Danish beer, akvavit and spirits
Danish brewing gave the world the pure lager yeast that Emil Christian Hansen isolated at the Carlsberg Laboratory in Copenhagen in 1883 and that the brewery then shared freely, and in Carlsberg one of the largest brewing groups anywhere. A later wave of brewers such as Mikkeller pours in bars from San Francisco to Tokyo and sells in dozens of countries, while distillers in Jutland have won international awards for Danish whisky. Danish baristas won four of the first seven World Barista Championships, and Copenhagen roasters such as Coffee Collective and La Cabra are seen abroad as the model of the Scandinavian style of coffee.
Beer
Danish breweries, from the largest to the most sought-after.
Carlsberg A Danish brewer founded in Copenhagen in 1847, maker of the Carlsberg pilsner sold in around 140 markets.Works: Carlsberg Pilsner, Elephant Beer
Tuborg A Danish brewer founded near Copenhagen in 1873, known for its green-labelled pilsner, Tuborg Green.Works: Tuborg Green
Mikkeller A Danish craft brewery founded in Copenhagen in 2006, its beers sold in some 50 countries and its bars open in cities abroad.Works: Beer Geek Breakfast
To Øl A Danish craft brewery founded in 2010, exporting to more than 30 countries and now brewing at its own plant in Svinninge.Works: 45 Days Organic Pilsner
Amager Bryghus An independent craft brewery on Amager, by Copenhagen Airport, known for hop-forward IPAs and imperial stouts sold in some 30 countries.Works: Hr. Frederiksen
Bryggeriet Refsvindinge A family-owned brewery on Funen, founded in 1885 and known for its Ale No. 16.Works: Ale No. 16, Skibsøl
Spirits
Gin, whisky, liqueurs and other spirits made in Denmark.
Stauning Whisky A Danish whisky distillery founded in 2005 in West Jutland, making whisky by hand from local grain.Works: Stauning Rye, Peated 1st Edition
Thy Whisky An organic whisky distillery on the Gyrup family farm in Thy, north-west Jutland, making single malt from grain grown in its own fields.Works: Bøg
Copenhagen Distillery A Copenhagen distillery, established in 2014, that makes single malt whisky from organic Danish barley.
Nordisk Brænderi A micro-distillery near Jammerbugten in North Jutland making gin, aquavit and whisky from Nordic herbs and barley grown at Hødal.Works: Nordic Aquavit Monastery, Nordisk Gin Edition Northstar, Special Edition No. 1
Coffee
Danish coffee roasters known abroad for their light roasts, their baristas and their cafés.
Coffee Collective A Copenhagen coffee roaster founded in 2007 by a world barista champion and his partners, with its own coffee bars in Copenhagen and Aarhus.Works: Kieni
La Cabra A coffee roaster and bakery founded in Aarhus in 2011, with cafés in Denmark, New York, Bangkok and Muscat.
April Coffee Roasters A Copenhagen coffee roaster founded in 2016 by the Swedish roaster Patrik Rolf Karlsson, known for light Nordic roasts and its own April Brewer.
Prolog Coffee A Copenhagen coffee roaster that began as a coffee bar in the Meatpacking District in 2016 and now runs four coffee bars in the city.
Mead
Mead brewed in Denmark from honey and water.
