Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.10.2013, Síða 36

We begin our adventure by looking
into the history of beer and its culture.
The lesson takes us back to ancient
Mesopotamia where an individual
thought for one reason or another that
it would be a great idea to drink water
containing rotting crops. Without this
selfless sacrifice, we may have never
discovered the wonderful effect that
fermented barley can have on people.
Stebbi continues showing off how well
his history degree goes with his love of
beer, suggesting, for example, that the
Egyptian pyramids were not built by
slaves, but by labourers paid in beer,
which may in turn may explain why they
are so slanted.
Stebbi traces Iceland’s history with
the same tongue-in-cheek attitude,
proposing that the south-west of Ice-
land was settled early not because of
its good weather, but due to how well
it was suited to growing beer-brew-
ing-barley. Several Icelandic heroes
are named and shamed as drunkards
including Egill Skallagrímsson, after
whom the brewery is named. He is said
to have been a terrible drinker from the
alarmingly young age of four.
The 20th century is talked about
in greater detail, as Iceland suffered a
ban on beer through the majority of it.
Stebbi uses every opportunity to joke
about politicians, religious orders and
doctors, detailing how the populace
thought of clever ways to get around
the prohibition. One example of this in-
cludes convincing the Supreme Court
that bars could legally sell pilsner mixed
with a spirit as it wasn’t beer, but a
cocktail that happened to taste like
beer. Then in 1989 Iceland became the
last country outside the Islamic world to
legalise the sale of beer.
Learning first-hand
is the way to go
The class is three or four beers in
when we stand up and take a stroll
through the building, visiting the Borg
microbrewery and the main Egils dis-
tillery. To comply with health and safety
standards set by PepsiCo, whose prod-
ucts are manufactured and distrib-
uted by Egils, everyone including the
bald students has to wear a hair net
throughout the orientation. It proves to
be worth the discomfort, as we get to
see just how massive the Egils opera-
tion is, producing an astounding seven
million litres of beer last year, compared
to Borg’s modest 100,000.
Sitting back down in the classroom,
the students get to taste seven different
beers—three locally brewed and four
imported varieties—that showcase dif-
ferent brewing methods. We start with
the Icelandic Egils Lite that is brewed
according to the American lite tradi-
tion, followed by the hops heavy Bríó of
the Borg brewery and this journalist’s
favourite Boli from the Egils main brew-
ery.
Contrasting with these Icelandic
beverages are imported beers from
the continent and British isles, each of
which is steeped in long brewing tradi-
tions: the bitter British Hobgoblin Ale,
smooth German Weihenstephaner, and
the dry roasted Irish Guinness stout.
The final beer of the night is the heavy
10% Le Trappe Quadrupel from the
Netherlands. It both steals the scene
and guarantees that nobody leaves Öl-
ger!in with a clear head.
Rich aftertaste
Stebbi keeps the lessons fresh and
light hearted, throwing in football and
political jokes as he refills everyone’s
beer glasses and snack bowls. He also
shows that he has lots of experience
running the class, raising his voice ap-
propriately when the students start
showing the effects of their beer con-
sumption.
The class runs longer than adver-
tised, but nobody complains. The infor-
mation sponges amongst us seem to
be satisfied with their newfound expert
knowledge, and will undoubtedly re-
count the difference between ale and
lager, and how processing the malted
barley in different ways leads to drasti-
cally different beers the next time they
go out for beers.
Even those who appear to care less
about what the IBU (International Bitter
Unit) scale is, what IPA (India Pale Ale)
is, and what temperature beer should
be enjoyed at, are happy to spend the
evening drinking beers with friends.
Words
Tómas Gabríel Benjamin
In a small lecture hall doubling as a private bar, twenty men raise their glasses and
have a big gulp of Egils Gull as Stefán “Stebbi” Pálsson begins the bjórskólinn (“beer
school”) curriculum. The school is hosted by Ölger!in, one of Iceland’s two largest
breweries, and offers the obtuse a chance to learn more about beer and its culture.
We recommend that students don’t arrive on an empty stomach and pace them-
selves, as even the hardiest of people can be toppled by the school’s free refills.
A School For The Beer-Curious
Trivia, laughs and wonderful beers
Magnús Andersen
Laugavegur 54
Issue 16 — 2013 36Travel
“Then in 1989 Iceland
became the last coun-
try outside the Islamic
world to legalise the
sale of beer.”
Bjórskólinn offers regular classes in Icelandic on Thursdays, and in
English upon request. The class costs 6,500 ISK and graduates are given
a shiny diploma.