Beer Styles

What do people in Copenhagen drink most often? A pale lager that the Danes simply call pilsner. It's golden, clear, and bottom-fermented, with moderate bitterness and a light malt sweetness that reads more bready than sugary. Carlsberg Pilsner and Tuborg Grøn represent this style, available on tap in every Copenhagen bar.

How does this differ from a German pils? It's usually rounder and milder. German pils relies on crisp hop bitterness and a dry finish, while Danish lager keeps malt and hops more in balance.

The second category comes from the craft scene. An India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a pale-to-amber, top-fermented beer loaded with hops. At Mikkeller's bars, it's almost always on the menu.

The third is the Imperial Stout, a black, very strong beer with plenty of roasted malt, tasting of coffee, cocoa, and dark fruit. Mikkeller has brewed such beers in countless variations—with coffee, vanilla, or aged in wooden barrels.

A special beer hits the shelves every Christmas. Tuborg Julebryg is the best known and marks the start of the Advent season in Denmark, even though it isn't a standardized beer style of its own.

The figures in the profile are ranges drawn from the American BJCP beer style guidelines, not strict recipes. Individual beers can deviate from them, and labels list exact figures that are better suited for direct comparison.