Beer sign at bodega in Vesterbro "Øl", Copenhagen, Denmark

Skål! Discover Danish beer in Denmark's local breweries

Photo: Daniel Rasmussen - Copenhagen Media Center

Denmark is known worldwide for its tasty and high-quality beer. The most popular beer in Denmark has to be Carlsberg and Tuborg, but what you might need to know is that there's even more to Danish beer. Check out our guide to this tremendous beer-soaked nation.

Copenhagen hygge at bar meet the danes

Photo:Büro Jantzen - Copenhagen Media Center

There are over 100 microbreweries dotted around Denmark. Add to that the twelve larger, classic breweries, with Carlsberg at the top, and you can see how Denmark has become one of the most important beer-producing countries in the world.

Nowhere else on the planet has such a wide range of quality beer relative to country size and population. No matter where you are in Denmark, you are only 30 kilometres from the nearest brewery. Whether you're going for the big names or finding a microbrewery with your favourite IPA, a cold beer is essential to enjoying our traditional Danish dishes, so let's find your new favourites. 

Denmark's best breweries

Join us on a beer bar crawl, watch the brewers at work and have a taste test on-site. Remember the most important word: "Skål!" – "Cheers!" in Danish. 

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Zapfhähne mit Mikkeller-Bier
Photo: Camilla Stephan - Copenhagen Media Center

Mikkeller Bar

New York, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore - Mikkeller Beer and its bars are now available all over the world, but nowhere does its Danish beer taste as good as in its home country. You can try the beer brewed by Mikkeller in bars in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense or on Bornholm. No matter where you are, you can be sure that high brewing quality and creativity are always in focus.

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Bier in der Kopenhagener Bar BRUS
Photo: LABAN Stories

BRUS, Copenhagen

Beer bar BRUS is in Copenhagen's hippest quarter, Nørrebro, and is everything a modern pub should be: a microbrewery with a cool bar scene, experimental menu and a shop so you can buy take out for later too. The microbrewery behind this venture was founded by two locals who used to go to the school nearby, where they were taught by Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, then a teacher, and now a craft beer legend behind the world-famous Mikkeller.

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Bier von Bryggeriet Apollo
Photo: Bryggeriet Apollo - Wonderful Copenhagen

Bryggeriet Apollo

Denmark's first micro-brewery, Bryggeriet Apollo, opened in 1990 right next to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. The entire brewery is built on the model of German beer cellars, and today has a brewing kettle forming the shining centre of the associated restaurant. Here you can enjoy a particularly exuberant atmosphere plus hearty meals matched to the beer. Just the thing after a visit to Tivoli, right?

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Kellner zapft Bier im Nørrebro Bryghus
Photo: Robin Skjoldborg

Nørrebro Bryghus

Since its inception, Nørrebro Bryghus, in the heart of Copenhagen, has been at the forefront of Danish beer culture in the city. Ingenuity, creativity and ecological awareness combine: in 2009 Nørrebro Bryghus became the first CO2-neutral brewery in Denmark and developed "Globe Ale", Denmark's first CO2-neutral beer. Be sure to visit the award-winning brewhouse on your next trip to the Danish capital!

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Bier der Brauerei Skovlyst
Photo: @bryggeriskovlyst

Bryggeri Skovlyst

Bryggeri Skovlyst is beautifully situated in Hareskov outside Copenhagen. The brewery and restaurant has been running since 2004, and today the location in the middle of nature and the local raw materials of the forest play a central role in the brewery experience. Since the Skovlyst Brewery beer is sold exclusively on site, you have to plan a trip to the restaurant to enjoy it in the perfect setting – with home-cooked, seasonal food.

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Brewery in Skagen
Photo: Skagen Bryhus

Skagen Bryghus

The Skagen Bryghus (by the way, the most northerly brewery in Denmark) always provides a unique atmosphere with beer, lunch and live music all year round in one of the most beautiful spots in our kingdom. To add another superlative, it also has Denmark's largest beer garden.

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Bier von Ribe Bryghus
Photo: Kim Wyon

Ribe Bryghus

In keeping with its location in Denmark's oldest city, the Danish beer brewery Ribe Bryghus is set in a historic and carefully restored courtyard near the cathedral. The brewing process is almost as historical, as it is brewed according to English ale traditions. During a visit, you can follow this process closely and let the three master brewers tell you more about the beer and the brewery.

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Bier vom Jelling Brauhaus
Photo: @dalekilde

Jelling Bryghus

Five Danish beer lovers with an entrepreneurial spirit opened Jelling Bryghus in 2007. The town’s rich history and surrounding nature have always served as an inspiration for the names, ingredients and new varieties of high quality beers produced by the brewery.

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Bier von Ebeltoft Gårdbryggeri
Photo: Ebeltoft Gårdbryggeri - VisitDjursland

Ebeltoft Gårdbryggeri

In the middle of Mols Bjerge National Park lies the farm brewery Ebeltoft Gårdbryggeri. Hygge is the focus here: in summer, the terrace offers a wonderful view of the protected Jernhatten hill and the sea, and regular concerts in and around the brewery entertain visitors. Ebeltoft Gårdbryggeri's classic beer is considered one of the best in the area - be sure to try the delicious lemonade made from natural ingredients too.

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Frischer Hopfen der Bøgedal Brauerei
Photo: bogedal

Bøgedal Bryghus

Fancy a special beer? Bøgedal Bryghus is not only the smallest brewery in Denmark, but also a very unusual one: it is the only "free fall brewery" in Scandinavia. Here, the beer flows with the help of lifting gear on different levels – but without the use of pumps. Take a look for yourself!

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Frischgezapftes Bier im Fanø Bryghus
Photo: Fanø Bryghus - Destination Sydvestjylland

Fanø Bryghus

American brewing traditiosn meet weird humour on the island of Fanø. In the local brewery - founded by a creative Danish-American duo - this combination creates tasty, high quality beers, bizarre beer names and specially designed labels. The beer from Fanø Bryghus can be bought anywhere on Fanø Island and many other places in Denmark, but it is best served fresh in the brewery's own bar, and drunk either indoors or outdoors.

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Bier vom Samsø Brauhaus
Photo: @t_beer_

Samsø Bryghus

Samsø Bryghus is - as the name implies - on the beautiful island of Samsø in an old, idyllic farm. The beer is still brewed in two converted milk cooling tanks and named after local attractions. Samsø Brauhaus offers more than just a brewery: you can also enjoy homemade, organic ingredients in the café, shop all year round in the well-stocked farm shop and, of course, try the beer on site.

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Bierfässer im Fur Bryghus
Photo: Jacob Pedersen

Fur Bryghus

You’ll find one of the first micro-breweries in Denmark on the small island of Fur in the Limfjord - Fur Bryghus. The brewery and associated restaurant are housed in a bright red building, previously part of a former moler factory (a kind of claystone). Combine a trip to Furs’ impressive cliffs, and the Knude Klint cliffs, with a visit to the Fur Brauhaus. The seasonal dishes here may contain the local beer and are well matched for it too.

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Bier der dänischen Brauerei Bryghuset Møn
Photo: Markus Spiske

Bryghuset Møn

Quality and local, natural ingredients are the focus of Møn’s island brewery. All juices and some beers are organic and can be bought in cafes, restaurants and accommodation on the island. It’s not just the beer that is special – the water is too! It comes directly from the countryside between Møns Klint and Liselund, where chalk layers act like natural filters and make the water soft.

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Frischgezapftes Bier in der Rise Bryggeri
Photo: Mikkel Øhlenschlæger Andersen

Rise Bryggeri

When the Rise Bryggeri reopened in 2004, the island of Ærø was once again put on the beer lover’s map. This island brewery places special emphasis on craftsmanship, quality and local affiliation and responsibility. In July and August, the cozy café is open and invites you to try light, home-cooked meals in the brewery's garden. Many say that Ærø beer tastes the best here – why not try it for yourself! (For larger groups, the café also opens on request from May to September.)

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Bier vom Svaneke Bryghus
Photo: Kasper Buchardt Thye - Svaneke Bryghus

Svaneke Bryghus

Svaneke Bryghus is Denmark’s most easterly brewery, set on the island of Bornholm. Here, 100% organic beer is brewed according to the "slow-beer" principle - true to the motto: good things take a while, good beer even more! Each year more than 80,000 guests visit the associated restaurant, where time is taken to help guests find exactly the right choice of beer. It also has high ambitions: by 2030, it aims to be the first brewery in Denmark to achieve CO2-neutral beer production. Cheers to that!

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Bier der Refsvindinge Bryggeri
Photo: Refsvindinge Bryggeri - VisitNyborg

Bryggeriet Refsvindinge

The Refsvindinge brewery on Fyn may be one of Denmark's smallest breweries, but it’s still one of the best known. This is not least due to Ale No. 16, judged to be Denmark's best beer in 1997, and the third best beer in the world a few years later. Today, you can taste these delicious ales nearly everywhere in Denmark, but they taste best straight from the home brewery. Combine your beer tasting with an overnight stay in the cozy huts of the associated bed and breakfast.

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Anarkist brew pub in Odense
Photo: Johan Tobias Joensen - VisitOdense

Anarkist - Odense & Copenhagen

With 160 years of tradition behind them, it's safe to say Anarkist know what they're doing when it comes to making great Danish beer. Visit their brewery, bar and restaurant in Odense or pop in for a few beers, tastings and pizza at their location right next to Tivoli in Copenhagen. 

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