Gothenburg beer gen.

Last Updated : 29/06/08

ith my last visit to Sweden being way back during my 1991 interrail I felt that it was time for a re-visit to this intriguing country which now has, in common with almost everywhere else in the world, a growing quality beer culture despite sales of alcohol being strictly controlled by the government through their Systembolaget shops. One of the most prolific beer scoopers outside the UK, Per Samuelsson, hails from Stockholm so surely the country must be doing something right in the beer stakes?

Our destination of choice was Gothenburg (Göteborg) for a number or reasons, of which three were trams, beer and anything with Goth in the name must be good! I did the usual research beforehand and discovered a clutch of excellent-sounding bars plus a brewpub and so, after having consulted Per for the necessary insider knowledge about beers and breweries to drink and avoid, it was time to book our flights on Ryanair which - amazingly - I managed to do for the all-inclusive sum of £18.50 each including all charges… now that’s just silly, but were we arguing? No chance, especially given Sweden’s reputation as a very expensive country!

The full report will follow at some stage before the next ice age but, in the meantime, here are the results of our beery exploits in the city. I’d recommend any scooper to visit as it’s a relaxed and laid-back place with some great local beers and good bars plus the brewpub is one of the most unusual I think I’ve ever been to… it’s not really a brewpub, more of a brew-canteen? The local micros are also brewing up some interesting ales with Dugges producing some delicious citrus-hop beasties such as Holy Cow IPA and there are some pretty decent stouts around too if you’re not a hop-monster.

Pannrummet Kök & Bar, Gamlestadsvägen 4. Open lunchtimes & 16:00 onwards Fridays.

This is one strange place… it’s not really a pub, more of a canteen for local workers, and only opens in the evening on Fridays yet it’s still well worth a visit. The tiny 1 barrel plant of the Ödman brewery sits at the end of the bar (which has two handpumps for the regular beer appreciation classes they hold) and produces three beers plus the occasional special. Drinking without eating is allowed although, with prices from 70SEK for a main course plus free salad bar and coffee, it’s definitely worth a cheap pit-stop in the food stakes. The brewer was very sociable, speaks excellent English, and is happy to stand and chat for ages about his brewery and beers throughout Europe; all in all then, a strange place but well worth the trip out of the centre.

Take trams 6 (Kortedala) 7 or 11 (Bergsjön) to the Gamlestadstorget stop. As you exit the tram you can’t miss the huge ex-wallpaper factory to your right; cross the river via the little bridge at the front of the tram stop, walk alongside the factory front for 25 metres, then turn right into the courtyard. Follow this down and the brewpub is on the left near the far end… it’s not that obvious, but after you’ve passed the narrow part of the courtyard it should be set back to your left. You can also take trams 4, 8 or 9 (Angered) to Gamlestadstorget although the stops are split and it’s further to walk from this platform!

A lovely long pub (and it’s definitely a pub not a bar!) on a quiet street out west which serves some excellent beers from it’s dozen or so taps and large bottle range. Handpumped beer is also served although this was only Shepherd Neame on our visit and looked as if it may be through fake handpumps (not 100% sure on this!)… However, crappy UK beer isn’t what you’ll be here for, so I’d get stuck into the guest taps which feature Swedish micro brewers and change frequently. Overall, then, this is a lively and sociable pub with some good local beers on tap and bottle plus it’s a mere five-minute walk from the excellent Haket. The food looked good, although we didn’t partake, and they major in beefburgers!

Take trams 1,3,9 or 11 to Järntorget. Head left across the top of the square in front of the trams (assuming you’re heading out of the city) and you’ll see Andra Långgatan on your right a short distance along Linnegatan. The pub is 100 metres on your left at the junction of Nordhemsgatan and is very obvious – even I saw it!

Delirium Café, Kronhusgatan 2. Open Saturday from 14:00, Friday from 15:00, rest of week from 16:00 until 01:00.

I’m not sure if this place is in any way allied to the Brussels/Gent cafés of the same name, although I have suspicions that it may be… whatever, it’s probably one of the two best bars in Gothenburg and, as a bonus, it’s only a few minutes’ walk from the centre and Gustav Adolf Torg. It majors in Belgian beers with a huge selection which includes some absolute whoppers such as 3 Fonteinen, although you’ll pay for them! More of interest to the beer scooper visiting the country to score some local beers is that the bar stocks several Swedish micro brews amongst it’s large tap list of 30+ beers (plus cask ale) and there are also some good micro bottles to be scooped in the list of well over 1000. Food is available, although we just had the bowl of chips plus a portion of cheese, plenty adequate to prevent beer overload. Overall, then, Delerium is a centrally-located bar with a great beer range, lots of space inside and I honestly can’t think of anything bad to say about the place; even the staff were cheerful and speak good English, which helps a lot!

Take any tram to Brunnsparken then walk along the canalside (Norra Hamngatan) past the statue of Gustav Adolf until you reach a bridge. Turn right, away from the bridge, along Smedjegatan and you’ll find the bar on your left at the third crossroads of Kronhusgatan.

This is the second (with Delirium) of the best bars in Gothenburg although it’s different in almost every way. For a start it’s situated out in the wilds of west Gothenburg, secondly it’s more of a locals bar than one for beer lovers (although they obviously visit too!) and thirdly it’s a hell of a lot smaller… but apart from these minor points it’s just as good, if not better, than Delirium and is well worth the ten minutes on a tram to get there. There’s not a lot of room inside but the exterior pavement area is great if the sun’s out and you can sit there tram-spotting all evening if that’s what you like doing. Behind the bar are several large fridges filled with bottles and, although the tap list of 5 isn’t particularly interesting, the bottle list most definitely is with local boys Ocean and Dugges featuring strongly along with several hundred more – see the list here. This bar is much more down-to-earth than Delirium but a visit to both is essential to get the full picture and this is highly recommended, plus several other good bars are close by at Järntorget.

Take tram 3 (Marklandsgatan), 9 (Kungssten) or 11 (Saltholmen) to Masthuggstorget and walk 50 metres further along the road and you’ll see the bar on the left-hand side.

Systembolaget, Lilla Klädpressaregatan, Nordstan shopping centre. 10:00 - 18:00.

I’d expected a state alcohol monopoly to be all grim Soviet-style unsmiling staff, austere décor and bare shelves with random drunks clutching brown paper bags whilst mumbling to themselves yet, at the Nordstan branch at least (plus others we went past on a tram), things proved to be just the opposite with bright, modern shops staffed by perfectly normal people and shelves literally groaning under the weight of a massive array of all types of drink imaginable… the beer selection spanned everything from crappy multinational tat to rare imported micro-beers via a decent selection of Swedish micros and even some UK beers (including Brewdog Punk IPA!) and it seems that from the beers on offer someone - i.e. the buyer - knows what he/she’s doing with regards to good beer and is trying to get as much quality stuff as possible.

It’s not just beer, however, as we saw hugely rare Ports such as Krohn 1966 Colheita and rows of top wines plus proper vodka and Akavit… all products available are listed in a brochure which almost makes you wish we had state alcohol control back in the UK and, as a final bonus, the prices are eminently reasonable with most beers coming in at around 20SEK a bottle with the American ones closer to 30SEK, although this is still under half of what you’ll pay in any bar.

There are Systembolaget shops all over the place (there’s a big one close to Jagerdorffsplatsen) but the one in the huge unsightly Nordstan shopping centre opposite the rail/bus stations is easiest to find. It’s on the ground floor at the very top end of the centre where the exit to Kanaltorgsgatan is located; from the station, enter the centre via the subway and, at the big crossroads in the centre, turn right. Head along past the dazzling array of consumer goods and into another section of the centre where you’ll find the surprisingly large store on your right close to the exit onto Kanaltorgsgatan.

Apparently this is a decent enough bar with a good range of micro beers in bottle plus it’s not too far from the beery delights of Järntorget, although the “sportsbar” bit did put me off!

Tram 2 (Högsbotorp) to Brunnsgatan, then walk back along Risäsgatan for 50 metres.

The Bishops Arms is the name of a chain of bars throughout Sweden which apparently stock some decent micro brews although, unfortunately, we ran out of time and inclination to visit any of them. The three Gothenburg pubs are located at Järntorget 6 (on the city-centre side of the square, see Rover for tram details), Kungsportsavenyn 36-38 (close to the Berzelligatan tramstop, trams 4 or 5) and finally Västra hamngatan 3 (just north of Domkyran tramstop, nos 1, 2, 9, 6 or 11, it’s on the left-hand side of the road in what looks like a cellar).

A bar with, so I’ve read, a good range of micro beers and it’s close to Valand tramstop and the Bishop’s Arms at Kungsportsavenyn; from the Valand stop, head south down Avenyn one block until you reach Kristinelundsgatan, turn right, and the bar should be two blocks along at the junction of Chalmersgatan. The owner is apparently quite keen on his micro-brewed beer which bodes well for the range, shame we didn’t have time to visit. The name means "Three small rooms" if you were wondering.

Brasserie Ferdinand, Drottninggatan 39. Monday-Friday 11.30-15.00, Saturday 12.00-17.00, Monday-Saturday 18.00-23.00.

This sounds like a cellar bar with, according to reports I’ve seen, a decent list of micro beers in bottle. From the busy Brunnsparken tram junction (every tram except 8!), head south over the canal - away from Gustav Adolf’s statue - and you’ll find Drottninggatan to be the second road on your left with the bar a short distance along.

I received some gen from Per Samuelsson about the local (and not so local) micros so, for completeness, I’ll post the information here.

Gothenburg (Göteborg) is situated on the west coast of Sweden and is a modern yet attractive city with a noticeable lack of vehicle traffic compared to most other European cities I’ve visited although whether this is due to the carrot of excellent, cheap public transport or stick of taxation was unclear to us! Nevertheless, the lack of cars makes for a relaxing environment in which to wander and/or drink and the city is worthy of a visit without it’s beery attractions, even more so if you’re a sad tram lover as it has the largest tram system in Scandinavia plus the ferries out into the archipelago from Saltholmen (tram 11) are valid with city day tickets!

The city is quite small and, although not as pretty as some other Baltic ports such as Gdansk or Tallinn, it’s still well worth a visit to soak up it’s relaxed charms and decent supply of scoops. The pub culture seems to be well established with plenty of “English” pubs around if you want to drink tat but pay twice what you would back home, although I’d suspect most people reading this would be after scoops and there are plenty of those with Delirium café having 30+ on tap and over 1000 on it’s bottle list then Haket stocking well over a hundred on a well put-together bottle menu, and that’s without the Rover’s good draught selection and the various other bars we didn’t get time to check out!

Yes, beer is expensive in bars (around £5 a pint/bottle), but that’s not their fault so don’t hold it against them; beer prices in the bars averaged 50 to 60 SEK a bottle/pint which is, at current exchange rates, £4 to £5 a go – expensive, but nowhere near as bad as I’d feared. Bottles in the surprisingly excellent Systembolaget shops are around the 20-25 SEK mark and the range includes some cracking beers with Swedish micros featuring alongside oddities such as Brewdog Punk IPA, North Coast Old Rasputin and plenty of other American and UK bottles and, it must be said, the selection puts most UK beer shops to shame for both price and range… it’s a strange world, I expected a state alcohol monopoly to be dingy, dour and expensive whereas the total opposite is true!

Eating is an expensive occupation in Gothenburg, although here are some tips. First, take advantage of the Pannrummet brewpub’s 70SEK lunchtime deal, which includes a main course plus salad bar and unlimited coffee – a bargain – plus the beer is well worth a scoop being the city’s only brewpub. For those in need of a reviving espresso and/or cake there’s a great Konditori (kaffe und küchen, or coffee and cake café) very close to the Bishops Arms at Västra Hamngatan 2 called Konditori Brogyllen which is bang on the corner looking out over the canal and passing trams; the cakes were superb and the espresso pretty good too!

Flying to Gothenburg will invariably involve either a flag carrier to Landvetter airport (the main one) or Ryanair to the tiny City airport. City (GSE) is a lot closer to the centre than Landvetter, although both are served by dedicated Flygbusses which connect with flights and cost 60SEK single/110SEK (£5/£9.50) return to/from City with slightly higher fares to Landvetter. Tickets can be bought online via the website which avoids having to buy them on the bus, although I’m guessing that this wouldn’t be an issue. City airport is also served by the hourly 36 bus which calls at the end of the service road although this requires a change of bus at Skra Bro and is therefore only really for the really hard-up amongst us. The airport, despite it’s diminutive size, has an ATM outside (at the far right-hand end) so acquiring your Swedish Kroner before hitting the city isn’t a problem.

Ryanair fly to Gothenburg City from Stansted (up to three times a day) and Prestwick. Note that these flights can be very busy with business types as Gothenburg is home to a huge Volvo factory, although some bargains can be had with Ryanair’s regular offers. Other airlines serving GSE are Wizzair and Air Berlin from various European destinations. Landvetter can be reached from most major European hubs with flag carriers, but that’s hardly a positive thing so I’ll not bother explaining who flies there – if you’re that keen to part with your money you’re free to do so but don’t expect me to help you do it… unless you’re going to offer it to me, that is!

As for alternative methods of reaching Gothenburg, it seems as if the overnight DFDS ferry from Newcastle is now cancelled although you can still use the efficient rail system to reach the city with Stockholm a mere 3 to 4 hours away and Copenhagen a touch less; this makes for a superb possible move encompassing all three of Scandinavia’s best beer cities and you can also tag on a ferry to Helsinki if you so wish!

Public transport is operated by Västtrafik and is cheap, even compared to the rest of Europe; the day ticket for Gothenburg, the Rött Dagkort (red daycard), is 65SEK and allows 24 hours of travel (although not on night services…!) from punching onboard your first vehicle including city buses and trams plus the Saltholmen ferries. A tip given to us by the lovely lass in the Västtrafik office at Nils Ericsson bus terminal was to punch your ticket just after the hour has turned therefore getting almost an extra hour for nothing! The tram system is excellent and allows travel all over the city plus, as a bonus for those of us who inexplicably like trams, they have some heritage vehicles (M32’s) which resemble the unlikely union of an old VW camper van and a scarab beetle!

There are plenty of hotels in the city centre, as is to be expected, with many clustered around the station area which - in some European cities - is the cue for them to be seedy establishments offering rooms by the hour… this doesn’t seem to be the case in Gothenburg with all hotels impeccably presented and charging appropriate prices, although you can find some decent rates (especially at weekends) if you check the net; we found Skoosh to be the cheapest for our stay in the Scandic Crown which was quiet, comfortable and well-located (with tram views, too!) and with a huge, sprawling breakfast buffet which included everything from bacon and eggs to muesli and all in-between! Check hotel.info for a full range of hotels in the city. The city’s Ibis is actually a boat, not a building, although it’s slightly inconvenient to get to, but if you want to sleep on a boat it may be your first choice.


Delirium bar, Gothenburg	The best use for a minibar...	Gazza at the Pannrummet brewpub, Gothenburg	Haket, Gothenburg	Scooping at Haket, Gothenburg
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The Rover, Gothenburg
13/06/08