Julmust
Encyclopedia
Julmust is a soft drink
that is mainly consumed in Sweden
around Christmas
. During the rest of the year it is usually hard to find in stores, but sometimes it is sold at other times of the year under the name must. At Easter
the name is påskmust (påsk "Easter"). The content is the same regardless of the marketing name, although the length of time it is stored before bottling differs; however, the beverage is more closely associated with Christmas, somewhat less with Easter and traditionally not at all with the summer. 45 million litres of julmust are consumed during December (to be compared with roughly 9 million Swedes), which is around 50% of the total soft drink volume in December and 75% of the total yearly must sales.
Must was created by Harry Roberts
and his father Robert Roberts in 1910 as a non-alcoholic alternative to beer
. The syrup is still made exclusively by Roberts AB
in Örebro
. The original recipe is said to be locked up in a safe with only two persons knowing the full recipe.
Must is made of carbonated water
, sugar
, hop
extract, malt extract, spices, caramel colouring, citric acid
, and preservative
s. The hops and malt extracts give the must a somewhat root beer
-like taste, but much sweeter. It can be aged provided it is stored in a glass bottle. Some people buy Julmust in December only to store it a year before drinking it.
during the Christmas season; in fact, the consumption of Coca-Cola drops by as much as 50% over Christmas. This was quoted as one of the main reasons that The Coca-Cola Company broke away from their contract with the local brewer Pripps
and started Coca-Cola Drycker Sverige AB instead. Coca-Cola Drycker Sverige AB produced its own julmust, albeit very slyly with The Coca-Cola Company's name occupying only a small space on the label. Their julmust was never advertised until 2004, when Coca-Cola started marketing their julmust under the brand "Bjäre julmust", but they bought the syrup from Roberts AB. By 2007 the "Bjäre julmust" was only sold at McDonald's restaurants and it had completely disappeared from Coca-Colas range of products by Christmas 2008.
. However, availability is not guaranteed; one is most likely to find it in stock in early December.
Kristall Beverage Inc. in Massachusetts, USA bottles julmust for sale in the USA.
In November 2004 PepsiCo
marketed a product somewhat similar in taste to julmust in the United States called Pepsi Holiday Spice. It was on sale during the 2004 and 2006 Christmas seasons.
Cost Plus World Market in the United States sells julmust during the Christmas holiday season.
Julmust is for sale at the two Totally Swedish shops in London, England.
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
that is mainly consumed in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
around Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. During the rest of the year it is usually hard to find in stores, but sometimes it is sold at other times of the year under the name must. At Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
the name is påskmust (påsk "Easter"). The content is the same regardless of the marketing name, although the length of time it is stored before bottling differs; however, the beverage is more closely associated with Christmas, somewhat less with Easter and traditionally not at all with the summer. 45 million litres of julmust are consumed during December (to be compared with roughly 9 million Swedes), which is around 50% of the total soft drink volume in December and 75% of the total yearly must sales.
Must was created by Harry Roberts
Harry Roberts (inventor)
Harry Roberts is the co-inventor of julmust and co-founder of Roberts AB in Örebro in 1910, Sweden. After studying chemistry in Germany during the late 19th century he invented the soft drink together with his father Robert Roberts....
and his father Robert Roberts in 1910 as a non-alcoholic alternative to beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
. The syrup is still made exclusively by Roberts AB
Roberts AB
Roberts AB is the company that makes the syrup for the traditional Swedish drink julmust. The company was founded in 1910 by Harry Roberts and his father Robert Roberts . The company is located in Örebro, Sweden and currently has 15 employees. The current owner is Göran Roberts, a grandson of...
in Örebro
Örebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
. The original recipe is said to be locked up in a safe with only two persons knowing the full recipe.
Must is made of carbonated water
Carbonated water
Carbonated water is water into which carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved, a process that causes the water to become effervescent....
, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, 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...
extract, malt extract, spices, caramel colouring, citric acid
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
, and preservative
Preservative
A preservative is a naturally occurring or synthetically produced substance that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, wood, etc. to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes....
s. The hops and malt extracts give the must a somewhat root beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
-like taste, but much sweeter. It can be aged provided it is stored in a glass bottle. Some people buy Julmust in December only to store it a year before drinking it.
Julmust vs. Coca-Cola
In Sweden, julmust outsells Coca-ColaCoca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
during the Christmas season; in fact, the consumption of Coca-Cola drops by as much as 50% over Christmas. This was quoted as one of the main reasons that The Coca-Cola Company broke away from their contract with the local brewer Pripps
Pripps
Pripps was a major brewery in Sweden and is now a part of Carlsberg, in which Pripps remains as a trademark. The company was based in Gothenburg; their main product was Pripps Blå. They also owned Ramlösa. Pripps was founded in Gothenburg by Johan Albrecht Pripp in 1828.-Beer:Pripps Blå, lit...
and started Coca-Cola Drycker Sverige AB instead. Coca-Cola Drycker Sverige AB produced its own julmust, albeit very slyly with The Coca-Cola Company's name occupying only a small space on the label. Their julmust was never advertised until 2004, when Coca-Cola started marketing their julmust under the brand "Bjäre julmust", but they bought the syrup from Roberts AB. By 2007 the "Bjäre julmust" was only sold at McDonald's restaurants and it had completely disappeared from Coca-Colas range of products by Christmas 2008.
Outside Sweden
Those outside Sweden who are curious to try julmust might be able to purchase and sample a bottle from a Swedish Food Market at IKEAIKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
. However, availability is not guaranteed; one is most likely to find it in stock in early December.
Kristall Beverage Inc. in Massachusetts, USA bottles julmust for sale in the USA.
In November 2004 PepsiCo
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
marketed a product somewhat similar in taste to julmust in the United States called Pepsi Holiday Spice. It was on sale during the 2004 and 2006 Christmas seasons.
Cost Plus World Market in the United States sells julmust during the Christmas holiday season.
Julmust is for sale at the two Totally Swedish shops in London, England.