Stockholm Beer Festival

Every year, for a couple of weekends at the end of September, Swedes enjoy the Stockholm Beer Festival, Scandinavia’s largest. Now, the past two years I’ve had to listen to tales of how great this fest is, and the beers that showed up, and I decided that, since I didn’t have enough free vacation time this year to make any of the bigger trips I have planned, that I should cover this fest. I have tied the fest in with a little sojourn around the Baltic region, which I intend to be something of a clean-up, taking care of some loose ends from when I lived in Finland a couple years ago. For one, I never did get to St. Petersburg, so that is a must. Plus when I was in Tallinn, there were a lot of complications which led to me not seeing much of the town outside of the pubs. So I’ll be spending a day there as well.

Anyway, enough of that, let’s get going!

Lufthansa disappointed me with its beer selection (Becks and Becks), but I had three new ones at the Frankfurt airport, and two more on the SAS flight up to Stockholm. The festival was impressive from my standpoint - more new beers than I knew what to do with. Sampling with a group allowed me to try a fair number of beers before my palate wore out (this was no doubt helped by the fact that I was operating on 30 hours of continuous waking time). Highlights included some elegant cask ales from Nynäshamns, a cloudberry lambic from Cantillon and Akkurat pub, some microbrewed low alcohol svagdricka , tons of Swedish brews, and Westvleteren 6.

I will say this - travelling rules. Pints with a Scottish Vancouverite in Frankfurt, hoisting some more with an Estonian businessman on the plane to Stockholm. That's what it's all about. OK. The Stockholm Beer Fest was quite good. Impressive selection, but also a little too crowded. Not much in the way of facilities either I will note. Handball is big here. Like hockey in Canada big. Two years ago in Jyväskylä it was cold and cloudy the whole time. But this year Stockholm is having one hell of an Indian summer.

Day two saw me facing the daunting task of topping Day One. On Day One I set a new record with 47 new beers. On Day Two it was only 39 I think, but two new records nonetheless. I had 6 new countries (Sri Lanka, Namibia, Hungary, Croatia, Tunisia, and Slovenia), and set a new record for oldest beer sampled. This was a 1985 St. Benoit Blond, which I had at Akkurat, aka Heaven for beer lover's. I've never seen a selection like that before. Sweet Jesus. Other highlights included five beers from the Greek micro Craft Brew of Athens. Also a one-man Swiss micro Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes chipped in four beers, including co-winner of best of the night, the soured strong witbier La Salamandre. The other best of night was the fantastic Lion Stout from Sri Lanka. In terms of Foreign Stout, this is comparable only to Nigerian Guinness. And if you know what I think of Nigerian Guinness...

I also had a four year old Samiclaus. Still too sweet and cloying, it stands nevertheless as the best of that beer I've had. It's still five years away from being worthwhile though. La Meule, from the aformentioned BFM in Switzerland, is an oregano beer.

At any rate, I now know the true meaning of Ohhh My Head! This isn't the Son of Iron Liver - this takes a back seat to no beer tour - it's the big, bad-assed grandfather of Iron Liver. And it only gets worse from here.

Binding Römer Pils Germany Pilsner **1/2
Binding Export Germany Dortmunder **
Prinzregent Luitpold Weissbier Germany German Wheat **1/2
Ringnes Norway Pilsner **
Pripps 1828 Sweden Vienna *1/2
Nynäshamns Indianviken Pale Ale Sweden India Pale Ale **1/2
Nynäshamns Bedarö Bitter Sweden Bitter ***
Nynäshamns Yttre Garden Sweden Witbier **1/2
Jämtlands/Akkurat Hell Sweden Helles **1/2
Jämtlands/Akkurat Heaven Sweden Schwarzbier ***
Cantillon Soleil de Minuit Belgium Fruit Lambic ***
Slottskällans Nisse Sweden Vienna **1/2
Gamla Stans Julfärsköl Sweden Vienna **
Slottskällans Premiär Sweden German Ale **1/2
Jämtlands Bärnsten Sweden Pilsner **1/2
Jämtlands Weiss-President Sweden German Wheat **1/2
Tärnö - Nils Oscar Barley Wine Sweden Barley Wine ***
Tärnö Julöl 2000 Sweden Abbey Ale **1/2
Nils Oscar Pils Sweden Pilsner **
Christoffel Taboe Netherlands Specialty **
Nynäshamns Sotholmen Stout Sweden Stout **
Nynäshamns Ålö Ale Sweden English Pale Ale ***
Dom Kölsch Germany Kölsch **
Deuchars IPA Scotland Amber Ale **
MacEwan's 80 /- Scotland Amber Ale **
Dacicky Czech Republic Pilsner **1/2
Pripps Pilsner Sweden Lager *1/2
Spaten Oktoberfest Germany Pilsner **
Worthington Cream Flow England Amber Ale *1/2
Åbro Bryggmästarns Pilsner Sweden Pilsner **
Fuller's India Pale Ale England India Pale Ale **
Kelham Island Pale Rider England English Pale Ale **1/2
Carlow - O'Hara Irish Stout Ireland Stout **
Antoon Blonde Belgium Belgian Pale **
Kelham Island Best England Bitter **1/2
St. Peter's Winter Ale England Spiced Ale **
Dwan's An Dubháin Stout Ireland Stout **1/2
Schlossbrauerei Söldenau Hefeweiss Germany German Wheat ** 1/2
Avesta - Fors Svagdricka Sweden Non-Alcoholic *1/2
Munkbö Mörköl Sweden Dunkel **
Munkbö Kristall Sweden German Wheat **
Weltenburg Anno 1050 Germany Vienna **1/2
Tomelilla Svagdricka Sweden Non-Alcoholic *
Ysta Färsköl Mörk Sweden Dunkel **1/2
Dwan's Black Pearl Ireland Stout **
Westvleteren 6 Belgium Trappiste Ale ***
Newton Ale Belgium Fruit Ale *1/2
Bavaria Netherlands Non-Alcoholic * 1/2
Hollander Netherlands Non-Alcoholic *
Windhoek Export Namibia Dortmunder * 1/2
Craft Black Lager Greece Schwarzbier ** 1/2
Craft Hefeweizen Greece German Wheat ** 1/2
Craft Bohemian Pilsner Greece Pilsner **
Craft Dark Lager Greece Vienna **
Craft Athenian Blonde Lager Greece Lager * 1/2
Ittinger Dunkelblond Switzerland German Wheat **
Appenzeller Weizen Switzerland German Wheat **
Celtic Whiskey Brew Switzerland Specialty * 1/2
Wädi Bräu Hanf Switzerland Specialty * 1/2
Locher Hanfblüte Switzerland Specialty ** 1/2
BFM La Torpille Switzerland Dark Wheat ** 1/2
Lion Stout Sri Lanka Sweet Stout ***
Celtia Tunisia Lager * 1/2
BFM La Meule Switzerland Specialty **
BFM La Salamandre Switzerland Witbier ***
Palace Dark Ale Sweden Brown Ale *
Feldschlösschen Hopfenperle Switzerland Pilsner * 1/2
Fleur d'Abeilles Switzerland Honey Beer * 1/2
Feldschlösschen Quinto Switzerland German Wheat **
Samiclaus 1996 Switzerland Doppelbock * 1/2
Goldenhorn Club Slovenia Pilsner * 1/2
Ilzer Hefeweizen Hungary German Wheat ** 1/2
Platan Czech Republic Pilsner **
Hansa Sterköl Norway Vienna * 1/2
Lech Premium Poland Pilsner **
Zeunerts Pils Sweden Pilsner **
Ozujsko Croatia Lager * 1/2
Szalon Barna Hungary Bock **
Breznak Svetly Lezak Czech Republic Pilsner * 1/2
Borg Bokköl Norway Bock * 1/2
Tomislav Croatia Baltic Porter * 1/2
Grodans Veteöl Sweden German Wheat * 1/2
Wobbly Bob England Bitter ** 1/2
Bokkereyer 1987 Belgium Belgian Dark ** 1/2
'n Seule 1992 Belgium Belgian Pale ***
De Neve Gueuze 1988 Belgium Lambic **
St. Benoit Blond 1985 Belgium Belgian Pale **
De Dolle Snoek 1992 Belgium Belgian Pale ***

Now, anybody still wondering why it's called Iron Liver??

Best of Show - Stockholm Beer Festival 2000

Gold - Westvleteren 6
Silver - Jämtlands / Akkurat Heaven
Bronze - Cantillon Soleil de Minuit

Best of Show - OMH Tasting

Gold - Lion Stout
Gold - BFM La Salamandre
Bronze - 'n Seule 1992

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