Europeans have a long and distinguished tradition of producing high-quality “gourmet” beer. In the Middle Ages, European monasteries began taking the art of ale production seriously, and even today, the ancient recipes of the monks are followed by several high-end breweries.
In the United States, there is also a growing trend toward more expensive, quality beer, but it is the Scandinavian country of Denmark which now holds the record for the most expensive lager in the world. Danish Brewer Carlsberg has introduced a gourmet beer called Vintage #1, which sells for approximately 400 US dollars per glass.
Carlsberg is the largest brewery in Scandinavia, and one of the top 10 breweries worldwide, so they are not exactly an independent microbrew operation. Still, the company has a reputation for quality, and the new Vintage #1 Ale is the culmination of their hundred year experience in brewing beer.
The new lager contains miniscule hints of flavors as diverse as vanilla, caramel and even prune. The ale is stored in aged wooden casks from Sweden and France, and Carlsberg will produce only 600 bottles, so the supply is definitely limited.
Besides the exotic flavors, Vintage No. 1 also packs quite a punch. It is rated at 10.5% proof, significantly higher than any beer sold in America. Carlsberg has even announced that they will begin producing a different version of the Vintage #1 ale that is even more expensive. The new version is set to be debuted in 2010, according to Carlsberg Co. officials.
But is there really a market for a high-end beer that cost $400 a glass? Obviously the Danes think so. Vintage #1 is already being offered at three different Copenhagen restaurants, and sales are said to be “brisk.”
The production of such an upscale beer directly correlates with the rise in individual wealth that is being seen throughout northern Europe. Denmark, for example, is a small nation of 5.4 million people, but as of 2007 had 16 billionaires. In fact, the number of billionaires worldwide climbed to a record 946 last year, according to Forbes magazine.
The rise of the billionaires and the “superrich” make products such as the Carlsberg Vintage #1 viable options within the market. It’s ironic though, that Denmark is also one of the most socialist of European countries, and yet the number of multimillionaires and billionaires in the country has been rising significantly over the past decade.
So if you can appreciate a “really” high-end Danish beer (and you have $400 to spend on a single glass), try the new Carlsberg Vintage no. 1. It won’t be available as an export, so you will have to fly over the Copenhagen to get one. But then, if you can afford $400 for a beer, that should be no problem at all.
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You lost absolutely all credibility with these comments: “It is rated at 10.5% proof, significantly higher than any beer sold in America, and “the new lager contains …”
10.5º proof (proof is referred to in degrees not percentages) is only 5.25% ABV. And barleywines are not lagers but ales.
Of course, you mis-spoke - the beer is actually 10.5% ABV - which is well within the normally expected range for a barleywine, and even minimal research would have shown you that there are a great many beers available in the USA that are at least as strong as this, and some few that are in fact twice as strong. And nor are all of these stronger brews imported.
Here’s the brewer’s description of the ale:
lagret på et svensk egetræsfad Denne Barley wine er lagret i 6 måneder på et svensk egetræsfad fra Hjo, i J.C. Jacobsens originale kælder fra 1847. Farven er kastaniebrun med Café au Lait farvet skum. Aromaen er præget af svesker, vanilje, egetræ og karamel. Smagen er fyldig med en let og afrundet lang bitterhed. Egner sig fortrinligt til en blåskimmelost, cremet chokoladekage eller f.eks. Créme Brulée. Forside-etiketten er et litografisk tryk fra sten af Frans Kannik. Trykt i 2008 i et oplag af 100 eksemplarer. Etiketten format er inspireret af tiden før 1881 og er ét ud af en serie på fire. Specialøl brygget af bygmalt, sirup af invertsukker & humle. Alkohol: 10,5% Vol Netto: 37,5 cl Mindst holdbar til 2018
Comment by Tracey — April 18, 2008 @ 1:22 pm