Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, an intuitive brewer

The intuitive Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, founder of a craft brewery, is not afraid to break with convention.

This is the story of a mathematics teacher who started brewing craft beer in his kitchen for fun and became a veritable hops mogul. In 2003, at the age of 27, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø first began to brew. “In the beginning, I was just trying to reproduce the taste of the beers I liked to drink,” recalls the tall, slim businessman. Back in those days, original, high-quality beers were piquing interest in many countries around the world; festivals became a standard event and Mikkel started entering tasting contests (which he won quite regularly). With support from a journalist friend, Kristian Klarup Keller, he founded the Mikkeller label. “To keep pace with all the orders we were getting, I cut back on my hours at the high school, before stopping completely in 2010.”

Mikkeller’s unmistakable visual identity has been the work of designer Keith Shore since 2010.

In his spacious offices in Carlsberg, the Copenhagen quarter that until 2008 was home to the original factory of the Danish brewing giant of the same name, Bjergsø continues his dizzying entrepreneurial rise. “We’ve made more than 800 different beers as of today. We export to 40 countries and Mikkeller has 700 employees worldwide. We’ve opened bars and restaurants in a number of countries, with locations in Tokyo, San Diego, New York, Brussels, Paris and the Faroe Islands. We have 20 locations in Copenhagen alone.”

Variety is our signature. Our goal is to make beer more present in restaurants

Though he’s considered an avant-garde entrepreneur, he insists his lack of experience is part of his success: “I didn’t go to business school – I just follow my instincts”, he says, adding, “variety is our signature. Our goal is to make beer more present in restaurants, because the dining culture has become quite important in Denmark.” He seems to be heading in the right direction.

The Mikkeller General Store in Copenhagen.

In the lobby of the company’s offices, visitors are greeted by five beer taps.