I absolutely dropped the ball on recapping our most recent trip (and MoFo, for you vegans reading). School and work and life just caught up with me. In fact, I'm writing this in the tutoring room of the Athletic Center at PSU while I wait for sporty students to beg me for help on their writing.
To apologize, here is a little post on our visit to one of Norway's awesome breweries,
Nøgne ø. To say the name, you have to make the "neuuk neuuk" sound the 3 Stooges are famous for.
Jeff and I first found beer by Nøgne ø at John's Marketplace in SW Portland. It was expensive and pretty damn good considering the tiny little bottle shipped from (almost) the Arctic Circle.
One day, while searching for cool Norway things instead of working on homework or something useful, I found Nøgne ø's website and realized that the brewery was right on the way on our drive from Kristiansand to Oslo. I also found out the brewery offered tours and tastings. How could we not visit?
So, I rearranged our rental car schedule (and saved us $150 in the process, somehow) and set up a time to tour the brewery. Good thing, too, since Norway has strict alcohol regulations (on par with those in Utah) and beer that wasn't Duff (FOR REALS) was not available outside of the liquor store (thereby making it incredibly expensive).
The sad selection at the supermarket.
First, I have to comment on how beautiful this brewery is. It overlooks a lake and is in an old power station in the middle of nowhere. I mean, Norway itself is stunning and breathtaking. This building is no different.
Our tour was a group tour, but we were the only people who weren't from Norway. The tour included 2 different sakes and 6-8(!!!) different types of beer. Because of our "refined beer palates" the guide introduced us to the brewery's more adventurous beers. Norwegians are accustomed to drinking beer akin to PBR, so the tour guide was excited to let us try the good stuff.
And, my friends, it was GOOD.
I couldn't tell you everything we tried, but I remembered some of the "special issue" types: Double Hop IPA, Single Hop Citra, Beyond the Pale, Dark Horizon (my favorite!!) and Jolly Pumpkin (not spiced whatsoever, just pure pumpkin flavor). The pours were excellent and we got sweet glasses out of it. The actual brewery had Rogue AND Bridgeport Brewing Co. flags hanging on the walls, making this trip extra special to us Portlanders.
If you ever find yourself in Norway and are a fan of beer, I would highly recommend taking a tour of this place. It's only about two hours from Oslo and most definitely worth the trip. I will say they don't sell the higher alcohol stuff in their gift shop due to the Norwegian alcohol rules, but since most of their business is importing, a good beer shop in your area (I've found it at John's Marketplace and Belmont Station in Portland) will carry the brand.
