Scan Magazine | Brewery of the Month | Denmark
Bryggeriet Vestfyen has created the Frejdahl range together with designer and creative soul Jim Lyngvild. The range takes inspiration from its Nordic Viking heritage.
Brewery of the Month, Denmark
The craft of returning to craft For more than 130 years, Bryggeriet Vestfyen has been brewing beer on Funen, Denmark. It still does, but today, the brewery is best-known for its selection of craft beer including the two popular brands Willemoes and Frejdahl. Scan Magazine talks to the brewery about its transition from mainstream to craft and what comes next. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Bryggeriet Vestfyen
Founded in 1885, Bryggeriet Vestfyen has a long history of producing mainstream beer and soft drinks in the small town of Assens. However, at the beginning of the new millennium, the old brewery changed its focus to craft beer, investing heavily in a new and more flexible set-up. Sales manager Rasmus Damsted Hansen explains: “Looking back, 15 years ago, the market for craft beer was very small. But together with one of the biggest retailers in Denmark, we created the brand Willemoes, and since then, our craft beer production has 112 | Issue 119 | December 2018
developed year by year. One of the reasons we have been able to do this is that we have invested heavily in equipment. We have created flexibility that makes us able to produce small volumes at a reasonable cost, while continuously developing and innovating new products.” While Bryggeriet Vestfyen is still brewing in its original facilities in Assens, the brewery has also just expanded with a smaller and more specialised brewing facility through the acquisition of Indslev brewery in Nørre Åby.
Special beer, special ingredients The man behind the successful taste experiences of Bryggeriet Vestfyen’s five craft beer brands is German brew master Christoph Behnke. “With his knowledge from Germany and his innovation and development competencies, Behnke has been a key figure in the development of Bryggeriet Vestfyen,” says Hansen, adding: “The biggest difference in the production of craft beer, compared to regular