Special Danish Beer Places

January 1, 2003 By Gregg Glaser

You’ll Never Walk Alone. One of the best beer bars/cafés in Denmark is in the small, quiet provincial city of Kolding in mid-Jutland. Owned and operated by Torben Matthews, the bar, named after the slogan from the Liverpool Football Club, is a perfect English pub set in the middle of Denmark. Matthews has perfectly captured the Danish national obsession and love of hyygeliet (coziness). He now brings in about 200 beers from across Europe.

Charlie’s Bar. Scotsman Iain Russell opened Charlie’s Bar in central Copenhagen as the “first truly independent bar in Denmark.” Russell serves only unpasteurized, unfiltered beers. At any given time, he carries 23 to 25 keg beers, four cask ales, and 60 to 70 bottled beers in a tight, but again, hyygeliet 62 square meters. Earlier this year, Russell opened The Warf in Aalborg in northeast Jutland. This new. slightly larger café, serves 25 keg beers, 18 cask beers and 120 bottled beers.

Gulliver’s. One year ago, Englishman Martyn Brook opened Gulliver’s in Copenhagen, specializing in English and Irish cask ales and special European bottled beers. The 100-square-meter restaurant/bar keeps 22 keg beers and four cask beers on tap, plus at least 56 bottled beers and ciders. Gulliver’s, with a lovingly handcrafted wooden interior, is a quiet, cosy place.

Barley Wine. This is the premiere beer shop in which to buy special beers in central Copenhagen. The shop’s Czech owner served over 67 beers from Belgium, Holland, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States at the Ølfestival.