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Lager Life

HOW TO MAKE THEM, WHERE TO BUY THEM

BEERS TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE!

HOMEBREW KITS Everything you need to know ISSN 1834-5115

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PLUS! 20 SUMMER CIDERS | BBQS & CANNED BEER | CHRISTMAS BEERS

CONTENTS

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Summer 2015

FEATURES 18 Style Notes – Lager

scene, including the world’s highest urban craft brewery

Of every 10 beers consumed in Australia nine are lagers, yet craft beer is dominated by ales. Jeremy Sambrooks investigates this and discovers some craft brewers dedicated to the art of lager brewing

84 Entertaining – Food

26 New Zealand Beer & Breweries

58 Welcome

We head to the land of the long white cloud to chat to the brewers of New Zealand’s burgeoning craft beer scene

59 Letters

36 101 Beers Beer & Brewer has put together the ultimate beer bucket list with the first 50 of our 101 Beers To Try Before You Die

US cookbook Beer Bites is packed full of recipes each matched to beer styles and brewsH

HOMEBREWER

60 Q&A John Palmer looks at hot and cold steeping

62 Recipes

Lagers receive the No Rulz treatment

44 Christmas Beers

64 Secondary Fermentation

‘Tis the season to drink really, really, ridiculously delicious beers. We showcase four to enjoy this Christmas

Homebrewer technical editor Jake Brandish identifies the advantages of using a secondary

46 BBQs & Canned Beer

65 Brewing With Tea

With summer prime barbecuing season, we look at two of life’s greatest pleasures – meat and beer

Homebrewer editor Chris Thomas looks at using tea as an interesting adjunct to beer

52 20 Summer Ciders

66 Homebrew Kits

As it heats up outside we find 20 ciders to slurp over summer

Homebrewer editor Chris Thomas explores the new world for Kit & Kilo brewers

78 Travel – Copenhagen With Denmark producing some of the most exciting, left-of-centre craft beers going around, what better time to check out the country’s capital, Copenhagen

74 New BJCP Guidelines

82 Travel – Singapore

We check out the Fraser Coast Bayside Brewers and get an American amber ale recipe to try

Seven Sheds’ Willie Simpson investigates the Singapore beer 6 www.beerandbrewer.com

18 “I adore Pilsners, while most of my brethren add hops by the bucket, a genuine crisp Pilsner is truly the king of beers.

They’re tricky and expensive to make, but that’s what makes them so special” – Neal Cameron, Australian Brewery

Patrick Baggoley explains the changes to the Beer Judge Certification Program guidelines

76 Homebrew Club

98

78

REGULARS 8 The Brew

What’s happening and things to do

11 News

The latest in Aus/NZ beer industry

14 Bits & Bobs 16 Venues 88 Tasting Notes

Sours, ciders and new releases

94 Directory 98 A Pint With…UK Beer Sommelier of the Year, Jane Peyton

Check out Copenhagen’s vibrant craft beer scene 44 26 Summer 2015 7

LAGER

Lager is Not a Dirty Word OF EVERY 10 BEERS CONSUMED IN AUSTRALIA, NINE ARE LAGERS. HOWEVER, THE BOOMING CRAFT BEER SEGMENT IS DOMINATED BY ALES, WITH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF BREWERIES NOT OFFERING A SINGLE LAGER IN THEIR RANGE. JEREMY SAMBROOKS INVESTIGATES AND IN THE PROCESS, MEETS SOME CRAFT BREWERS DEDICATED TO THE SUBTLE ART OF LAGER BREWING

W

ith the exception of Guinness in Ireland, the

Pilsners are typically deep gold in colour with deeper malt flavour

most popular beer in every country in the

and a rounder, more balanced character. German Pilseners are

world is a lager. Australia is no different,

lighter in both colour and body, and have a balance more towards

with VB and XXXX Gold regularly swapping

hops and bitterness, although their IBU count tends not to be any

the best-selling beer title, and not a

higher. International Pilseners are far less characterful, more closely

single ale features in the top 10. People

resembling American-style lagers.

clearly like their lagers, which raises the question: why are lagers so underrepresented in the craft beer sector?

While the wine world is divided into red and white, all beers – aside

Neal Cameron is head brewer at Australian Brewery and the pride of his range is a beer simply called, ‘The Pilsner’. “I adore Pilsners, while most of my brethren add hops by the bucket, a genuine crisp Pilsner

from a handful of hybrid styles – are classified as ale or lager. As such,

is truly the king of beers. They’re tricky and expensive to make, but

lager shouldn’t really be considered a beer style, rather one of two

that’s what makes them so special,” he explains. “If you want to get

broad categories of beer. According to the 2015 Brewers Association

that true light and pillowy palate and clean aroma from using lager

(BA) guidelines, there are 30 distinct lager styles, ranging from fizzy,

yeasts, you have to be prepared to let it sit on maturation for at least

yellow, virtually tasteless American light lager to the mighty Eisbock,

three weeks. Keeping a tank occupied for that length of time is a real

which is light brown to black in colour, intensely malty in flavour and

challenge, the pressure to keep beer turning over is high, especially

can be in excess of 14 per cent alcohol-by-volume.

with the poor margins most craft brewers have to deal with.”

The things that make lager distinct from ale all have to do with

In 1895, Munich brewery Spaten launched its own blonde lager as a

fermentation. While ales are fermented warm using ‘top-fermenting’

direct competitor to the popularity of Pilsener. Maltier and less hoppy

yeast, lagers are made with ‘bottom-fermenting’ yeast at much cooler

than a German Pils, the beer was the first of a new style, known today

temperatures. A cooler fermentation means a slower one – lagers

as Munich helles, or simply helles.

generally take at least twice as long to turn around as ales. In addition

Not many Australian brewers are making helles, but the Hunter

to the slower fermentation, traditionally-brewed lagers then undergo

Valley’s Sydney Brewery makes a fine example – so fine that it took

a lengthy period of cold conditioning called lagering, which can range

out the gong for Best European Style Lager at the 2014 Australian

from a couple of weeks to several months in time.

International Beer Awards and Champion Draught Beer at the recent

While the cold storage of beer – often in caves – was a common

Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show. Head brewer, Michael Capaldo was

practice in the medieval period, bottom-fermenting lager yeast isn’t

happy to talk about his award-winning beer. “Lovedale Lager is a

believed to have evolved until the early 15th century. In the early

helles-style lager,” says Capaldo, “it’s a clean, crisp, and mostly

days, lager brewing was centred around Bavaria and the beers were

malty beer with low bitterness and a medium to low hop aroma.

generally brown in colour. It wasn’t until Pilsner Urquell in 1842 that

Lagers are a delicate lot, they have a subtle profile and a great ability

the world was introduced to bright, golden-coloured lager.

to demonstrate the fine flavours of malt and hops. With a low hop/ malt/alcohol profile you have nowhere to hide if you have imbalances

WHAT MOST FOLK KNOW AS BEER

in your recipe or contamination in your system.”

The BA recognises many pale lager styles, mostly originating from

Other European-style pale lagers include Dortmunder (somewhere

Germany and the United States, although the daddy of them all is

between a Pils and a helles in character but slightly stronger than both),

the Pilsener (often spelt Pilsner or shortened to Pils). Bohemian

Oktoberfest (essentially a stronger helles) and leichtbier (reduced alcohol).

18 www.beerandbrewer.com

LAGER

FIVE FUN LAGER FACTS 1. The preferred scientific name for lager yeast is Saccharomyces pastorianus, named in honour of Louis Pasteur. The less-accepted synonym Saccharomyces carlsbergensis is sometimes used in honour of Denmark’s Carlsberg Brewery, which is credited with being the first to isolate lager yeast.

2. As well as being the name for the strongest lager styles, bock is German for billy goat. However, it’s more likely that the name came from the Bavarian pronunciation of Einbeck (Ein bock) – the town from which the earliest bocks originate.

3. The formerly monastic Munich brewery, Paulaner, named its doppelbock ‘Salvator’ after the Saviour. Today, virtually all commerical doppelbocks end in the suffix ‘ator’, in fact, there are some 200 ‘ator’ doppelbock names registered with the German patent office.

4. The world’s best-selling beer brand is one you’ve probably never heard of. Snow Beer is a family of lightly-flavoured pale lagers, brewed and almost entirely consumed in China.

In 2012, Snow sold 110 million hectolitres of beer – enough to fill 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day.

5. The Budweiser trade dispute between Anheuser-Busch (AB) and Budějovický Budvar Brewery has been ongoing since 1907 and has involved more than 100 court cases around the world. Both breweries make a beer called ‘Budweiser’, named after the Czech town, Budweis.

Despite being less than one per cent of AB’s size, the Czech brewer Budvar has won more than two-thirds of the cases to date.

Summer 2015 19

1. Holgate Norton Lager Norton is the latest addition to the Holgate Brewhouse range.

Norton is inspired by founder Paul Holgate’s father, who liked nothing more than the sense of freedom of riding his Norton motor bike in the 1950s. This helles-style lager is dry-hopped with Ella giving floral and subtle spicy notes and Vic Secret adding clean fruit and pine characters.

FOOD MATCH Grilled salmon ABV: 4.3% RRP: $19.99 per six-pack (330ml) Holgatebrewhouse.com

24  www.beerandbrewer.com

2. BrewCult Spoiler Alert! Pale Lager Spoiler alert: this is a great beer to just sit back with mates and settle in for a session. The noble and new world hops give the beer a clean, crisp and hoppy flavour, with a solid dose of refreshing bitterness. Another great one from Hendo.

FOOD MATCH Kung Pao chicken ABV: 4.5% RRP: $26.99 per four-pack (500ml) Brewcult.com

3. Australian Brewery The Pilsner

4. Moon Dog Love Tap Double Lager

A pale and very hoppy beer, taking from the palest of Australian malts and interweaving the bite and aroma of new world hops. This is a Pilsner that exudes refreshment, with the peppery bitterness from the kilos of NZ and US hops well balanced by the rounded malt profile. Crisp, clean and perfect on a hot summer day!

This new world craft lager is so packed full of big hoppy flavours you could almost think it was more IPA than lager. An exceptional lager that displays big tropical hop flavours and finishes clean, crisp and refreshing.

FOOD MATCH Spicy Mexican fish tacos ABV: 4.8% RRP: $13.99 per four-pack (355ml) Australianbrewery.com.au

FOOD MATCH Salt and pepper calamari ABV: 5.9% RRP: $18.99 per four-pack (330ml) Moondogbrewing.com.au

LAGER PROMOTION

5. Young Henrys Natural Lager Hazy golden in appearance because it’s unfiltered, this lager has been pouring at the Young Henrys brewery from day one.

The three noble Australian hops used in this lager give a subtle citrus aroma and provide very light bitterness. With a gentle, dry finish Natural Lager is an easydrinking beer that’s best enjoyed cold when the weather’s hot.

6. Sydney Brewery Lovedale Lager A traditional Munich-style lager, Lovedale Lager took home the major prize of Champion Draught Beer at the recent Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Awards. A combination of three types of German hops creates a pleasant citrus aroma that is balanced by the toasty malty backbone. A well-crafted, clean, fresh lager.

FOOD MATCH FOOD MATCH Fisherman’s basket ABV: 4.2% RRP: $19.99 per six-pack (375ml) Younghenrys.com

Fish ‘n’ chips ABV: 4.7% RRP: $14.99 per four-pack (330ml) Sydneybrewery.com

7. Mornington Lager Mornington Lager is a Germanstyle lager presenting light straw in colour and featuring the noble German hop Tettnang. Aromas of spice and fresh cut grass lead into a crisp refreshing palate displaying a light grainy texture.

Clean, crisp and very refreshing.

FOOD MATCH Grilled fish or any white meat ABV: 4.7% RRP: $14-$16 per four-pack (330ml) Mpbrew.com.au

Lager

8. Southern Bay Requiem New World Pilsner In an effort to make a lager sexy and more interesting, Southern Bay has added a twist to the Pilsner recipe. The Requiem New World Pilsner has a subtle malt backbone and a cool, clean ferment in the traditional style.

The beer is then hopped like an American pale ale with three different Hallertau varieties from Germany, Australia and New Zealand. It displays classic lager characteristics but has floral hop aromatics and flavour that sets it apart from the pack.

FOOD MATCH Antipasto and cold meats ABV: 4.5% RRP: $19.99 per 6-pack (330ml) Southernbay.com.au

WHILE THEY MAY BE DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING TO CRAFT, LAGERS ARE VERY EASY TO SMASH ON A HOT DAY. HERE ARE EIGHT TO TRY THIS SUMMER

Summer 2015 25

101 BEERS

101 Beers To Try Before You Die BEER & BREWER HAS PUT TOGETHER THE ULTIMATE BEER BUCKET LIST WITH THE FIRST 50 OF OUR 101 BEERS TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE

W

e are spoilt for choice

have tried to get a good cross-section of styles

these days when it

and have also taken into account recent award

comes to absolutely

wins at the Australian International Beer Awards,

cracking craft beers. The

Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Awards and Craft

selection of Australian

Beer Awards.

and international craft

With so many incredible beers to choose from it

has never looked healthier so, with that in mind,

was tough to whittle it down to just 101, but here

we have put together a list of the best beers you can

goes. This is the first 50 of the 101 Beers To Try Before

drink. These ales and lagers range from those that

You Die. The final 51 will be in the Autumn Issue.

colour outside the lines to well-loved classics. We

Now start ticking them off today!

36  www.beerandbrewer.com

101 BEERS

Bling IPA Bridge Road Brewers, Australia 5.8% ABV, 330ml India pale ale Bridge Road Brewers has gone all out to make an IPA that screams hops and malt but keeps balance in mind.

Bling IPA is a big bold beer with plenty of hop character and bitterness.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA 7.2% ABV, 355ml India pale ale Like hops? Torpedo is an assertive American IPA with solid bitterness and a massive hop flavour, yet remains surprisingly easy drinking. Exactly what an IPA should be.

3 Monts Bière De Flandre Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre, France 8.5% ABV, 750ml Bière de Garde Named in honour of Saint Sylvestre brewery being located in the midst of three hills in Flanders, this beer is a spice mix of clove, nutmeg and pepper combined with fruit and malt.

Leffe Blonde InBev Belgium, Belgium 6.6% ABV, 330ml Belgian blond ale Aromas of caramel and toffee are derived from aromatic malts, which undergo a special kilning process that dries and cures the malt at high temperatures resulting in high soluble sugar levels giving Leffe its distinctive colour, aroma and flavour.

Duvel Duvel Moortgat, Belgium 8.5% ABV, 330ml Belgian golden strong ale Blonde and refreshing but with flavour and complexity, Duvel’s unique brewing process takes 90 days. A beer that defines this style.

Chimay Red Cap Chimay, Belgium 7% ABV, 330ml Belgian dubbel Noted for its coppery colour, Chimay Rouge has an interesting fruity, malt flavour. This Belgian favourite is full of sweet and spice and all things nice.

2015 Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale Coopers, Australia

Watermelon Warhead Feral Brewing Company, Australia

7.5% ABV, 355ml Vintage ale All vintages have been impressive, but grab a case of the 2015 and see it develop over the weeks, months and years (if you have the will power!).

2.9% ABV, on-tap Berliner weisse Winner of Champion Craft Beer at the 2015 Craft Beer Awards, Watermelon Warhead is a stunning sour beer, which should be on everyone’s to-do list. A light sour German wheat beer infused with half a tonne of watermelons.

St. Bernardus Prior 8 St. Bernardus Brouwerij, Belgium

Oude Lambiek De Cam De Cam Geuzestekerij, Belgium

8% ABV, 330ml Belgian dubbel A delicious almost purple coloured beer, which is smooth and creamy with a malt-fruit complexity reminiscent of coconut.

4.8% ABV, 750ml Lambic One of Belgium’s most sought after lambics, this is leathery, herbal, woody, vanilla, buttery and citrusy all at the same time. Oude Lambiek (old Lambic) has a very light carbonation.

Summer 2015 37

CHRISTMAS BEERS PROMOTION

‘TIS THE SEASON TO DRINK REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS BEERS. HERE ARE FOUR TO ENJOY THIS CHRISTMAS! 1. 2013 Mad Abbot Christmas Ale Little Brewing Company’s 2013 Mad Abbot Christmas Ale is a dark Belgian-inspired trappist quadruple, which exhibits rum, fruitcake, cherry, leather and spice. This vintage beer will reward with careful cellaring up to three to five years after date of bottling.

FOOD MATCH Sticky caramelised ribs ABV: 11.3% RRP: $28.99 per four-pack (330ml) Thelittlebrewingcompany.com.au

2. 2014 HopDog BeerWorks Secret Santa The 2015 HopDog BeerWorks Secret Santa sadly wasn’t out by the time we went to print so we have included last year’s offering.

The 2014 Christmas beer was brewed with gingerbread added to the mashtun, brown sugar in the boil and whole oranges and festive spices to finish it off.

Fermented with HopDog’s house Belgian yeast strain, this is a big fruity, spicy Belgian style beer.

FOOD MATCH Chinese five-spice duck ABV: 8.6% RRP: $8.50 per 330ml bottle Hopdog.com.au

3. Red Hill Christmas Ale A strong Belgian abbey style ale, which is deep orange in colour with a lasting creamy head. The spicy hop aroma from the brewery’s Hallertau and Tettnanger hop flowers is balanced by the complex malt finish. Brewed with almost religious fervour, this one will continue to develop over time.

FOOD MATCH Christmas cake ABV: 8.3% RRP: $26.99 per four-pack (330ml) Redhillbrewery.com.au

4. Bridge Road Brewers Fat Man Red Suit Big Sack Originally brewed for export to Canada to be part of an international Christmas beer pack, this India red ale was made to showcase to the rest of the world some of our great Aussie hop varieties; Galaxy Topaz and Enigma. Bursting with hop aroma and flavour this beer really does what it set out to do, champion Australian hops, but in typical Bridge Road fashion also provide malt balance and a good lick of bitterness.

FOOD MATCH Match it with anything festive, think big rich flavours of the Christmas spread ABV: 7.5% RRP: $30 per six-pack (330ml) Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

44 www.beerandbrewer.com

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CANNED BEER

7 Can-Dos

WHETHER YOU’RE GOING CAMPING, HEADING OFF TO A FESTIVAL OR JUST MEETING MATES FOR A BARBECUE IN THE PARK, CANS CAN GO WHERE BOTTLES CAN’T. HERE ARE SEVEN CANS TO CRACK THIS SUMMER 1. Blacktop Blonde

Blacktop Blonde Ale hails from Nashville, Tennessee and is part of the canned craft beer revolution sweeping America. The palate is malt driven with low bitterness.

Rich layered malt coupled with some unfermented sugar gives extra sweetness to this ale. The beer finishes short due to the low bitterness but does offer some sticky mouth feel, which lingers well after the last sip.

Food Match: BBQ lamb leg ABV: 4.6% RRP: $21.99 per six-pack (355ml) Tailgatebeer.com

2. Pirate Life Throwback IPA High on hop aroma with hints of grapefruit but predominantly floral, fresh hop notes. The palate is assertively bitter and finishes with a resinous hop flavour.

Easy to drink and hop character is great, making this session IPA a perfect one to throwback this summer.

Food Match: Cheesy wood-fired pizza ABV: 3.5% RRP: $22.99 per six-pack (355ml) Piratelife.com.au

3. Mornington Pale Ale Mornington Pale Ale is Mornington Peninsula’s flagship beer and is brewed in the American pale ale style. Pouring a cloudy golden yellow with a tightly packed white head, the pale ale has both citrus and passionfruit aromas showcasing American hops added late in the brewing process. A light smooth palate, aided by the generous addition of wheat malts, moderate bitterness and carbonation make for a flavoursome and sessional ale.

Food Match: Homemade BBQ pizzas ABV: 4.7% RRP: $14-$16 per four-pack (330ml) Mpbrew.com.au

50 www.beerandbrewer.com

CANNED FEATURE BEER

4. Colonial Brewing Co. Small Ale Small Ale sets out to reset the benchmark in mid-strength, by having strong malt and hop focus without high alcohol to balance the flavours. Small Ale is big on taste and a refreshing brew at that. Like a punch up the nose with a tangerine, Small Ale is full of citrus aromatics owing to its extended contact with New World hops.

Soft but not lacking in bitterness, the brew carries hints of sweet caramelised malt and presents with a copper ruby tint in the sunlight. The innovative 360 degree can lid, which lifts off allows you to enjoy all the delicious aroma of the beer out of a can.

Food Match: Cheeseburger and chips ABV: 3.5% RRP: $18.99 per six-pack (375ml) Colonialbrewingco.com.au

5. Quiet Deeds White IPA This white IPA mixes the hop character of an India pale ale with the wheat base and spice additions of a refreshing Belgian wit beer – perfect for lazy days in the sun with mates.

A refreshing, well-balanced ale with fruity hop aromas, this beer seamlessly blends crisp bitterness with yeast derived flavours of orange peel, coriander and spice.

Food Match: Grilled white fish with Asian salad ABV: 4.5% RRP: $22 per six-pack (375ml) Quietdeeds.com.au

7. Mountain Goat Summer Ale The scale the Goat boys produce their beer on these days makes this beer all the more enjoyable. It’s incredibly light on the palate, there’s only a hint of residual sugar here but all things are balanced and happy. The

hop character is delicate, tropical and zesty making the whole thing ridiculously drinkable with the can keeping things nice and fresh.

Food Match: Ham and pineapple pizza ABV: 4.7% RRP: $20.99 per six-pack (375ml) Goatbeer.com.au

8. Pistonhead Kustom Lager This Swedish lager with a blazing skull on the can offers some instant cool to any Esky.

A refreshing beer characterised by distinct bitterness and hops. Dry hopped with Cascade and Amarillo hops creating a mixture of lemon, grape fruit and melon flavours. An easy-drinking craft lager, crisp and dry, it has a good balance of flavour and bitterness.

Food Match: Spicy BBQ prawns ABV: 4.6% RRP: $13.90 per six-pack (330ml) Pistonheadlager.com

Copenhagen WITH DENMARK PRODUCING SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING, LEFT-OF-CENTRE CRAFT BEERS GOING AROUND, WHAT BETTER TIME TO CHECK OUT THE COUNTRY’S CAPITAL, COPENHAGEN, AND ITS VIBRANT BEER SCENE. NICK CONNELLAN REPORTS

78 www.beerandbrewer.com

I

t’s Friday night and Copenhagen is heaving.

experiencing its first days of good weather. In this

Along the bridge, which divides the trendy

part of the world, you can’t afford to waste them.

suburb of Nørrebro from the CBD, people

This opportunistic approach might unite

are sprawled on picnic blankets or seated on

Denmark and it neighbours, but things are different

its wide, flat-topped sides. Someone has set

here compared to Germany, which is just three

up a pair of club-sized speakers to flood the

hours’ drive south. Go to Berlin or Hamburg on

stretch with upbeat house music.

There’s old homeless men talking to young

female students; Turkish immigrants mixing with fashionable Danes. Packs of bikes zip by every few

such a balmy evening and you’ll see people sharing bottles of Augustiner, Paulaner, Krombacher, Astra and dozens of other brands.

In Denmark, people drink Carlsberg or Tuborg,

seconds, their riders calling and laughing to each

which was acquired by Carlsberg in 1970. The

other. Nearly everyone has an øl (beer) in hand.

company is now the fourth biggest brewery in the

To an outsider it seems like some kind of festival.

world and its monopoly at home makes CUB’s

Or maybe the final hours of a public holiday.

market share look woeful. But as in Australia, the

It’s neither. After a long, dark winter, the city is

status quo is changing.

TRAVEL

ACCOMMODATION Budget If you’re keen to save some cash, Nora Hotel in the hip suburb of Nørrebro is more like a deluxe hostel than anything else. All the rooms are private, there’s free WiFi and a decent breakfast is included. From here you’re walking distance to the CBD, though Copenhagen’s bike network and metro system largely make transport a non-issue.

Mid-range Your best mid-range option is an Airbnb booking. These can range from a single room in a share house ($80 a night) all the way up to luxury apartments ($500 a night). Most places fall somewhere in the middle, but if you’re keen to get a dose of Scandinavian design, staying in someone’s private home is often your best bet. The kitchen and bathroom will almost certainly be tiny, but you can guarantee the well-chosen space will be functional and beautiful. Aim to stay in Nørrebro if you like nightlife, Vesterbro if you’re after something quieter.

Luxury As in Australian cities, most luxury hotels are concentrated in the CBD. Most of the big chains are represented, such as Radisson, Marriott and Crowne. But if you really want to go all-out, head for the five-star Hotel D’Angleterre. Founded in 1795, it’s been continually renovated, 2013 being the last time. A stay here is like spending the night at a well-appointed museum.

The many taps at Warpigs

From 2006, new craft breweries such as Amager, To Øl and Nørrebro Bryghus began arriving on the scene, spearheaded by the famous gypsy brewery Mikkeller, which now exports to 47 countries. Sadly, owner Mikkel Bjergsø says Denmark only just sneaks into his top 10 markets worldwide, behind the US, Sweden, South Korea and several other countries.

Despite this, his innovative brand dominates Copenhagen. There are five Mikkeller bars spread across the city, plus one bottle shop. Where it has led, others have followed and Copenhagen now boasts a vibrant beer scene.

MIKKELLER BAR “We had a few craft beer bars, but they all looked and

Enjoying a beer at Mikkeller Bar

Summer 2015 79

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