In the third in my series of Beer Geek Brunch Interviews I talk with Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, the ‘flying brewer’ behind the world famous Mikkeller brand who has amassed more brewing air miles than any other and ask him about the differences between the Danish and Swedish beer scenes, his need to teach and whether he gets bored easily……

Mikkel Borg Bjergsø - a man who gets bored very very easily (thank goodness!)

BeerSweden: First off Mikkel, as we’re sitting here in Stockholm, what is your impression of the Swedish beer scene?

Mikkel: There’s no doubt that the Swedish beer drinkers and the Swedish beer scene are a billion years ahead of the Danish in the sense that in Denmark it is a discount country and few people give a s%#t about anything as long as it’s cheap, which is very different from in Sweden. Swedish people are a lot more into what they do, so if they’re into beer they’re into it 100%. You don’t take the second best if you’re into it.

It’s probably why we sell at least five times as much beer in Sweden as we do in Denmark!

In Denmark in our bar in Copenhagen we have a lot of Swedish customers because they (and this isn’t to say my beer is best but) they know what quality is.  

You also have a lot of beer bloggers in Sweden and I don’t think we have any (Ed note: well there are a few, like this one, but not many). It’s just a different way of looking at things in the beer world.

Also when we come here you can almost feel it. When you talk to people it’s a different approach and people are a lot more enthusiastic about what you do in my opinion.

I enjoy coming to Sweden and doing stuff. We did a beer dinner in Helsingborg (Ed note: that would be thanks to Fredrik and Gastro!) a couple of years back and I think we had 160 people over two nights. That would be impossible in Denmark.

BeerSweden: One thing that fascinates me about you Mikkel is the sheer number and range of beer styles you brew. Do you get bored easily?

Mikkel: (laughing) Yeah yeah yeah, I get bored the second time I brew a beer. For me the fun thing about brewing beer is making something up, thinking up something, realising it in a brewery and then tasting it to see; did I get what I thought it would be? The second time I brew the same recipe I know what will come out of it and it’s not so interesting anymore.

That’s why I have at least, at least, 20 new recipes on hand at any time. Any time I drink a beer, where I am, if I talk to people that are into beer and they say it would be fun to taste something I always think “how can I turn this experience into a beer”?

BeerSweden: Most other brewers tend to stick with a beer that is successful. You on the other hand can brew an amazing beer and then move on and brew something completely different. Are you always going to do that?

Mikkel: I hope so. Last year I think we released 76 new beers and I thought, OK, that’s pretty crazy but I think this year it will be more actually.

BeerSweden: Of all these beers is there one that you’re particularly proud of?

Mikkel: Of course there are a few of them. I’m very happy about my light beer ‘Drink’in the Sun’ which this year is 2.4% ABV. It’s a beer that I made about three years ago (Ed note: it started off at 3.9% abv and is not currently available in Sweden) and I make it lighter (in alcohol) every year. I want to see how light I can make it and still keep all the flavours and stuff. It’s a beer you can drink a lot of but it still really gives you something. The style is an American wheat (30% wheat) fermented with an American ale yeast so it doesn’t have all those banana flavours and stuff and then I add Amarillo and Tettnanger.

Then…….every time I drink Beer Geek Brunch Weasel I like it. For me it’s the perfect Imperial Stout. Of course I’m not saying there aren’t better ones out there but for me…I don’t think I can make a better one. I don’t know how I would make it better.

BeerSweden: You used to work as a teacher. Do you still have that teaching ‘gene’ in you and are you trying to educate us through beer?

Mikkel: Oh for sure. I think with the single hop series, the yeast series, the barrel-aging series and now what we are doing with the lambic fruit beers for me yes it’s teaching people about beer rather than just brewing it. When I was a homebrewer I did single hopped beers myself to teach myself about the different hops. I think it’s really important for beer drinkers to learn more about their beer. In my opinion wine was, and still is, ahead of beer in the sense that when people drink wine they often know a little bit about it – what grapes are in it and such. With beer people just say “this is an IPA” and mean that it’s bitter. I think it’s really important to know what hops are in it and where it comes from.

BeerSweden: You’ve already achieved so much but what are your ambitions for the future?

Mikkel: This is a question I get asked all the time and to be honest I don’t have any f#%king clue! I don’t have any ambitions actually. When we decided to do a commercial batch for the first time coming from homebrewing we thought “if we could sell this batch it would be cool” but if we couldn’t we’d have 3000 bottles of beer and we could drink it ourselves. Then this batch was sold and we did the next one, then the next one. And here we are today.

If people lose interest in my beers I can always go back and teach. It not that I have a dream of taking over the beer world or anything. But of course I enjoy what we have now and enjoy that we’re growing and that people like our beers.

BeerSweden: Any plans for a Mikkeller Bar in Stockholm?

Mikkel: I would like that! We are also looking at a few other places as well…….

BeerSweden: Last question Mikkel – is there one beer style you would NOT brew?

Mikkel: (Long pause) Probably a German wheat beer because first of all I don’t really care for it and second of all the ones brewed in Germany that are really good would be impossible for me to do any better. Why do I style that I don’t believe I can add anything to? But maybe I will, one day, if I run out of other ideas……