 An illustration of two intoxicated 15th century Icelanders | |
| Type | Beer |
|---|---|
| Origin | Early settlers |
 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in Icelandic. (August 2015)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Beer in Iceland likely dates back to the island's settlement byNorsemen.[1] In more modern history beer was effectivelybanned inIceland for most of the 20th century. Since that ban was lifted in 1989, Iceland's consumption of beer has increased markedly and new breweries have begun to emerge.
Iceland's early settlers came from cultures where drinkingbeer andmead was commonplace. Poems such as theHávamál reference the drinking of ale (öl). Theclimate of Iceland (particularly the cooling trend of theLittle Ice Age,c. 1300–1850 locally) may have made beer production difficult as it became impossible to producebarley domestically.[2]
By the early 20th century, Icelandic attitudes toward beer and alcohol had shifted. Atemperance movement similar to that in other countries pushed for a ban on moral grounds. In Iceland there was a political aspect to the movement as well: as theIcelandic independence movement began to form, beer was often associated withDenmark and thus "not the patriotic drink of choice."[3]
In a1908 referendum, 60.1% of voters approved a complete ban on alcohol set to take effect on January 1, 1915. This ban was partially lifted in 1921 in response to a trade dispute withSpain andPortugal; the two countries threatened to stop importing Iceland'ssalt cod if they did not allow for the importing of Spanish and Portuguese wines. Public support for the complete ban eventually began to fade and, in a1933 referendum, 57.7% of voters approved lifting the ban.[3]
Despite the referendum lifting prohibition, beer was still prohibited from containing more than 2.25%alcohol by volume (well below the 4–5% of an average beer). Some full-strength beer was smuggled into the country or produced byhomebrewers. Icelanders also worked around the restriction by adding strong alcohol, such asBrennivin, to their beers which, while effective, was described by historian Unnar Ingvarsson as tasting "interesting and totally disgusting."[3]
In 1979, an Icelandic businessman, Davíð Scheving Thorsteinsson, attempted to bring beer into the country after a business trip. His beer was confiscated but he refused to pay the fine, arguing he should have the same right to purchase beer from aduty-free shop that airline personnel and foreign tourists were allowed to. While he lost his case the resulting press and attention provoked a new law which permitted Icelanders to bring 6 litres (12.2 pints) of foreign beer into the country.[3][4]
In May 1988, theAlthing passed legislation legalizing beer above2.25% ABV. The restrictions were lifted on March 1, 1989.[4] The lifting of restrictions on beer is celebrated asBeer Day on March 1.
After the prohibition on beer was lifted, Icelandic drinking habits shifted away from hard alcohol to beer and wine. Between 1989 and 2007, per capita liquor sales decreased by nearly half while per capita beer sales more than doubled. Sales in 2007 were 19.4 million litres.[5]: 13 A 2014World Health Organization report showed that 62% of the alcohol consumed by Icelanders came from beer.[3]
The two largest domestic brewers in Iceland areEgill Skallagrímsson Brewery andVíking (part ofCoca-Cola European Partners). Beginning in the late 2000s more small craft brewers have emerged which produce a wider variety of styles and have even won international awards for their beers. The termsbrugghús andölgerð are the most commonly encountered term for brewery.[2]
Off-premises alcohol sales in Iceland are available only through the state-ownedState Alcohol and Tobacco Company of Iceland (ÁTVR). They operate a chain of 46 stores calledVínbúðin. A bill was proposed in 2015 to end the state's monopoly on alcohol sales.[6]
This is a non-exhaustive list of Icelandic beer brands.
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