Sweden
Systembolaget, the state’s alcohol shop, is the only place to buy beer over 3.5%, so Swedish brewers sell weaker folköl in grocery stores. Spendrups is the country’s largest brewery, and Carnegie Porter traces itself to Gothenburg in 1817. Sweden had about 30 breweries in 2003; Närke Kulturbryggeri counts about 500 now, among them Omnipollo.
Beer styles from Sweden
Baltic Porter
LagerBaltic porter: a strong, smooth, dark porter of the Baltic Sea countries, often lagered, with dried fruit and roast but no burn. Strength, bitterness, glass and classic examples.
Gotlandsdricka
AleGotlandsdricka: the smoky, juniper-flavoured farmhouse ale of the Swedish island of Gotland, brewed at home and fermented with baker's yeast. Strength, taste and history.
Breweries in Sweden
Spendrups
Spendrups: Sweden's largest brewery, a family business since the Danish brewer Louis Spendrup bought it in 1923.
Carlsberg Sverige (Pripps, Carnegie)
1 styleCarlsberg Sverige: Pripps and Falcon combined in 2001, brewer of Carnegie Porter, which traces itself to Gothenburg in 1817.
Närke Kulturbryggeri
1 styleNärke Kulturbryggeri, Örebro: a Swedish craft brewery of 2003, maker of Kaggen! Stormaktsporter, an imperial stout with heather honey.
Omnipollo
1 styleOmnipollo, Stockholm: a brewer and an artist's partnership, known abroad for its can art and Nebuchadnezzar double IPA.