Both industrial and small-scale brewing have long traditions in Norway. Restrictive alcohol policies have encouraged a rich community of brewers, and a colourful variety of beverages both legal and illegal. The most popular industrial beers are usually pilsners and red beers (bayer), while traditional beer is much richer, with a high alcohol and malt content. Cider brewing has faced tough barriers to commercial production due to alcohol regulations, and the famous honey wine, mjød (mead), is mostly a drink for connoisseurs. Distilled beverages include Akevitt, a yellow-tinged liquor spiced with caraway seeds, also known as akvavit or other variations on the Latin aqua vitae - water of life. The Norwegian "linie" style is distinctive for its maturing process, crossing the equator in sherry casks stored the hull of a ship, giving it more taste and character than the rawer styles of other Scandinavian akevittar. Norway also produces some vodkas, bottled water and fruit juices. In rural Norway, it is still common to find hjemmebrent (moonshine). It is, however, illegal by Norwegian law to produce beverage with more than 22% alcohol by volume, and this only for personal consumption. Dairy is still extremely popular in Norway, though the variety of traditional products available and commonly in use is severely reduced. We have two makers of Dairy products: Tine and Q-meieriene. Coffee plays a large role in Norwegian culture, and it is common to invite people over for coffee and cakes, and to enjoy cups of coffee with dessert after the main courses in get-togethers. The traditional way of serving coffee in Norway is plain black, usually in a mug, rather than a cup. Coffee is included in one of the most traditional alcoholic beverages in Norway, the "kaffedoktor", or most commonly known as karsk, from Trøndelag. GoNorway show you a presentation of Norwegian food and beverages and in which county they are consider a speciality. Some producers name and in which place/county they are located. MACK BREWERY Mack Bryggeri was founded during 1877 in Tromsø by Ludwig Markus Mack, son of a German immigrant, businessman and local politician. He had been educated as a baker, like his father, but several trips to visit his brewmaster uncle in Bavaria led him to pursue construction of a brewery in northern Norway. As a result, Mack beers were, and still remain, a particularly German character. A large portion of the shares are presently owned by Ludwig Mack´s descendants. Mack Bryggeri claims to be the northernmost brewery in the world, a claim that is cited on Mack´s beer bottles. In March 2008, the company announced plans to move production to Nordkjosbotn, after over 130 years of operation in Tromsø. RIGNES BREWERY At Ringnes Breweries in Oslo they produce Ringnes Pilsner, Lysholmer, Frydenlund and Munkholm. Ringnes breweries own the rights to the Farris trademark. Farris is a brand of mineral water produced in Larvik. It is Norway´s oldest and by a distance best-selling bottled water. They own local brewery around the country. In the conty of Rogaland Tou Brewery, Mid Norway E.C. Dahls Brewery and in Bodø Nordlandsbryggeriet. They produce approximately 85 million liter beer every year. Ringnes produce beer after the German Renhetsloven from 1516, that means they used malt, humle, gjær and water in the production. Rignes & Co. was established by the brothers Amund and Ellef Ringnes and consul Axel Heiberg. In 1858 the two brothers has to leave their farm Ringnes Gård in Krødsherad. They travelled first to Drammen where they went to school, but after a few years the went to the capital and get a job at Christiania Brewery. After some time they met Axel Heiberg and he get down the money to establish the Ringnes Brewery. AASS BREWERY Aass Brewery was established in 1834 and is the oldest brewery in Norway today.It is located in the city of Drammen, approximately 25 km south of our capital, Oslo. You will spot it at the banks of the Drammen River at the very same place as it has been since 1834. The annual production of beer is aproximately 10 mill liter (85 000 barrels), and together with the production of 18 mill liters of soft drinks and mineralwater it gives employment to approximately 200 people. HANSA BORG BREWERY Hansa Borg Bryggerier was founded in 1997, after a merger between Hansa Bryggeri and Borg Bryggerier. The brewery is Norway´s second largest manufacturing and marketing of beer and mineral water from plants located in Bergen, Sarpsborg, Kristiansand and Olden. Beer brands include Hansa, Waldemars, Borg and CB, as well as Heineken and Clausthaler under license. In 1999, Hansa Borg acquired Christianssands Bryggeri (CB). This meant that Hansa Borg has nationwide distribution of all its three main brands of beer, as well as controlling the local markets in Hordaland, Østfold, and Southern Norway. In 2005, Hansa Borg acquired Olden Brevatn, a company that produces drinking water from a glacier in Olden. AQUAVIT Distilled beverages include Aquavit (akevitt), a yellow-tinged liquor spiced with caraway seeds, also known as akvavit or other variations on the Latin aqua vitae - water of life. The Norwegian linie style is distinctive for its maturing process, crossing the equator in sherry casks stored the hull of a ship, giving it more taste and character than the rawer styles of other Scandinavian akevittar. Norway also produces some vodkas, bottled water and fruit juices. Aquavit is a tradition several places. The best known is Løiten but Drammen has a number of fabrics producing this liquid. Drammen is a city steeped in aquavit traditions. In 1840 the brig "Preciosa" of Drammen crossed the Line (EQUATOR) round Cape Horn. Aquavit was part of the provisions on board, and this was how the Line Aquavit came to town. On return to Drammen after the circumnavigation of the globe it was discovered that the remaining Aquavit had obtained a rare, fine bouquet. Probarly the best known is "Løiten". ELECTION OF THE WORLD´S BEST AQUAVIT During the past five years, a BLIND TEST of the best Aquavits produced in Northern Europe has been organised by Drammen in cooperation with the embassies in Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland. The jury includes about 50 persons who elect the WORLD´S BEST AQUAVIT every year. Following FRANTZ TANDBERG´s old recipe from the 1840s, Arcus A/S (The Wine Monopoly) produced the DRAMMEN AQUAVIT again in 1997. Contained in a sealed OAK BARREL are about 430 litres of Drammen Aquavit designed to be opened for the city anniversary. The oak barrel has been signed by mayor Lise Christoffersen, Rolv Wesenlund and Roald Karoliussen. This oak barrel lies with a number of exclusive aquavit barrels, one donated to King Harald and Queen Sonja and two others to Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Martha Louise. Today we can still see the house in Bergstien where Schwencke had his first distillery. The unique Biedermeier district in Øvre Storgate is another place to see buildings where the best known distilleries were accommodated, e.g. Brodersengården where "golden drops" were produced during a long period of time, and Mossegården where Abraham Moss produced his "Drammen Aquavit" of national fame until the early years of our century. KARSK Coffee is included in one of the most traditional alcoholic beverages in Norway, the "kaffedoktor", or most commonly known as karsk. Karsk is a speciality of Trøndelag, with a number of local variants. It is still common to find hjemmebrent (moonshine). It is, however, illegal by Norwegian law to produce beverage with more than 22% alcohol by volume, and this only for personal consumption. VOSS WATER Voss is a Norwegian brand of bottled water, bottled in Vatnestrøm in Iveland. Perhaps more to the point in today´s world of lifestyle trends, Voss´s stunning cylindrical package has quickly developed a superior image and significant market share in the ultra-premium bottled water segment. The company says they adds bicarbonate to the sparkling version, hence the elevated mineral reading compared to the still version. Jarlsberg Filled Peppers Marinated Edam Cheese Meatball Snacks Stuffed Eggs Walnuts and Cheese Warm Lobster Salad Almond or Nut Cake Apple Cake with Sabayonne Birthday Kringle Cardamom Cone-Shaped Wafers Cherry Cream Cake The Dairymaid´s Wafers Deer Antlers Goro Fyrstekake Lemon Waffles Mother Monson Rosettes Tiny Almond Pies Tropical Aroma Cardamom Buns Else´s Coarse Bread Flatbread I Lefse Potato Lefse I Potato Lefse II Small Potato Cake Bergen Rumballs Caramel Pudding Cloudberry Cream Cookie Cones with Cognac Cream on Mixed Berries Festive Cream Cake Almond Wreath Cake Lingonberry Cake Madeira Cream Norway´s Grand Fruit Pie Sour Cream Dessert Omelet Strawberry Cake Roll Strawberry or Raspberry Ice Cream Troll Cream I and II Boneless Birds Cabbage Rolls Chicken Fricasseev Cotter´s Kettle Curried Lamb Fish Au Gratin Lutefisk Marinated Trout Meatloaf Nøkkel quiche Norwegian Burgers Norwegian Meatballs Norwegian Pancakes Pork Patties Loin rib of pork Reindeer Roast with Game Sauce Rømmegrøt Smoked Pork Loin Smoked Salmon Quiche Trout Paté with Chive Sauce Lamb in cabbage Lamb in cabbage (Fårikål) is a national dish. Open-Face Sandwiches Cabbage Soup Fish Chowder Lamb and Cabbage Stew Leek Soup Norwegian Pea Soup Orkdal Soup Sanvik´s Stew Sodd Trondheim Soup Sodd is a speciality of Trøndelag, with a number of local variants. The soup is always made with several different kinds of meat. In some places small flour dumplings and meat balls are added, in others just the meat balls. Sometimes neither are used, only the meat cut into small pieces and added to the soup. Cucumber Salad Boiled/Steamed Potatoes Creamed Green Peas Hasselback (Roasted) Potatoes Raw Potato Dumplings Rutabagas -   M  I  L  K   - There are two dairy companies on the Norwegian market. Tine milk and Q milk. The precise components of raw milk vary by species and by a number of other factors, but it contains significant amounts of saturated fat, protein and calcium as well as vitamin C. Cow´s milk has a pH ranging from 6.4 to 6.8, making it slightly acidic. The amount of calcium from milk that is absorbed by the human body is disputed. M I N E R A L W A T E R Farris is a brand of mineral water produced in Larvik. It is Norway´s oldest and by a distance best-selling bottled water. It has been mentioned in the literature as having positive health effect. Ringnes breweries own the rights to the Farris trademark. The products under the Farris brand are sparkling mineral water which also comes with various flavours.