Editing Beer in Sweden (section)

==Classification==
{{main|Beer classification in Sweden and Finland}}
Swedish law defines two alcohol thresholds that govern where and to whom a given type of beer may be sold. ''Lättöl'', i.e., beer below the lower threshold (2.25% ABV), is considered a ''lättdryck'' (light beverage) and may be sold anywhere with no age restriction.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.riksdagen.se/webbnav/index.aspx?nid=3911&bet=1994:1738| title = Alkohollag (1994:1738)}}</ref> For ''starköl'', beer above the upper threshold (3.5% ABV) may only be sold in [[Systembolaget]] stores to people aged 20 or above and in [[pub]]s to people aged 18 or above. ''Folköl'' (people's beer), beer between the two thresholds, may be sold in grocery stores, but only to people aged 18 or older.

Since the 3.5% threshold is close to the alcohol content of an international lager beer, many international brands such as [[Heineken]], [[Carlsberg Group|Carlsberg]] and [[Pilsner Urquell]] are sold in two versions in Sweden – the internationally renowned product as a ''starköl'' at Systembolaget and a slightly watered-down version as a ''folköl'' in the grocery stores.

The modern trend is toward consumers increasingly choosing stronger beer than the 3.5% ABV brands, which are generally sold at grocery stores. Any stronger beer is sold exclusively at the government-owned retail monopoly, Systembolaget.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.euromonitor.com/Beer_in_Sweden
|title=Beer in Sweden
|publisher=www.euromonitor.com
|access-date=2008-08-23
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080916210649/http://www.euromonitor.com/Beer_in_Sweden| archive-date= 16 September 2008 | url-status= live}}
</ref>