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Knut Albert Solem

@knutalbert.bsky.social
262 followers 422 following 296 posts

Beer writer, beer traveller.

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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Not that Amager Bryghus is in any way political. The beer? An 18% IPA.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A few nice beer places in Trondheim. One to be featured on Substack shortly, but also Øx Tap Room snd Trondhjem Mikrobryggeri.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Beware of Danes crossing. Report from a mountain brewery. knutalbert.substack.com/p/the-best-b...
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Lars Marius Garshol @larsga.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
My new book is finally out! A short, readable overall history of beer tracing the long lines in the development of beer. Seeing history like that inevitably brings out an overlooked side of the history of beer: beer as a source of massive power. Please repost! www.garshol.priv.no/download/pow...
garshol.priv.no
The Power of Beer
Personal site of Lars Marius Garshol.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The hunt for the first Norwegian pilsner.
knutalbert.substack.com
The First Norwegian Pilsner
Fancy a pils?
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Alan McLeod / A Good Beer Blog @agoodbeerblog.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Today's beery news notes were brought by many inc: @knutalbert.bsky.social @morrighani.bsky.social @katiematherkm.bsky.social @pelliclemag.com @davidjesudason.bsky.social @boakandbailey.bsky.social and a tie in the battle for newbie level expertise supremacy - plus some odd gak called protein beer.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Pravda Brewery in L’viv has done a first - a beer in honor of a Norwegian politician. Former prime minister and Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, is probably unaware of this. This could become a collectors item. The beer? Not bad at all, a bitter old school IPA.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Better off as an independent beer shop.
substack.com
Storo Ølutsalg
Better off as an independent beer shop
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Andreas Krennmair @akrennmair.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Here's a job ad from 1841, in which the citizens of Pilsen with the right to brew announced that they were currently building a brewery, to be finished in autumn 1842, and that they were looking for a brewer to fill the position of managing director or brewmaster by end of May 1842. #beerhistory
An ad, translated to English it says:

For brewers

The brewing-entitled citizens of Pilsen in Bohemia are constructing a brewery for lager, which is due to be completed and brought into operation in the autumn of 1842. The brewery is situated on the river, equipped with all necessary premises, accommodation and an excellent rock cellar, and will have a sufficient stock of malt; the brew is calculated at 64 Austrian buckets and the annual production at approximately 8,000 to 10,000 buckets. To manage this business, an experienced brewer, fully qualified in his field and able to provide evidence of this through references and a suitable security deposit, is sought as manager or brewmaster; he is assured of a reasonable salary, in addition to free accommodation, the use of spent grain and waste products, a licence to serve beer to be obtained, and similar benefits.

Those wishing to apply should do so in writing, or preferably in person for the sake of better communication, by the end of May 1842 at the latest, to the committee of the brewing-entitled citizens of Pilsen in Bohemia.

source: https://digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb10504562?page=752,753
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Pete Brown @petebrownbeer.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Hell yes. It was a long time ago. I can’t remember if I was in an office overlooking Hyde Park, London, where I worked, watching in terror with my coworkers as the whole thing unfolded, or if I was heroically digging bodies out of the rubble with my bloodied bare hands. Dodgy memory these days.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Meet a few brewers at Trondheim Brewery Festival. More regular updates to come. #bskybeer
knutalbert.substack.com
Behind the bar
Before the opening each day at Trondheim Brewery Festival, there is hectic activity.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Cafe Amsterdam, Oslo. Fine range of Belgian and a few Dutch beers and snacks. Friendly chatter, friendly service. A good place to meet up, hang at the bar or read a book.
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The Beer Nut @thebeernut.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
In accordance with Bavarian tradition, a waiter will roll the coffin back and forth a few times on the table before opening. drinksint.com/erdinger-own...
drinksint.com
Erdinger owner Werner Brombach dies aged 86 - Drinks International
German brewer Erdinger Weissbräu has announced the passing of its owner, Werner Brombach, following a short illness.
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Evan Rail @evanrail.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
I’ve seen Lars Marius speak at conferences and it’s always been super interesting and wildly popular with attendees. Set something up, people!
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Trondheim Brewery Festival. Day 2 starts in ten minutes. 30 breweries, and the sun is peeking through.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Beer imports in pre-war Norway, what the newspaper ads can tell. @beerpuffery.bsky.social
substack.com
Yesterday’s papers - international beer brands in pre-war Norway
The National Library of Norway is - among many other things - a time machine.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Today I recomment Freising as a stopover - or a destination. #Bskybeer
open.substack.com
Freising - a perfect stopover
How long is the perfect stopover between flights?
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Barry M @barmas.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Preparing for labelling. I can’t help do something else on bottle 42 of each release, and wonder if the person who receives it will get the reference. 😁
Part of a cider label, bottle 42 of 60, and I’ve written “don’t panic” beside it.
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Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 23/07/2026
even if It happened tomorrow and all the destructive trade policies of the past 1.5 years were instantly undone, it wouldn't address the fundamental demand-side issue. the bulk of available evidence suggests the canadian drinking public just does not want to drink american booze anymore.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The Norwegian Government proposes minor changes to allow direct sales of alcohol from producers to consumers. I'm not very impressed. #BskyBeer
open.substack.com
Towards a more liberal Norwegian alcohol legislation
We don't need no education
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Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 20/07/2026
the irony of trump citing mistreatment of the american booze business as impetus for a new tariff that is almost certain to further decimate the american booze business really speaks to the mayhem of the moment i guess
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
One of the highlights fo the beer year for me - Bryggerifestivalen i Trondheim - The Trondheim Brewery Festival. Good beer, good people.
open.substack.com
Back to Trondheim
In the beginning of August, I’m behind the bar at the biggest beer festival in Norway.
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Alan McLeod / A Good Beer Blog @agoodbeerblog.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
This week's now updated beery news notes were brought to you by @eoghanwalshbxl.bsky.social @boakandbailey.bsky.social @theguardian.com @everypubindublin.ie @morrighani.bsky.social @thebeernut.bsky.social @nigelsadler.bsky.social @velkyal.bsky.social @knutalbert.bsky.social @beervana.bsky.social
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
A new edition of the @camraofficial.bsky.social Good Beer Guide Belgium is very welcome. Well researched, well written. Cheers to Tim Skelton for carrying the torch forward!
open.substack.com
A welcome update on the Belgian beer scene
Tim Skelton: Good Beer Guide Belgium, Ninth Edition
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
There is beer to be found everywhere - if you look.
open.substack.com
Kalamata, Greece - good beers in a nice town
Most travelers flock to the Greek islands, but the mainland is well worth considering too — especially if you’re looking for a good beer selection.
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Historic Beer Ads @beerpuffery.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Sometime in the 1930s, Schepp's beer in Dallas offered a promotion: All you can drink for 60 cents an hour. Unrelated, Schepp's went out of business in 1939.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Recommended reading:
beervanablog.com
Samuel Smith's Strange Patriarch Has Died at 81 — Beervana
Humphrey Smith, the patriarch of the Samuel Smith Brewery, has died. He was a man who lived in the ‘70s—the 1870s. And in his later years, his “traditional” approach, lauded in the newspaper obits yes...
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
You don't have to go to the big beer festivals to have a good time.
open.substack.com
A small beer festival in a small town
Mellbygatans Beerfest
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
I was in Munich in June - I think in 2015. I found this sign in a shop window…
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
A small beer festival in a small town. 30 degrees. Mellbygatans Beerfest in Lidköping, Sweden. Proper food, too. Bliss.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Last post from Germany for now - I couldn't leave Düsseldorf out, could I? Off to Sweden again tomorrow for a small, local beer festival. And to avoid the mayhem around here when Norway meets whoever on Friday evening.
open.substack.com
Düsseldorf - hope you won't mind the crowds
Düsseldorf is a very convenient starting point for a beer tour of Germany.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Why not. I’d be interested to know about the beer range, though.
independent.co.uk
Lidl opens first-ever pub, The Middle Ale
The move is a strategic manouevre to navigate Northern Ireland's strict alcohol licensing laws
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
A rural Norwegian brewery today: substack.com/@knutalbert/...
substack.com
Rodebak Farmhouse Brewery
Small scale brewer getting better distribution.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Suburban Altbier before venturing into Düsseldorf. The detours are often the most charming. #BskyBeer
open.substack.com
A few beers in Ratingen
I was asked to follow up my piece about Cologne with one on Düsseldorf.
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Barry M @barmas.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
I spent a stupid amount of time writing & rewriting this, so I hope it ended up being an enjoyable read. I have to admit, I didn’t fully appreciate what has happened with Norwegian cider till I visited, and that context, the integration with farming, tourism, gastronomy, is something rare.
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Historic Beer Ads @beerpuffery.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Ballantine, 1957. This ad's got layyyers...shifting consumer tastes, early nods to light beer, highlight specific hop varieties (in the 50s!), and using ale vs lager distinctions to juice the stats.
Magazine ad for Ballantine Ale. Shows animated image of two couples in a middle class home parlor. One couple is playing the piano together while the second couple entertains, the man watching the players and the woman arriving with a tray of beers in glasses. Left of the image is a large bottle of Ballantine Beer and a foaming glass.

Text reads: "Enjoy the Genuine -- It's the trend, friend!

Only Ballatine Ale brews "Brewer's Gold" into Genuine Golden Ale Flavor!

Today's trend to Ballantine light Ale fits right in with the modern taste for the genuine in food and drink. "Brewer's Gold" is a rare, choice hops...one big reason for Ballantine's deep, rich, genuine flavor! Ballantine alone uses its famous true ale recipe to capture the precious, delicate flavor of "Brewer's Gold". In all the world, no other beverage brewed has such extra excellence brewed into it. No wonder Ballantine is today's favorite ale by 4 to 1. 

It's the trend, friend! They all ask for ale--Ballantine light Ale!"
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Brewing true Norwegian beer - in a building with a peculiar history. #BskyBeer
open.substack.com
Ølsmia
Brewing true Norwegian beer – and the ghost of a gift from Canada.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
A Pentecost Festbier from the amazing Franconian brewery Knoblach. Grainy goodness, bitter tail. Full body, 5,8%. Bought in Sweden.
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
As my Cologne Substack post proved very popular, I need to follow up with Düsseldorf. A pity my favourite brewery and their restaurant closed last year. #BskyBeer
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Enjoying a Maibock from Remmarslöv Gårdsbryggeri in Sweden, brought home from a quick border crossing yesterday. Full bodied, apples, a hint of apricots. Low bitterness, but not sweet. #BskyBeer
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Daniel Lawler @daniellawler.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Yeast has been growing in Oetzi the Iceman's guts for thousands of years, scientists have discovered. The lead researcher told me they reproduced the yeast to make a "very, very good" sourdough bread -- and are working on brewing beer. My story for @en.afp.com: www.yahoo.com/news/science...
yahoo.com
Scientists find yeast in ancient Iceman's guts -- and make bread
Yeast has been growing in the guts of a frozen mummy called Oetzi the Iceman for thousands of years, scientists have discovered, telling AFP they used it to make a tasty sourdough bread.So they tried ...
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Cologne. Go for the cathedral. Stay for the beer. Just don't expect soiltude. #Bskybeer
open.substack.com
A Beer Crawl Around the Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral is one of Europe’s most photographed, most visited, and—depending on the day—most queue-heavy landmarks.
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Boak & Bailey (Jess & Ray) @boakandbailey.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
BLOG POST: Pub people love to chuck around the term 'Britannia table' – but what is it, exactly? Why do we call it that? And what does this type of table *mean* to people? boakandbailey.com/2026/05/the-...
boakandbailey.com
The history and meaning of the cast-iron Britannia pub table
“Wait – how old is this pub table?” That’s what we asked ourselves recently while sitting in The Swan With Two Necks in Bristol, our pints wobbling about on a slab of cracked marble on an black-painte...
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
That’s a new warning for me. If you walk on the sidewalk, however, you’re likely ti be run over by an electric scooter. Stay at home!
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
How much of a loss are the breweries willing to make?
open.substack.com
The cost of attending beer festivals
For the brewers this time around
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Watch out! The Danes are coming.! Hand picked guests at Haandfest. #bskybeer
open.substack.com
Scandianavian brotherhood
Haandbryggeriet invites Danish guests
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
In case you find yourself in the Faeroe Islands open.substack.com/pub/knutalbe...
open.substack.com
A little gem in the middle of the Atlantic
Bitin, Torshavn
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Alan McLeod / A Good Beer Blog @agoodbeerblog.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Here we are. 48 hours past a frost warning. As many until Victoria Day weekend begins. I like Victoria Day. It’s the Boxing Day of springtime. More meaningful than Easter Monday but not by much. A celebration of the vestigial, like an appendix or clothes that no longer fit. Here’s the beer news!
abetterbeerblog427.com
A Magnificently Monarchist League-less Mid-May Beery News Note Extravaganza For Victoria Day Weekend – A Good Beer Blog
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Knut Albert Solem @knutalbert.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
My last report from the Stockholm beer scene - for now.
open.substack.com
A box full of beer
Lådan, Vasastan, Stockholm
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