Albani Brewery
Encyclopedia
Albani Bryggerierne A/S (Eng.: Albani Breweries) is a brewery located in Odense
, Denmark
, and the vast majority of its customers live on the island of Funen
. The brewery was founded by MPharm Theodor Schiøtz in 1859. In 2000, the brewery merged with Bryggerigruppen (now known as Royal Unibrew
), a group of Danish regional breweries.
Albani is most known for two of its beers, Odense Pilsner and Odense Classic.
. The taste is balanced between malt
and fruit. Two different types of hop
s are used, both come from Hallertau
in Germany
. It has been brewed since 1934 and was originally not part of the Albani Brewery's portfolio, but was introduced to the product line with the acquisition of Bryggeriet Odense.
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
, though it has a more dark colour than ordinary beers of the same type. The beer has a more rounded, but still powerful taste of malt and hops. It was introduced at the brewery's 140th anniversary in 1999.
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
for Odense Red Classic) is a Vienna lager. A mixture of dark caramel
malt and Münchener malt is used. The result is a dark beer with a somewhat rounded taste. The colour is dark golden red, which might be the source of the name.
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
. It was first brewed in 1962, when Odense Zoo's giraffe
(Danish
: giraf) Kalle was found dead, as the Albani Breweries had previously used this giraffe in its advertisement, it decided to create a special beer, the profits of which would be spent on purchasing a new giraffe for the zoo. The first year's production raised enough funds to buy two giraffes for the zoo.
Alcohol by volume: 7.2%
-type beer, first brewed in 1988 when the Albani Breweries decided to create a special beer to celebrate Odense's 1,000th anniversary.
The beer became so popular that Albani decided to keep it as a part of its product range. In 1989, it was marketed under its current name, honouring Hans Christian Andersen
. A small batch of HC Andersen is brewed every year, and released on Andersen's birthday, April 2. Each year's labels depict a different paper cutting by Hans Christian Andersen. The bottles are also serial numbered. As a result, the beer has become a collector's item.
The beer is bottom fermented and is matured longer than ordinary beer. The result is a beer with a light taste, considering its high alcohol content.
Alcohol by volume: 9%
for Blue light) and Rødhætte (Danish
for Red Riding Hood). Blålys was introduced in 1960, although it was not Denmark's first Christmas beer, Blålys effectively started the tradition of Danish Christmas beers. Denmark's first Christmas beer was produced by the Carlsminde brewery and had been introduced the previous year. Albani acquired Carlsminde in 1972. Both Blålys and Rødhætte are dark lager
s. The label depicts the church-like Gallery Tower of the brewery cover covered in snow. This is the reason why many people originally referred to the Christmas beer as the church beer . This only lasted a few years until other breweries introduced their own Christmas beers.
Blålys: Alcohol by volume: 7%
Rødhætte: Alcohol by volume: 5.6%
for Easter Brew), is a strong pilsener
, and the Albani Breweries' traditional beer for the Easter season. Easter beers were Denmark's first seasonal beers in Denmark, and were introduced by Carlsberg in 1905. The Påskebryg was introduced in the 1950s and is brewed from a mixture of dark and light malt.
Alcohol by volume: 5,6%
Odense Light: Alcohol by volume: 2.6%
Odense Extra Light: Alcohol by volume: 0.05%
in the Danish brewing industry, where the larger city breweries typically bought the smaller countryside breweries. Albani was part of this development, buying smaller breweries in Odense and around the island of Funen. Later, when Albani had a near monopoly
on beer distribution on Funen, Albani started acquiring breweries in other parts of the country; Sønderborg Bryghus, Bryggeriet Slotsmøllen, Baldur, and Maribo Bryghus, in each case, Albani taking control of the other company. Albani Breweries A/S merged with the Royal Unibrew group in 2000.
Other names used by the group are:
, was very fond of Albani beers. In a letter to a friend he described Albani beer as: Jeg kan ikke rose denne øl højt nok. Den er forfriskende, delikat og stærk. Prøv den! (English
for I cannot recommend this beer enough. It is refreshing, savoury and strong. Try it!) This quote is occasionally used in the company's marketing.
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, and the vast majority of its customers live on the island of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
. The brewery was founded by MPharm Theodor Schiøtz in 1859. In 2000, the brewery merged with Bryggerigruppen (now known as Royal Unibrew
Royal Unibrew
Royal Unibrew is the second largest brewery group in Denmark, selling under the brands Ceres, Faxe and Albani, although their best selling beer is marketed as Royal...
), a group of Danish regional breweries.
Albani is most known for two of its beers, Odense Pilsner and Odense Classic.
Odense Pilsner
Odense Pilsner is a pilsenerPilsener
Pilsner is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the city of Pilsen , Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842, when a bottom-fermented beer was first produced. The original Pilsner Urquell beer is produced there today.-Origin:Until the mid-1840s, most ...
. The taste is balanced between malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
and fruit. Two different types of hop
Hop (plant)
Humulus, Hop, is a small genus of flowering plants native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The female flowers of H. lupulus are known as hops, and are used as a culinary flavoring and stabilizer, especially in the brewing of beer...
s are used, both come from Hallertau
Hallertau
The Hallertau or Holledau is an area in Bavaria, Germany. At 178 km², it is listed as the largest continuous hop-planting area in the world...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It has been brewed since 1934 and was originally not part of the Albani Brewery's portfolio, but was introduced to the product line with the acquisition of Bryggeriet Odense.
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
Odense Classic
Odense Classic is a pilsenerPilsener
Pilsner is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the city of Pilsen , Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842, when a bottom-fermented beer was first produced. The original Pilsner Urquell beer is produced there today.-Origin:Until the mid-1840s, most ...
, though it has a more dark colour than ordinary beers of the same type. The beer has a more rounded, but still powerful taste of malt and hops. It was introduced at the brewery's 140th anniversary in 1999.
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
Odense Rød Classic
Odense Rød Classic (DanishDanish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
for Odense Red Classic) is a Vienna lager. A mixture of dark caramel
Caramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
malt and Münchener malt is used. The result is a dark beer with a somewhat rounded taste. The colour is dark golden red, which might be the source of the name.
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
Giraf Beer
Giraf Beer is a strong pilsenerPilsener
Pilsner is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the city of Pilsen , Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842, when a bottom-fermented beer was first produced. The original Pilsner Urquell beer is produced there today.-Origin:Until the mid-1840s, most ...
. It was first brewed in 1962, when Odense Zoo's giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
(Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
: giraf) Kalle was found dead, as the Albani Breweries had previously used this giraffe in its advertisement, it decided to create a special beer, the profits of which would be spent on purchasing a new giraffe for the zoo. The first year's production raised enough funds to buy two giraffes for the zoo.
Alcohol by volume: 7.2%
HC Andersen
HC Andersen is a strong aleAle
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
-type beer, first brewed in 1988 when the Albani Breweries decided to create a special beer to celebrate Odense's 1,000th anniversary.
The beer became so popular that Albani decided to keep it as a part of its product range. In 1989, it was marketed under its current name, honouring Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
. A small batch of HC Andersen is brewed every year, and released on Andersen's birthday, April 2. Each year's labels depict a different paper cutting by Hans Christian Andersen. The bottles are also serial numbered. As a result, the beer has become a collector's item.
The beer is bottom fermented and is matured longer than ordinary beer. The result is a beer with a light taste, considering its high alcohol content.
Alcohol by volume: 9%
Christmas Beers
Albani produces two Christmas beers Blålys (DanishDanish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
for Blue light) and Rødhætte (Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
for Red Riding Hood). Blålys was introduced in 1960, although it was not Denmark's first Christmas beer, Blålys effectively started the tradition of Danish Christmas beers. Denmark's first Christmas beer was produced by the Carlsminde brewery and had been introduced the previous year. Albani acquired Carlsminde in 1972. Both Blålys and Rødhætte are dark lager
Lager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
s. The label depicts the church-like Gallery Tower of the brewery cover covered in snow. This is the reason why many people originally referred to the Christmas beer as the church beer . This only lasted a few years until other breweries introduced their own Christmas beers.
Blålys: Alcohol by volume: 7%
Rødhætte: Alcohol by volume: 5.6%
Easter beer
Påskebryg (DanishDanish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
for Easter Brew), is a strong pilsener
Pilsener
Pilsner is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the city of Pilsen , Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842, when a bottom-fermented beer was first produced. The original Pilsner Urquell beer is produced there today.-Origin:Until the mid-1840s, most ...
, and the Albani Breweries' traditional beer for the Easter season. Easter beers were Denmark's first seasonal beers in Denmark, and were introduced by Carlsberg in 1905. The Påskebryg was introduced in the 1950s and is brewed from a mixture of dark and light malt.
Alcohol by volume: 5,6%
Light beers
Albani also produces two light beers, Odense Light and Odense Extra Light, as light alternatives to its original pilsener. These beers are brewed using light pilsener malt, Münchner malt, and caramel malt.Odense Light: Alcohol by volume: 2.6%
Odense Extra Light: Alcohol by volume: 0.05%
Mergers and acquisitions
At the turn of the twentieth century there was a large consolidationConsolidation (business)
Consolidation or amalgamation is the act of merging many things into one. In business, it often refers to the mergers and acquisitions of many smaller companies into much larger ones. In the context of financial accounting, consolidation refers to the aggregation of financial statements of a group...
in the Danish brewing industry, where the larger city breweries typically bought the smaller countryside breweries. Albani was part of this development, buying smaller breweries in Odense and around the island of Funen. Later, when Albani had a near monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
on beer distribution on Funen, Albani started acquiring breweries in other parts of the country; Sønderborg Bryghus, Bryggeriet Slotsmøllen, Baldur, and Maribo Bryghus, in each case, Albani taking control of the other company. Albani Breweries A/S merged with the Royal Unibrew group in 2000.
| Year | Brewery (Danish) | Brewery (English) | |
| 1905 | Slotsbryggeriet i Odense | Odense Palace Brewery | Merger (name still registered) |
| 1913 | Bryggeriet Sydfyn, Faaborg | South Funen Brewery, Faaborg Faaborg Faaborg or Fåborg is a Danish town with a population of 7,178 , located in Faaborg-Midtfyn municipality on the island of Funen. It was formerly the seat of Faaborg municipality. The seat of the new municipality is Ringe... |
Acquisition (name still registered) - later merge |
| 1923 | Bogense Bryggeri | Bogense Bogense ]Bogense is a town in central Denmark, located on Funen in Nordfyn municipality, Region of Southern Denmark. The town has a population of 3,679 .The city is connected to Odense and Middelfart via busses operated by Fynbus.... Brewery |
Acquisition (name still registered) - later merge |
| 1934 | Bryggeriet Odense | Odense Brewery | Merger (name still registered) |
| 1956 | Sønderborg Bryghus | Sønderborg Sønderborg Sønderborg Municipality , is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark partially on the Jutland peninsula and partially on the island of Als in south Denmark, at the border with Germany. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 76,236... Brew House |
Acquisition (name vanished) |
| 1968 | Svendborg Bryghus | Svendborg Svendborg Svendborg is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark. The town is in Svendborg municipality . Svendborg is the second-largest city on Funen and has a population of 27,009 .... Brew House |
Acquisition (name still registered) - later merge |
| 1972 | Bryggeriet Carlsminde | Carlsminde Brewery | Acquisition (name still registered) - later merge |
| 1986 | Bryggeriet Slotsmøllen, Kolding | Castle Mill Brewery, Kolding Kolding Kolding is a Danish seaport located at the head of Kolding Fjord in Region of Southern Denmark . It is the site of the council Kolding Municipality. It is a transportation, commercial, and manufacturing centre, and has numerous industrial companies, principally geared towards shipbuilding... |
Acquisition (name still registered) |
| 1996 | Baldur Mineralsvandsfabrik | Baldur Mineral Water Plant | Acquisition (name still registered) - Sold 2000 |
| 1997 | Maribo Bryghus | Maribo Maribo Maribo is a town in Lolland municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Lolland in south Denmark. To the north of Maribo is Nørresø and to the south is Søndersø . Søndersø is the largest lake on Lolland... Brew House |
Acquisition |
| 2000 | Bryggerigruppen | Royal Unibrew Royal Unibrew Royal Unibrew is the second largest brewery group in Denmark, selling under the brands Ceres, Faxe and Albani, although their best selling beer is marketed as Royal... |
Merger |
Other names used by the group are:
| Brewery (Original Name) | Brewery (English Translation) | Comment |
| Albani Bryggerierne (Albani Bryggeri, Bryggeriet Odense og Slotsbryggeriet) | Albani Breweries (Albani Brewery, Brewery Odense, and Slotsbryggeriet) | Formal company name from 1934 to 2001 |
| Danish Beer Exporters | Danish Beer Exporters Acquisition | Only a registered name |
| Sønderborg Mineralvandsfabrik | Sønderborg Sønderborg Sønderborg Municipality , is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark partially on the Jutland peninsula and partially on the island of Als in south Denmark, at the border with Germany. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 76,236... Mineral Water Plant |
Only a registered name |
| St. Hans Bryggeri, De Forenede Mineralvandsfabrikker | St. Hans Brewery, United Mineral Water Plants | Only a registered name |
| "St. Alban", "St. Knud", "St. Hanskilde", "Karolinekilde", "Thor" og "Odense Mineralvandsfabrik" i Odense | "St. Alban", "St. Knud", "St. Hanskilde", "Karolinekilde", "Thor" and "Odense Mineral Water Plant" in Odense | Only a registered name |
| Dansk Guldbockbryggeri | Danish Gold Bock Brewery | Only a registered name |
| Dansk Påskebockbryggeri | Danish Easter Bock Brewery | Only a registered name |
| Dansk Majbockbryggeri | Danish May Bock Brewery | Only a registered name |
| Dansk Julebockbryggeri | Danish Christmas Bock Brewery | Only a registered name |
| Mosteriet Abild, Haastrup | The Cider Mill Abild, Haastrup | Only a registered name |
| Giraf Bryggeriet | Giraf Brewery | National brand name |
| Giraf Breweries | Giraf Breweries | International brand name (Giraf Bryggerierne in English) |
| Albani Breweries | Albani Breweries | International brand name (Albani Bryggerierne in English) |
Hans Christian Andersen
Denmark's best known poet and author, Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
, was very fond of Albani beers. In a letter to a friend he described Albani beer as: Jeg kan ikke rose denne øl højt nok. Den er forfriskende, delikat og stærk. Prøv den! (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
for I cannot recommend this beer enough. It is refreshing, savoury and strong. Try it!) This quote is occasionally used in the company's marketing.