Beer in Norway

Number of breweries: 26 (2010)

Consumption per capita: 55,5 litres

Beer production per year: 2,4 mil. hectolitres

The oldest brewery: Aass Brewery, (1834)

The biggest brewery: 1. Carlsberg-Ringnes, 2. Hansa-Borg

The best known brands: Ringnes, Julebokk, Hansa, Aass

Beer in Norway has a long history, going back at least 1000 years. Until around 200 years ago no farm was complete without a brewhouse. From the early 20th century brewing was industrialized and home brewing outlawed. Since then, significant consolidation in the brewing sector has reduced the number of major breweries to just a handful. With the exception of the malty juleøl (Christmas beer), most beer styles brewed in Norway today trace their ancestry to central Europe.

Currently, the Norwegian beer market is dominated by two large brewers: The giant Carlsberg-Ringnes based in Oslo and Copenhagen, Denmark and the smaller Hansa-Borg, based in Bergen and Sarpsborg Each produce beer branded in a variety of traditional Norwegian beer brands, as well as foreign brands bottled on licence. This system is a result of the large-scale consolidation of Norwegian breweries that has taken place over the last 50 years.

More information is here.