Denmark's jewel; The Carlsberg brewery

As many might already know, Carlsberg is a worldwide sold beer, originating from Denmark. As its famous commercial slogan says “probably the best beer in the world”; don't miss the chance to try it out yourself at its very own brewery, based in Copenhagen. 

Carlsberg is the third largest brewery in the world, with 36 billion bottles of beer sold annually. What is interesting, is that less than 5% of Carlsberg’s brewed beers is sold in Denmark. The Carlsberg brewery was founded in 1847 by J.C. Jacobsen and back in the day, it was only a small local brewery. Following Jacobsen’s death in 1887, his son Carl took over the brewery, which is how the brand got its name "Carlsberg", after him.

The flagship beer, Carlsberg was first brewed in 1904. Today, the Carlsberg group, also brews other world-known beers, such as Kronenbourg, Tuborg, Grimbergen and Somersby. What I found fascinating is that Carlsberg holds one of the biggest collections of different types and "designs" of beer. The collection counts almost 20,000 bottles of unopened beers. 

As you walk through the old brewhouse, you will come across "The Little Mermaid’s sister" (Copenhagen’s famous attraction). In case you didn't know, it was also J.C. Jacobsen’s son, Carl, who gifted the Little Mermaid to the city of Copenhagen.  

As part of the guided tour, you will learn about the history of the brewery and its evolution from an old brewhouse, that slowly transformed into a worldwide "beer mecca". One thing which is rather unique about the tour, is the possibility given to smell all the beer ingredients, used in the brewery. Once you purchase a ticket, you will be enabled to part take in any kind of events organised at the brewery on that day. Bear in mind that once you get your ticket, you will get a free beer or a soft drink included in the price. Special discounts apply for youth (up to 17 years old) and students. How exciting! Fun fact: the legal drinking age for beer and wine in Denmark is only 16! 

Of course, you can also buy up to 65 different kinds of Carlsberg beer in the store, at the end of your tour of the old brewery. For those of you who would like to grab a bite, you can extend your visit and enjoy a delicious lunch, along of course with a cold beer, at the Jacobsen Brewhouse, which is also part of the Carlsberg brewery headquarters.   

The Carlsberg brewery is located 4 kilometres from the Copenhagen central station, and is easily accessible by all means of transport. You can get there by train (Carlsberg station), while there is also a free shuttle bus from the central station- or as most Danes do,** **you can also cycle for about 10 minutes away from the city center.