Editing Beer in Sweden

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[[File:Swedish beer.jpg|thumb|Beer made by [[Spendrups|Mariestads]]]]

[[Beer]] in Sweden has a history that can be traced to the late [[Viking Age|Iron Age]].

==History==
[[Ale]]-[[brewing]] history in [[Sweden]] predates written records. Through old writings, such as [[Hávamál]], the [[Viking Age|Norse]] culture produced ale and [[mead]]. Mead was preferred, and ale was the most common.{{Cn|date=November 2023}} The Scandinavians also had access to wine and beer. Modern reproductions of Norse brews have been known to produce ale as strong as 9 percent [[Alcohol by volume|ABV]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gately|first1=Iain|title=Drink : a cultural history of alcohol|date=2009|publisher=Gotham Books|location=New York|isbn=978-1-592-40464-3|edition=1. ed., 1. paperback print.}}</ref>  Up until the 19th century, brewing was mostly a matter of production for household needs. The beer was usually weak in alcoholic content.{{Cn|date=November 2023}} For celebrations and feasts, stronger "feast-beer" and potent mead were brewed. With the advent of the [[Industrial Revolution]], the Swedish brewing industry arose.

In the mid-19th century, a multitude of small breweries grew into existence in the larger cities of Sweden. In the beginning of the 20th century, a trend of consolidation with mergers and buyouts began, which culminated in the late 1970s and the beginning of 1980. This led to the formation of three large brewery conglomerates; [[Pripps]], [[Spendrups]] and [[Bryggeri AB Falken|Falcon]], which pushed the smaller breweries. This led to a stereotype of the Swedish beers available as easily drinkable [[lager]]s, lacking in taste and character.

In the late 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, a new generation of small breweries spearheaded by the likes of Stockholm's [[Nils Oscar Brewery]] began to grow alongside the large companies. These companies offer customers many choices, and many of the beers are produced in Sweden with cultivated [[Yeast#Beer|brewing yeast]]s (often imported from [[Germany]], [[Belgium]] or [[United Kingdom|Britain]]).

==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>

==See also==
{{portal|Beer|Sweden}}
* [[Beer and breweries by region]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Beers of the world}}
{{Portalbar|Beer|Sweden}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beer In Sweden}}
[[Category:Beer in Sweden| ]]