Swedish Craft Beer

Sweden is no longer a black spot on the craft beer map. Many beer fans are familiar with the Scandinavian country thanks to the famous Omnipollo brewery. But besides the Stockholm brewery, there are also a number of great craft beer breweries from Sweden that are also available internationally. There is a lot for you to discover!

Sweden is a Craft Beer Hotspot

Breweries, brewpubs, taprooms, bars, restaurants: everywhere in Sweden there are places to go for good beer. The development is not limited to the big cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö - although the three cities certainly have the most diverse offerings to offer. But at second glance, craft beer destinations can actually be found in every city. Incidentally, this also includes the state-owned Systembolaget alcohol outlets: the range of beer on offer in the outlets varies, but locally brewed beer is often available there, too.

A brief Swedish beer history

Sweden has a brewing tradition that goes back a long way. In particular, original farmhouse ales were brewed throughout the country. Mead was also typical and widely available. At that time, beer was brewed primarily with herbal mixtures, because hops were not known or available in large quantities for a long time.

In the 20th century, lager beer styles such as Pilsner dominated the beer supply in Sweden. This was accompanied by the concentration of production under the roofs of a few large breweries.

The Swedish state also has a strict alcohol policy. For example, beer may only be sold freely in supermarkets up to an alcohol content of 3.5%. All beers with a higher alcohol content may only be sold in the state-run Systembolaget stores or in bars and pubs.

The establishment of the Omnipollo brewery in 2010 changed many things on the Swedish scene. Although other breweries such as Närke had been around longer at the time and craft beer was also being imported into the country from abroad, Omnipollo gave the development of the Swedish scene another real push. Since then, more and more new small breweries, bars and restaurants are popping up, serving the best Craft Beer from Sweden.

The most popular craft beer breweries from Sweden

Omnipollo: The Craft Beer Pioneers

Omnipollo has been supplying Sweden, Europe and the world with craft beer according to the motto "beereverything" since 2010. No experiment is too crass for the brewery. It is a popular guest at beer festivals worldwide. Today, the brewery has a pub in Tokyo in addition to its bar in Stockholm. And since 2021, they've also been serving beer from Omnipollo Church in Stockholm, where they also have a taproom!

Stigbergets: Best Craft Beer from Gothenburg

Stigbergets stands for high quality craft beer! Their IPAs are among the best of their style in Europe. The brewery is well connected and popular internationally. Stigbergets brews a variety of styles, from Lager to Sour and Stout.

Apex: Crazy New England Style IPAs.

The hype is real - Apex has taken the hearts of IPA fans in Europe by storm. All of a sudden, their beers were on the market and we at Beyond Beer were immediately smitten as well. Their Hazy IPAs in all facets are the hammer. The brewery comes from Nora, a small town north of Örebro in the province of Västmanland.

Brewski: The Fruit Specialists from Southern Sweden

Fruit Sour in Europe without Brewski? Actually unthinkable. Because the brewery from Helsingborg in southern Sweden has shaped this style like hardly any other brewery. Their sour beers are true fruit bombs. Of course, they also brew IPAs and imperial stouts. And: Brewski organizes one of the hottest craft beer festivals in Europe once a year - the Brewskival!

Also very active in Craft Beer: Dugges, Pang Pang, Duckpond, Nerdbrewing, Beerbliotek, Spike brewery, O/O Brewing, Brekeriet, Närke Kulturbryggeri - the list of great Craft Beer breweries from Sweden is endless!

Discover great and exceptional Craft Beer from Sweden here in the Beyond Beer online store now!