess Ninkasi. Brewing was initially a cottage industry, with production taking place at home; by the ninth century, monasteries and farms would produce beer on a larger scale, selling the excess; and by the eleventh and twelfth centuries larger, dedicated breweries with eight to ten workers were being built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Struise Brouwers</span> Microbrewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium

De Struise Brouwers is a microbrewery located in Oostvleteren, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brewing in New Hampshire</span>

Breweries in New Hampshire produce a wide range of beers in different styles that are marketed locally, regionally, and nationally. Brewing companies vary widely in the volume and variety of beer produced, from small nanobreweries and microbreweries to massive multinational conglomerate macrobreweries.

The history of beer in Hong Kong dates back to the mid-19th century. Currently the best selling beer is San Miguel, brewed by San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong. San Miguel had been brewed in Sham Tseng since 1948 and later moved to Yuen Long until 2007. The brewery was reopened in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolution Brewing</span> Brewery in Chicago, Illinois

Revolution Brewing is a brewery in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded as a brewpub in 2010 on Milwaukee Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood. A separate production brewery, with canning and bottling lines and a tap room, opened in 2012 about a mile from the brewpub, on Kedzie Avenue in the Avondale neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragonmead</span>

Dragonmead is a U.S. microbrewery, meadery and brewpub founded by Earl Scherbarth, Larry Channell, and Bill Wrobel in January 1997. The small brewery produces many varieties of beer, wine, and mead, and has received awards including gold medals at the World Beer Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porter (beer)</span> Dark style of beer

Porter is a style of beer that was developed in London, England in the early 18th century. It is well-hopped and dark in appearance owing to the use of brown malt. The name is believed to have originated from its popularity with porters.

The Booth Brewing Co. is a microbrewery headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The brewery was founded in 2015 by Sunghoo Yang, a former investment analyst, Heeyoon Kim, a former Korean medical doctor, and Daniel Tudor, a journalist for The Economist. They had been operating a pizza pub since 2013. In 2015, they acquired a brewing facility in Eureka, California, previously owned by Lost Coast Brewery. They are well known for Taedonggang Pale Ale, a collaboration with Danish microbrewery Mikkeller, and also for being the second non-U.S. craft brewer to produce beer in their own facility in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Øl</span>

To Øl is an international craft brewery based in Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naparbier</span>

Naparbier is a Spanish microbrewery located near Pamplona (Navarra). It was founded in 2009 in Navarra, Spain by Juan Rodríguez, Josu Tañine, Txerra Aiastui and José Javier Rodríguez. They knew each other from their previous job in their former company, but after a downsizing plan they lost their jobs. After that, and with the money they got from their unemployment insurance, they decided to found Naparbier as a brewing cooperative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrel-aged beer</span>

A barrel-aged beer is a beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel. Typically, these barrels once housed bourbon, whisky, wine, or, to a lesser extent, brandy, sherry, or port. There is a particular tradition of barrel ageing beer in Belgium, notably of lambic beers. The first bourbon barrel-aged beers were produced in the United States in the early 1990s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mikkeller ApS - København V - Regnskab". Archived from the original on 2015-10-28. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  2. "Mikkeller ApS". BeerAdvocate.com. 1996–2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "About Mikkeller. Official Mikkeller site". Archived from the original on 2013-10-09.
  4. Cole Pennington (10 March 2014). "Mikkeller floats Bangkok's stature as a beer berg". Coconuts Media . Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  5. 1 2 Lurie, Joshua (14 June 2012). "Interview: Brewmaster Mikkel Borg Bjergsø (Mikkeller)". Foodgps.com. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  6. "Mikkeller, Copenhagen, Denmark". Ratebeer.com.
  7. "Mikkeller – Company Information". Alko.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  8. Rowe, Peter (April 16, 2016). "Now open: Mikkeller San Diego". San Diego Union-Tribune . Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  9. Anas, Brittany. "Mikkeller to Open Brewery and Restaurant Inside New York Mets' Citi Field". Men's Journal . Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  10. "Mikkeller Closes NYC Brewery". 20 October 2020.
  11. "Rick Astley's Craft Beer Bar Is Never Gonna Let You Down - Jk, It Might". Mashed. 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  12. Hind, John (2018-09-15). "Rick Astley: tea boy, pop star, beer hipster". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  13. "A crawl around the best celebrity-owned pubs of London". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2022-04-30. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  14. "Locations – Mikkeller". Mikkeller.dk.
  15. 1 2 "Mikkeller & Friends – Mikkeller". Mikkeller.dk. Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  16. "Mikkeller Bottle Shop. Official Mikkeller site". Mikkeller.dk.
  17. "Mikkeller Webshop". Shop.mikkeller.dk.
  18. "Mikkeller Bar San Francisco is Opening! – Mikkeller". Mikkeller.dk.
  19. "On Tap. Mikkeller Bar San Francisco". Mikkellerbar.com.
  20. "Mikkeller HQ". Facebook.com.
  21. "Mikkeller Bangkok : Mikkeller Bar". Mikkellerbangkok.com.
  22. Asia Eater (12 February 2014). "Asia Eater presents: Mikkeller Bangkok Opening" (Video upload). YouTube . Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  23. Kristian Lauritzen (30 January 2014). "Danish Beer Bar Mikkeller grand opening in Bangkok". Scandasia.com. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  24. "Ramen To Bíiru – Nørrebro – Mikkeller". Mikkeller.dk.
  25. 1 2 3 Weiner, Jonah (26 March 2014). "A Fight Is Brewing". The New York Times . Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  26. "Evil Twin & Mikkeller - June 09, 2011". BeerAdvocate.com.
  27. RateBeer's Best Awards. RateBeer.com.