Scan Magazine
Lifestyle
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Columns
Scandinavian Lifestyle Baltic porter, a lager version of imperial stout Baltic porter is a beautiful and varied style, popular in many European countries because of its drinkability, which is having a big moment in Scandinavia right now. Great for any time of year, it can bring a warm cuddliness while at the same time being refreshing. If that sounds confusing, don’t fret. Despite the reference to ‘porter’, which is a dark ale, Baltic porter is actually classified as a lager. According to style guidelines from the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), Baltic porter is a “traditional beer from countries bordering the Baltic Sea, developed indigenously after higher-gravity export brown or imperial stouts from England were established”. Although it looks like an English porter, brewers making Baltic porter use lager yeast with a cold-fermentation and conditioning process, which is how a lager is brewed.
Less loud and bold than an imperial stout, the Baltic porter is smoother and rounder, more modest in a way. Brewed with dark malts, you can still expect a rich, sumptuous aroma and flavours such as coffee, chocolate and dark fruits. Yet it has a surprisingly dry and clean finish – no cloying and lingering sweetness here. And even though alcohol strength can be around 6.5-9.5% ABV, this is a crushable beer. Delicious! A classic example in Scandinavia is Sinebrychoff Porter by Oy Sinebrychoff in Finland. More modern versions come for instance from Oppigårds and Nils Oscar in Sweden, Nøgne Ø and Wettre Bryggeri in Norway, and Amager Bryghus and Dry & Bitter Brewing in Denmark. If you happen to see it, try out Friendly Baltic, a collaboration between Nya Carnegiebryggeriet, Stockholm Brewing Co, Nynäshamns Ångbryggeri, and Northern Exposure.
By Malin Norman
Malin Norman is a certified beer sommelier, international beer judge and member of the British Guild of Beer Writers.
Smelly sustainability and fungi farms By Alejandra Cerda Ojensa
One winter evening last year I was in bed, scrolling on my phone, when my husband sneaked out into the kitchen. I assumed he was grabbing a glass of water as he usually does before bedtime, when I sensed the smell of… rotten egg. “Honey, did you go to the kitchen to fart?” I laughed from the bed. “Oh, I didn’t think you would notice,” he replied; “I’m just checking on the kimchi.” Ah – of course! The kimchi. We were in lockdown in Copenhagen, and one of my husband’s lockdown activities was to make kimchi. Kimchi is made from fermented vegetables and has been around for 3,000 years, but it was only introduced to western culture recently for its health properties. Health gurus in the west have praised kimchi: it’s low in calories, high in fibres and – most importantly – it’s full of good gut bacteria, said to have anti-inflammatory 22 |
Issue 142
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May 2022
properties, and that’s just to name a few of the attributed benefits. In a similar vein, I started making my own kombucha a few years ago: a healthy drink made from tea, also fermented, and full of healthy bacteria. It’s definitely less smelly, and very tasty. As the war in Ukraine has raised awareness of (the lack of) food supplies, I’m convinced we’ll see more urban gardening; homemade sourdough might make a comeback, we’ll probably see more kombucha-brewing – and I’m also predicting a new trend: homegrown mushrooms. With a simple kit, you can start growing them in your own kitchen. Even fancy Michelin restaurants serve dishes made with ingredients from their own city fungi farms, and I’m loving it. Whatever is healthy, fun to grow and smells better than my husband’s lockdown-kimchi – I’m here for it.
Alejandra Cerda Ojensa is a Swedish sustainability blogger based in Copenhagen. She loves sustainable fashion, plant-based food, natural wines and music, and writes a column for Scan Magazine about sustainable lifestyle.
