Founders Martin Amundsen and Marius Graff with brewer Ida Kristine Stephansen.
Brewery of the Month, Norway
Brewing above the Arctic Circle Norway has a thriving craft beer scene, and one of its brightest stars is Graff Brygghus. This brewery in Tromsø is the creator of tasty beers such as the celebrated Dead Cat Double IPA and the delicious bourbon barrel-aged Christmas beer. By Malin Norman | Photos: Graff Brygghus
Located 350 kilometres above the Arctic Circle in Tromsø, Norway, is Graff Brygghus. It was established in 2015 by Martin Amundsen and Marius Graff in an old building that had been in the Amundsen family for three generations. The founders met a few years earlier. Graff was a dedicated homebrewer already from the age of 15, and Amundsen had a fascination with craft 106 | Issue 131 | December 2019
beer. “Our backgrounds were different, but we soon realised that we had a shared dream about starting a craft brewery,” says Amundsen. In 2014, Graff spent some time in Portland, Oregon, in the USA, brewing on different systems, before they ordered the brew set-up, a seven-barrel system from Portland Kettle Works. It was delivered in August 2015, and the brewery opened shortly after.
Inspiration from modern American beer “We find inspiration in the Portland beer scene,” confirms Amundsen. “We love the modern American beer culture, the openness between breweries and the styles of beer – balanced and with heaps of flavour. These are also the types of beers we are known for.” Dead Cat Double IPA (7.5%) is the brewery’s most popular beer. It is powerful and hoppy, yet balanced and smooth, with heaps of tropical goodness. Impressively, Dead Cat is a finalist in the prominent award Det Norske Måltid (‘The Norwegian Meal’) 2019, in the sub-category Beer of the Year, with