About the Brewery:
While preparing for Sibling-Style Euro Trip 2.0 in 2014, I was living in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder is known to be a proud craft-brewery locale, and its restaurants and stores respond by stocking shelves with a plethora of local and foreign brands. As Euro Trip 2.0 was approaching, a name stood out amongst all the others: Mikkeller. I checked the label to find its origin is Copenhagen, Denmark. I decided not to take a bottle home, but to add a visit to the brewery onto my bucket list. Sure, getting to Denmark is not quite as convenient as a trip to the local mart, but I knew it would be worth it.
Time didn’t allow for a trip to Copenhagen during Euro Trip 2.0, so we instead planned to visit this fascinating city during 2015’s Euro Trip 3.0, including a stop at Mikkeller Brewery in our itinerary’s list of ‘must-go’s.
Mikkeller is a hot spot for locals and visitors. On a perfect summer afternoon, finding a spot to sit was not an easy task. Picnic tables filled a street-side patio. Friends and strangers sat side by side, making quick runs indoors to order one of several refreshing taps available. Gone too long, and they’d return outside to find their seat given up to another thirsty visitor. Thus, a continuous game of musical chairs played out while we opted for a space at the counter; one space, two people, several others humming about eagerly awaiting their next taste of Mikkeller mania.
We stayed for a beer…maybe two… and then gave up the seat to the next person in line. During our time there, we chatted with the bartenders and told them how we’d planned over a year to taste fresh Mikkeller beer straight from the tap, how our family roots had brought us to Scandinavia and our family name had brought us to this exact spot. The bartenders were hesitant to believe at first, but after sharing a few stories between their never-ending pour serve pour repetitive act, they opened up and began to ask questions and sharing their own stories.
Though a rather small brewery, I imagine Mikkeller is pretty satisfied with their successes. They have crafted a collaborative blend with a brewery in Indiana Ben knew from his college days there, and can be spotted in multiple stores in the States. From brewing capital of Boulder to the lesser known suburbs of Minneapolis, picking up a bottle to try at home is worth it. In fact, a pint in Minneapolis costs the exact same price as if you find yourself at the cozy brewery of the manufacturer in Copenhagen. The experience though, will be drastically different. And in this case, we came for that exact reason.
It was well worth it.
Want some Mikkeller Brews for yourself? If you’re off to Denmark, check out their site: http://mikkeller.dk (They even have a running club!)
There’s also a site for purchasing beer (even singles!) online: http://shop.mikkeller.dk
In the States and hoping for a cold pour? Their closest brewery is in San Francisco… or maybe Iceland if you’re on the East Coast!
Miss Maps 
2 thoughts on “Denmark: A Brewery Found Half Way Across the World”