Carlsberg beer: history, overview of types + interesting facts
Carlsberg beer - one of the most popular brands in Eastern Europe. Today it can be found in absolutely any store that sells alcoholic beverages.
In addition to the eponymous brand, the company owns the rights to such brands as Holsten, Tuborg and Baltika.
The history of Carlsberg in brief
The founder of this brand can rightfully be considered Jacob Jacobsen, a Dane who opened his brewery on the outskirts of Copenhagen. The recipe for the new drink was developed there and released to the masses in 1847.
Twenty years later, beer began to be exported abroad, the first barrel was sent to Edinburgh. Gradually, the company grew, and the influence of Carlsberg became more and more widespread, and soon the beer was supplied to most of the countries of Eastern Europe.
Today Carlsberg is a leading brewery in Russia, one of the country's largest producers of consumer goods, which owns 8 breweries in Russia and a wide portfolio of brands.
Types of Carlsberg beer
In fact, there are 7 different varieties of this beer in the lineup. However, not all of them are exported to Russia.
In this review, we will consider only those brands that can be found on the shelves of Russian stores.
-
Carlsberg
Classic Carlsberg is brewed according to a traditional recipe patented back in 1904.
The color of the drink resembles straw with hints of red gold.
The taste is the most standard for light beer - pronounced malt and hops.
The aroma has the smell of freshly cut hay.
As an accompaniment to the beer, salted nuts, pickled herring or meat roasted on the fire are suitable. The strength of the drink is 5%.
-
Carlsberg Elephant
A special variety of a famous brand that recently celebrated its sixtieth anniversary.
This beer has a strength of 7.2 degrees, the color of candied honey and light, abundant foam.
The taste is complemented by citrus notes with a hint of banana and melon, and the aroma is distinctly malt and caramel.
Usually served thoroughly chilled as an accompaniment to nutritious dishes such as pork, barbecue, or whole baked poultry.
-
Carlsberg 47
It is a New Year's present for all fans of the traditional drink.
The series, released annually, is limited, which is partly why it is not so easy to get.
It tastes like a classic Carlsberg with the only difference being that the beer's strength has been increased from the standard 5 to 7%.
The taste is characterized by juniper notes, with a particularly pleasant warming aftertaste.
Most often used as a base for cocktails, or served as an addition to popular salads.
-
Carlsberg Citrus
Low-alcohol drink (only 2.8%), released quite recently.
The basis for it was the classic Carlsberg, which was refreshed by adding different varieties of lime to the taste.
Citrus aroma, mint and lemon in the aftertaste. Usually served on a hot day in addition to pizza, chips or snacks.
Interesting facts
-
In fact, the name "Carlsberg" was chosen for the beer for a reason.
The first part encodes the name of Jakob's heir, Karl, and the second part encodes the word "Hill", because it was on this hill that the first brewery was located.
-
The crown on the beer's label did not appear immediately: the Danish royal family demanded a tasting after learning that the intoxicating drink was being exported.
After the sample was taken, the beer was recognized as a royal favorite for some time, and Jacob, who wanted to immortalize this event, commissioned a crown to be depicted on the beer label.
-
At the end of his life, Jacob Jacobsen had a serious conflict with his son: the man who inherited his father's business introduced his own brand of beer, calling it New Carlsberg.
The case went to court: Jakob categorically could not accept the changes to the original recipe, and therefore even wanted to deprive his son of the rights to the brewery.
However, the conflict was resolved peacefully - a new product was created based on the original recipe.
Update: 15.02.2020
Category: Beer, Cider, Ale