Swedish craft beer pioneers Nynäshamns Ångbryggeri was one of the first craft beer breweries in Sweden. Brewing classic beers such as Bedarö Bitter and Landsort Lager, it grew a big group of fans. And this quality-focused brewery is still gaining ground with its award-winning beers. By Malin Norman | Photos: Nynäshamns Ångbryggeri
Set up in 1997, Nynäshamns Ångbryggeri was a pioneer within Swedish beer culture. At that time, there were only ten breweries in the country, including the large-scale producers. These days, there are around 400. “Back in the day, it wasn’t cool to be a brewer,” smiles Marcus Wärme, marketing manager. “Brewers were considered weird oddballs and clients were not interested in having a variety of beers. Now it’s very different, and even the smallest pizza place wants at least five or six different beers on tap.” 48 | Issue 133 | February 2020
It all started with a members-only beer club known as Hagges Bärsklubb, set up by a group of friends with a common interest in tasty beers. They met up once a month, and eventually the group’s joint passion for beer developed into a pub with hundreds of beers for around 1,000 members. Four of the core members began brewing together and launched their first beer. More than 20 years later, the founders Lasse Ericsson, Tony Magnusson, Cribba Johansson and Pelle Hedlund are still very much part of Nynäshamns Ångbryggeri.
“It wasn’t easy to become a brewer back then, and there were plenty of challenges,” reflects Wärme. “For instance, getting a permit to brew was difficult, and suppliers were not used to a microbrewery’s small quantity of ingredients.” Thomas Hansen, CEO, was also involved in the brewery from the start, and agrees. “Everything was suited to large-scale producers back then, from
Thomas Hansen, CEO and Marcus Wärme, marketing manager.