Food & Beer Culture

On Gotland, saffranspannkaka is a classic dish—a saffron pancake baked in the oven. A beer with smoke and juniper pairs well with it, since the sweetness and saffron aroma create a counterpoint to the bitterness. This is a matter of flavor pairing, not a hard rule.

Lamb is also central to the island, which has its own sheep breed. Smoke and juniper have long accompanied game and lamb, and the aroma of a Gotlandsdricka echoes that same spice character. As with any pairing, taste ultimately decides.

The island's beer culture is a farmhouse culture. Dricke was drunk daily and given to children in weak form, forming part of the meal itself. Brewing in the rostbunn was women's work, with the knowledge passed down within the family.

Today, this heritage shows itself each autumn: since 1991, home brewers have competed in the south of the island at the World Championship in Dricke brewing. The 2014 winner was Daniel Lundström, then just 22 years old and the youngest champion to date. The Slow Food Foundation lists Gotlandsdricka in its Ark of Taste.

In Visby, summer brings the Medeltidsveckan, Medieval Week, a festival where the whole Hanseatic town steps back into the Middle Ages. Order a Wisby Klosteröl at a tavern within the city walls during the festival, and you're drinking a beer from Gotlands Bryggeri, which has been brewing there since 1995. Smoke, juniper, and limestone are never far away on the island, and those who taste carefully will find all three in the glass.