In the past few years, Reykjavik in Iceland has become internationally renowned for both having a wonderful café culture as well as fantastic nightlife. On a Friday night, when the bars are busy and restaurants full, it certainly appears that Icelanders have enjoyed this culture for centuries – as well as the cold lager that nearly everybody is drinking.
Yet despite this apparent normality, scratching beyond the surface reveals yet another example of Icelandic ingenuity. For beer was in fact prohibited in Iceland until 1989 – a result of an early temperance movement.
Some Icelandic ‘pubs’, though, sought ways around the bill by selling ‘fake beer’ – a mixture of high percentage, locally produced high-percentage Brennivin combined with non-alcohol pilsner. A bizarre concoction, it was perfectly legal and apparently it was a pleasant drop too!
Once the beer ban was lifted, Iceland’s brewers have created a host of premium lagers relying on imported malt and fresh, pure Icelandic water. The majority are entirely natural, free from chemical treatment, and as such leave any imbibers with a remarkable clear head the morning after!
To sample some of Iceland’s newest ‘premium’ product, make your own visit to Reykjavik and enjoy the café culture that has sprung up around this remarkable city. And with your clear head the morning after, take advantage of the thousands of natural delights that dot the country – from Gullfoss to geysers, the Blue Lagoon to volcanoes.
Comments