Taste over 100 different kinds of beer

Rarely has there been so much life in Jyllandsgade as this Friday afternoon in June, where the sun shines from a blue sky with a few drifting, white clouds. Small pop-up stalls, tables and benches, a single food truck, and hundreds of guests have taken over the area from Stalden Pool & Sportsbar up to Esbjerg Bryghus.

The two establishments have for the second year in a row joined forces to create Esbjerg Beer Festival, where 20 breweries from all over Denmark participate with a total of 100 beer taps offering different beers in 25 styles and in all imaginable golden and dark shades.

– We want to put Esbjerg on the beer map. We have big ambitions with this festival and hope to become the largest of its kind in Jutland. Hopefully, over time we can attract visitors from all over the country who will then want to book a hotel in the city and stay a few days, says Lars Glindemann from Esbjerg Bryghus, supplemented by Nikolai Timmerby from Stalden Pool & Sportsbar:

– We want to spread knowledge about the world of beer and show that it can be a culinary experience on par with eating good food.

– The festival also stems from a desire to create more life in the side streets of Esbjerg. People sometimes ask if we at Stalden are tired of Bryghuset opening right next door. But I don’t see it that way at all. Now we have a shared ambition to make Jyllandsgade a cool place. We also want to show with this festival that we stand together.

More life in the side streets

And it certainly seems to have succeeded for the organizers, because out in the street the visitors go from stall to stall with their tokens, which can be exchanged for small glasses of beer. This way, you can taste many different kinds.

The three friends Troels, Anders, and Carsten, who have settled at one of the tables outside Bryghuset, have even tried a light pink sour beer, which consists of a whole 20 percent raspberry.

– It’s great that Esbjerg has gotten its own beer festival. It offers an opportunity for a special community where you can meet in a more informal way. It’s really cozy, says 40-year-old Anders.

– At the same time, it creates city life. Especially in the small side streets, which otherwise tend to be a bit quiet, adds Troels, 46, before addressing the other two: – And now we have to get some more beers!

The festival attracts young and old, men and women. And even families. Sisters Dorthe and Birthe have brought their parents and children to celebrate Father's Day in a somewhat unconventional way. They have found a cozy spot in the brewery's small courtyard, which is also buzzing with life.

– But a moment ago I was looking up and down Jyllandsgade and thought about how fantastic it is that this can succeed for Esbjerg, says Birthe, 46, while Dorthe, 42, explains:

– Yes, this thing about going around to the various small breweries and getting their stories. In that way, it reminds me a bit of the wine festival in Ribe.

Challenging the experience of beer

The various small breweries include Gamma Brewing from Herlev, Det lille bryggeri from Ringsted, Too Old To Die Young from Sønderborg, Fanø Bryghus, Ribe Bryghus, Jacobi from Varde, Hazy Bear from Aarhus, and Stepping Stone, which is a so-called contract brewery. That means they borrow breweries across the country to brew their own beer there.

At the head of the latter are three young guys with a vision to make a social difference. Therefore, they hire, among others, refugees to help them. For example, a young artist educated in Syria is currently designing beer labels for them. They do not only want to make a social difference, but also want to draw on the resources that these people actually bring. This is explained by 33-year-old Daniel True from Stepping Stone’s stall. He has visited beer festivals and fairs all over the country, but still concludes:

– This is absolutely one of the best and coziest festivals I have been to. And I have been to many. The atmosphere is fantastic. People are so sweet and welcoming, and you can feel that the people of Esbjerg really support this and want their city. It’s super cool, he says.

Daniel, who himself is from Kolding, is also enthusiastic about the many cool new initiatives happening in the Region of Southern Denmark.

At the festival, you can taste all kinds of beers. With Daniel and his mates, they focus on creating quality beers that are easy to drink but at the same time challenge the palate. He describes this as a fine balance.

But no matter which stall a guest visits, they get a unique tasting experience. This is something the three organizers Lars and Mette from Bryghuset and Nikolai from Stalden have valued highly:

– Carlsberg is also invited, because it is important to remember that without them we might not have all these special beers. But they were told to bring something very special, because we want to challenge people’s experience of what a beer is, says Lars.