Food & Beer Culture

At Christmas in Western Norway, Juleøl comes to the table, and for a long time that meant home-brewed farmhouse beer. It's served with Pinnekjøtt, salted and dried lamb ribs steamed over birch twigs. The salty, fatty meat calls for a beer with sweetness and spice to match.

Around Voss, Smalahove is a local specialty: a salted, smoked, and boiled sheep's head. It's a hearty dish, and a spicy beer with juniper and fruit works well to cut through the richness. Those who'd rather skip it can stick to the potato and swede side dishes.

In Bergen, fish soup is served, made with fish, vegetables, and cream. A light Pale Ale with Kveik-driven fruit pairs well, since it cuts through the cream. Fenalår, the dried leg of lamb, is especially good alongside the smoked beer from Stjørdal.

Brunost, the brown whey cheese, and Lefse, the soft flatbread, also belong at the table. The cheese's light caramel note meets the malt sweetness in the beer and takes some of the edge off the juniper.

Norway doesn't really have a pub culture like Bavaria's. People drink at home, at celebrations, with family. In recent years, though, brewhouses and craft beer bars have opened in Bergen and Oslo, where farmhouse beer and Kveik beers are now served as well.

It's worth knowing the legal situation too: in Norway, retail stores can sell beer up to 4.7% ABV; anything stronger is only available through the state-run Vinmonopolet. This shapes how both farmhouse brewers and craft brewers plan their recipes.