Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Sweden
The brewery.
Fighting for Dalarna and local beer culture Ask any beer geek about the Swedish microbrewery scene, and Oppigårds is sure to get a mention. Turning 15 this year, the big small brewery is still located on the family farm in Dalarna, still run by the man whose fixed idea made it happen all those years ago. And that, suggests the man who describes himself as a dull, introverted economist in a world of beer lovers with a marketing background, is part of the secret. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Erika Olsson
“There’s nothing creative about starting a microbrewery today – it’s about as creative as getting a tattoo or growing a beard,” says Björn Falkeström, owner and CEO of Oppigårds Bryggeri. “Back when I started, there was no trend. The only other brewery in the county of Dalarna was Spendrups. Of course, some people questioned the reasonableness of it all, but it was unique and people were curious. Media love it when the Davids can assert themselves against the Goliaths.” That Falkeström’s willingness to pay attention to what is reasonable has re86 | Issue 109 | February 2018
mained minimal seems pretty clear, as does the fact that he has no intention of leaving the Davids behind in favour of becoming one of the giants. Not that the brewery has not enjoyed rapid growth: it may have taken the brewer seven years to get from initial idea to actual production, but in its first year of business, he sold 8,000 litres of beer – compared to a median annual production of small Swedish breweries at about 7,500 litres. 15 years on, Oppigårds makes 50,000 litres annually of its much-loved Easter Ale alone, totalling around 2.2 million litres of beer per year.
A life built on projects Falkeström paints a vivid picture of the boy who grew up on the family farm, where the brewery is housed today. “I grew up on a farm, and I was helping out with growing potatoes and selling them to the summer guests, and I baked so many biscuits my mother was desperate – there were biscuits everywhere,” he laughs. “Then, at the age of ten or 11, I started making blackcurrant wine, hiding it behind my bed. My whole life is built on projects and fixed ideas – like obsessions I can’t back out of.” That the brewery is still located on the Oppigårds family farm, owned by the same family since the 1700s, is crucial, the CEO explains. Not only is he proud of his heritage; he wants to fight for his rural home village. “I can tell that I’ve made a difference to Ingvallsbenning. In the past, the cars would drive through – now they come here to stay,” he says.