MBCC 2023

[Jay]

Hi everyone

Yesterday pre-sale tickets were made available for those who had registered (which Linda had) and so at 11.45am she got the reminder and 2 minutes later 2 tickets for the green session were secured.

The festival has 4 sessions but the best we feel is the final green one (Saturday 4-8pm) but as well as that we also have a ticket for the after party (from 8pm until 2am) so as the festival finishes we stay and party with the brewers...dj's, bottle sales, special beers available plus more...

Mikkeller are saying that this is going to be the best MBCC yet...we can't wait to party the night away.




Cheers
Jay 🇩🇰

[Trappist]

Way to Go Jay & Linda!!
You sure will have a great time!!
CHEERS
Filip

[Jay]

We sure will have a great time (once again) in wonderful Copenhagen 🇩🇰

This time we're thinking of venturing further afield and making a day trip to Malmö in Sweden.
Our hotel is located just around the corner from Copenhagen train station and you can get a train (every 20 minutes) that crosses the Øresund Bridge that connects Denmark and Sweden, the journey is just 30 minutes...crazy to think that we can visit another Country (and we've never visited Sweden)

Cheers
Jay 

[Trappist]

Hi Jay,
This definitely is a great idea!!





I never been to Sweden or Denmark, so can't comment, but it seems that Malmö has a lot of beery spots.
So that sure can't go wrong I think.

https://www.malmolocalsguide.com/the-guide/the-beer-lovers-guide-to-malmo

https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=beerbar&find_loc=Malm%C3%B6

https://www.ratebeer.com/places/city/malmo/448/190/

I would not hesitate Jay 

Cheers,
Filip

[Viv]

Hi guys,

Did either of you watch one of those great Scandi Noir tv series
called The Bridge?

The Swedish and Danish police worked with each other on several cases
and so often had to travel across this bridge.

Great for tourism, and there can't be many international cities connected across a sound by a bridge. The bridge doesn't span the entire sound
though as there is a tunnel incorporated as well.

Cheers!


Viv

[John B]

The bridge doesn't span the entire sound
though as there is a tunnel incorporated as well.

Cheers!


Viv

Would that make it a "brunnel"?   

Cheers! - John

[Trappist]

Hi guys,

Did either of you watch one of those great Scandi Noir tv series
called The Bridge?

Hi Viv,
I know about that series, but never got the urge to watch it.
Actually, I don't like crime series at all, except for the once (long time ago) very famous German Derrick series.
I would love to drive on that "brunnel" (tunnridge) sometimes 
Cheers,
Filip

[Jay]

Hi everyone

Back from yet another amazing Mikkeller beer festival in beautiful Copenhagen. Some  special beers were sampled in some wonderful bars...and we even managed a day trip to Malmö in Sweden - a report will follow

Cheers
Jay 🇩🇰🇸🇪

[Trappist]

Hi Jay,
Nice to see you safe back home 
According the pix and the beer haul I saw on FB, you sure had a splendid time!
Looking forward to the report 
Cheers,
Filip

[Jay]

Here we go folks...

Day 1 -

After arriving at our hotel around 11am we left our bags as our hotel room wouldn't be available until around 2pm, not a problem as I'm sure we can find something to while away an hour or two...20 minutes later we were in Warpigs 














A couple of juicy IPA's each, some delicious BBQ food (including the infamous burnt end beans) also a new Henry tattoo for Linda and a special bottle for me (3 Floyds barrel aged Imperial Stout) before it was time to head back to our hotel to check in and a speedy unpack before heading around the corner to the Mikkeller Bar Viktoriagade and my was it rammed full, every seat taken inside and out with the line for the bar stretching 20 deep outside, we bit the bullet and decided to join the line (or rather Linda did) I snook inside to chance my luck and managed a window shelf ledge to perch at.
Seeing there had been a Voodoo tap takeover a couple of days ago there were still several of their beers available and my first was a Where Our Secrets Go (BA Imperial Stout) utterly delicious so given the opportunity another from Voodoo was chosen and this was one of the standout beers of our trip...Aphotic - 12.3% Imperial Stout aged in Old Forester Bourbon Barrels with cocoa nibs 😋







Time to move on and our first visit to ÅBEN and see the new in house brewery, the outside bar featuring a Seoul Brewery tap takeover, the inside bar purely ÅBEN. So my first was a Seoul Tropical Paradise DIPA was was thoroughly enjoyable before choosing a few cans to bring home.

















The time was now 4.30pm so decided to pay a new bar (to us) a visit - Dia'legd is a small one room bar opposite the Mikkeller bar we visited earlier, a Gamma Big Doink and Kasper Unknown Oat Pilsner were promptly ordered couple that with 20% off all beers for the first 2 hours (including takeouts) and it was a thoroughly enjoyable first visit








Back to our hotel to freshen up before nipping out for a bite to eat then one last bar and Fermentoren was the choice and again this was packed, luckily a couple of seats became available  which I quickly nabbed - a Dry & Bitter Double Dippy Doo (7.5% DIPA) and an Amager Black Nordic Skies (10% Imperial Stout) before heading back to our hotel for a couple at the bar before retiring for tonight...tomorrow we explore further afield 🇸🇪








Day 2 next

Jay

[John B]

Off to a lovely start Jay.     You and Linda manage to find some nice places to go, some of them pre planned and some just stumbled upon. I love that sense of adventure and discovering new beery places to visit.

Cheers! - John

[Jay]

Day 2 (Malmö)

After a wonderful Danish breakfast in our hotel we decided that today would be the perfect choice for a day out in Sweden. We had been toying with the idea of letting the hotel book us a return taxi but seeing as our hotel was just 2 streets away from Copenhagen Central Station we decided to go it alone and hop on the train.








So after negotiating the self serve ticket machines a couple of tickets were purchased and as luck would have it our train was pulling into the platform below and just 10 minutes later we were leaving Copenhagen behind and travelling along the coastline and onto the bridge across the sea (quite the unique experience) just over 30 minutes later we pulled into Malmö Central Station





Exiting the station we walked into a bright and sunny (yet cold and windy) Sweden, right across from the station we noticed St Jakobs Glasvasen coffee shop and bakery so that's where we visited. A most wonderful aroma greeted us as we entered...freshly roasted coffee beans, warm baked bread and sweet doughy cakes...YUMMY.
A coffee and cake the obvious choice in the form of one of the best Cappuccino's and a delicious crispy yet soft Kokostoppar (coconut cake) this was a pure Swedish Fika moment





Heading into town we decided to do a bit of beer shopping and the top rated place (on RB) was Systembolaget Hansa , a store located in the basement of Hansa shopping centre, not your natural choice or location for beer because from the outside it looks like any other clothes department store and indeed on entering you're greeted with clothes, perfumes and cosmetics but trusting online reviews we took the escalator downstairs where at first you hit upon a supermarket - no problem as we wanted to stock up with some Swedish foodie items.

It was only when we exited that we noticed an adjoining store that from the outside looked like a wine store (this had to be it) and venturing to the rear of the store we found beer...shelves and shelves of it, barrel aged Imperial Stouts, DIPA's, Belgian they had the lot.








After filing our beery bags it was time for a beer and just a couple of streets away from Hansa is BrewDog Malmö (might as well get our passport stamped) so a Fuerst Wiacek - Crowd Surfer (6.2% NEIPA) for Linda and a Hyllie Trappish (6.2% Dubbel) for me, both proper tasty








Time for a bit more shopping and some food so we headed towards the picturesque Lilla Torg area, a small cobbled square surrounded with colourfully painted ancient buildings, this would be the perfect location for lunch.





Sitting under the powerful heaters it was T-shirt temps and sipping on a wonderfully malty Eriksberg Vienna beer we ordered our food (meatballs the obvious choice) these are worlds apart from the spongy ones you get in IKEA...proper homemade Swedish meatballs with cream sauce, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers and lingonberries - it made for a most memorable experience








It was time to head back to Copenhagen so with Swedish filled hearts and bellies we made our way back in the direction of the train station (Linda however had other plans) because as the large brick station honed into view she suggested a little diversion to Hyllie brewery and taproom that was due to open in just 30 minutes, so just a 10 minute stroll from the station and we were outside Hyllie, an unassuming brewery that's easy to walk past as the only sign is a logo on a shuttered entrance, after a 10 minute wait the door opened and a bloke stated "bar's open" to the waiting group.





Inside was an open plan seating area with bar at one end and brewery further round the corner, naturally a couple of Hyllie beers were promptly ordered in the form of a One For The Money DIPA and PSI Imperial Stout and both were absolutely delicious, sadly it was time to head back to Copenhagen.














After a freshen up and a bite to eat it was time for a couple of new bars (new to us) firstly Taphouse, a large 2 storey open plan bar with 61 taps and this place was CROWDED but our luck held out because as I gazed at the tap list Linda nabbed us a couple of empty seats.








My first beer was a Fantome Saison and this was the murkiest Fantome ever (bottom of the barrel?) but the aroma and flavour were pure Fantome, my second was one Linda picked for me and what a beer...from Central Waters it was their Call Me Old Fashioned - a 12% American Strong Ale brewed with cherries and a touch of bitters then aged in Brandy, Bourbon and Orange Curacao barrels...this was bonkers good, it really did smell and taste like an Old Fashioned








Next bar and it was Godt Øl Craft Beer, a cellar bar that consists of several small connected rooms and like all bars it was packed but as we were in I want to the bar. The girl serving asked if we had a seat inside (luckily Linda bagged us a couple) she said if not it was a plastic cup to drink outside but we had a seat so glasses it was and my choice was an Akia - This Corrosion...12% Barley Wine, a perfect example of the style. Our second choice was again an Akia beer in the form of their Hopheadz DIPA and a Gouden Carole's Classic for me.








Whilst moving to a better seat a bloke came over and asked what I thought of the Akia beer, turns out he was from the brewery and he had heard me ordering my This Corrosion...after a great beery chat I chose some special beers from the cabinet and we made our way back home











Back in our hotel we decided to use our vouchers - if we didn't use the maid service we received a 100 Kroner per day voucher for the bar, so a couple of Grimbergen Ambree and cocktails before retiring for the night











What a perfect day it had been, the trip to Sweden is something that we'll definitely be doing again.

Day 3 and the festival to follow...

Cheers
Jay 🇩🇰🇸🇪

[Jay]

Off to a lovely start Jay.     You and Linda manage to find some nice places to go, some of them pre planned and some just stumbled upon. I love that sense of adventure and discovering new beery places to visit.

Cheers! - John

Thanks so much John, a lot of this is down to Linda, she really does find some really special places.

Cheers
Jay 👍🏻

[Trappist]

Well Jay,
So far, this is a splendid trip !!!
And... you managed to do that trip to Sweden too  ... simply fantastic 
Great beers, great beery spots, and an amazing beer shop in Sweden!!!
I'm so surprised that you found a Fantôme Saison! Although murky, the flavors were tip-top 
looking forward to part III !!! This sure needs to be on the main page SOON !!
CHEERS 
Filip

[Jay]

It's day 3 folks...festival day 🍻

Now seeing as we only need to be back for the 4pm kick off it means we have the morning to explore so it's off to the Torvehallerne market to pick up a few bottles at the Mikkeller and Friends bottle shop, so a quick taxi ride and that's exactly where we were.







The bottle shop had a Fremont bottle release just 2 days previous and luckily they still had quite a few available, my choice was a 2021 Barrel Aged Dark Star and a few special cans before moving on a couple of stalls to Tapa Del Toro (can't say that we're not creatures of habit)





After strolling around both markets Linda suggested a stroll back to our hotel in the direction of Peders, so after a lovely walk through Ørstedsparken public park we were outside the very unassuming cellar bar Peders (this is a bar that's very easy to miss and walk right on past) but hidden as it maybe it also was packed but again our luck was in as we bagged the only empty table








They have had some serious heavyweight tap takeovers the past couple of days and out of the 38 beers available well over half were Barley Wines and Imperial Stouts but seeing as we had the festival in a couple of hours it was just the one beer for me but what a beer I chose - Jackie O's BBA Oil of Aphrodite, 12.5% Imperial Stout with black walnuts aged for 12 months in Bourbon Barrels...delicious




Time to leave and get ready for the festival but not before Linda sent me outside whilst she picked me a special bottle to bring home and she chose a 750ml stunner from Forager and my first from this Minnesota brewery





It's festival time and time to join the masses at Øksnehallen, the large venue just moments away from our hotel in the Vesterbro area of town.

With an hour to go the buzz and excitement of the festival was filling the air, people all around sat at tables sharing beers, opening bottles and getting into the beery vibe





At 4pm the doors opened and we let inside, the scramble began - Linda heading to the left to nab a seat and me heading towards my first beer choice and the beer everyone was talking about, from Toppling Goliath it was their Vanilla Bean Assassin - however when I saw the line of people queuing I quickly changed my mind, it was the full length of the venue and almost back to the entrance (heard reports later that the wait time was 50 minutes) it may be a white whale of a beer but no way was I wasting a quarter of my time to try just one beer.





The rest of the festival was spent sampling some amazing barrel aged Imperial Stouts, fruited sours and DIPA's.






































At 8pm the bars closed and a Mikkeller stall opened selling freshly brewed IPA's whilst the DJ played music to the dancing crowd at the after show party, the atmosphere was electric as the whole building partied the night away, what an amazingly perfect end to another stunning MBCC.




















Our final day to follow...

Cheers
Jay