Artisan breweries and taprooms in Gothenburg and West Sweden

The special thing about microbreweries is their passion for the craft and desire to produce a beer that is truly so much more than an insipid every day drink. Because there’s no doubt that there’s something magical about really being able to taste the hops in a perfect India Pale Ale, experience the smooth chocolaty darkness in an Imperial Stout or enjoy the fresh mouthfeel of a genuinely good wheat beer. And happily for us, Gothenburg is the leading place in the country for microbrewed beer.

Vega Bryggeri, Gothenburg

On Ringön, a former industrial area on the northern side of the Göta älv river in Gothenburg, the Vega Brewery is keeping old beer traditions alive, with a dash of innovation and great labelling. Their ambition to be sustainable is very much in focus. The brewing equipment was welded by a local welder and the business handles its own distribution to protect the environment as much as possible.

On Fridays and Saturdays you can dine and taste new beers in the Vega Taproom on Ringön, where you can see the cranes building what’s soon going to be an exciting new residential area in Gothenburg - Gullbergsvass.

Beerbliotek, Gothenburg

Just like the name implies (bibliotek is the Swedish word for library!), Beerbliotek has a collection of beers, where new offerings are being created at lightning speed. During the first year no less than 36 different varieties were released, and that number is now over 200, and growing all the time.

The brewery, which is run by six friends from five different lands, is in Majorna, and opens up the doors to its taproom every other weekend. Private beer tastings can also be booked by groups or for business events.

Dugges Bryggeri, Landvetter

Dugges is one of Gothenburg’s best known breweries. The magic happens in Landvetter, where Mikael Dugge Engström and his team create fantastically good craft beers. Surölen Tropic Thunder is one of their best sellers.

Next time you’re in Gothenburg you can pop in to Dugges PILS, which is the brewery’s own bar. You’ll find it in on Plantagegatan in Linnéstaden, where you can also get tasty small plates  matched to go perfectly with the beers.  

Poppels Bryggeri, Jonsered and Gothenburg

Every 20^th second a Poppels is drunk, but despite their phenomenal success this is still a brewery with a passion for traditional craftsmanship. A deep passion for beer is what drives the brewers in Jonsered’s historic factory setting. The brewery’s name is borrowed from one of the great brewers of the 17^th century, Johan Casparsson Poppelman, who lived in Gothenburg.

If you want to drink a Poppels beer in its rightful home you should visit Poppels Öl&Mat in Jonsered’s rust red brick buildings. You can also go to Poppels Citybryggeri in the centre of Gothenburg, where you’ll find the world’s largest oak barrel based pilsner brewery, where the beer is pumped directly from the brewery to the bar.  

Brukskällan Bryggeri, Bäckefors

In the heart of beautiful Dalsland, on the outskirts of the town of Bäckefors, lies Brukskällan Bryggeri, where craft beers, soft drinks, Christmas root beer (julmust) and tonics are made in every possible flavour. The brewery stands on historic ground, as one of the largest ironworks in the country used to be here, and you can still see the ruins of the old works today.

After-work drinks and pub evenings are often held at Brukskällan. Check out their website or social media so you don’t miss out on events. Groups can book beer tastings and guided tours of the brewery.

Qvänum Mat & Malt, Kvänum

In the middle of the grain rich Varaslätten plain lies the combined brewery and distillery Qvänum Mat & Malt, where natural beers are crafted that are designed to match with food. The water comes from the farm’s own well and brewing is done without additives or filtration, which means that the beer continues to age – it changes and matures over time.

Brewery and distillery evenings where you’ll learn about the techniques and history, get to taste samples and enjoy a pub menu in the restaurant are arranged regularly.

O/O Brewing, Gothenburg

O/O Brewing is an exciting craft brewery with inovative flavours and cool labels. You might be wondering where the name O/O comes from? Quite simply it’s the initials of the brewery’s two founders, Olle and Olof. Like many other businesses in this article they started off with a little home brewery and have subsequently grown to be a major player on the market.

At their place, O/O Bar near Masthuggs Church in Gothenburg you can eat good pub food accompanied, as you would expect, by a refreshing beer or two.

Smögenbryggar’n, Smögen

In 2019 the doors opened to Smögen Ale AB, a small scale craft brewery out on Smögen in Bohuslän. The focus here is on brewing beers with ingredients provided by the sea, such as seaweed, mussel shells, and sea salt. They have many exciting beer varieties, with everything from pale, amber and brown ale to stout and classic lagers.

Smögenbryggarn’s taproom is out on Smögen’s rocks, which you can get to by both car and boat. You’ll find a lip smacking selection of their current beer range here. 

Majornas Bryggeri, Gothenburg

Hunting for vegan beer? Then you should visit Majornas Bryggeri, where all the beer that’s brewed is vegan, unfiltered and unpasteurised for a tastier experience.

In the brewery pub on Chapmans Torg you can eat vegetarian or vegan dishes while overlooking the production rooms. Why not book a guided tour, beer tasting or brewing course – perfect presents for  beer lovers!

Stigbergets Bryggeri, Gothenburg

If you’re someone who chooses beers by the label on the can then you should check out the range at Stigbergets Bryggeri. Their creative and colourful labelling, often with an animal theme is definitely eye catching. The brewery is on Ringön on Hisingen, where you can have a beer at the bar, get a tour or book a beer tasting.  

They also run a restaurant, Stigbergets Shangri-La on Stigberget in Gothenburg. Don’t miss their fun pub quiz!

Oceanbryggeriet, Gothenburg

Oceanbryggeriet can be found in Åby outside Gothenburg, where they create, brew and bottle beers with a bit of a British influence. Their core range includes everything from Golden Glenn, Pils and IPA to British ipa and GöteborgsPorter. Classic Gothenburg motifs can often be seen on their labels, like fishermen and harbour cranes.

Pop in to their restaurant at Åbytravet in Mölndal and find your new favourite beer. They also have a stall selling low ABV beers (folköl).

Spike Brewery, Gothenburg

It all started when a trio of friends, Martin Johansson, Mats Wessberg and Marcus Axberg experimented with new beer flavours as a hobby outside of their day jobs. Now their business, Spike Brewery, has progressed a lot further than that, and they’ve already succeeded in opening their own brewery pub.  

You’re welcome to visit their taproom, get a guided tour of the brewery and of course taste their modern beers, where the hop flavours have really come into their own.

Taprooms in Gothenburg and West Sweden

A taproom is a bar within or next to a brewery, where you can drink fresh ales which have come directly from the brewery. You’ll find taprooms at the following breweries, among others:

• Spike Brewery
• Vega Bryggeri
• Majornas Bryggeri
• Poppels Bryggeri
• O/O Bar
• Beerbibliotek
• Smögenbryggarn

The story of Gothenburg – Sweden’s beer capital

Brewing and enjoying a beer or two is certainly not a new phenomenon in Gothenburg. Right back when the town was founded in 1621, beer breweries had their rightful place. And so it remained until the end of the 20^th century, when the city’s last commercial brewer – Pripps – was taken over by the Danish Carlsberg Group, who moved production to another country. The sorrow felt by Gothenburg’s beer lovers was bottomless. What were they going to do? Were they condemned for the rest of time to drink Danish beer?

The change that everyone was longing for

Happily the devastated Gothenburgers didn’t have to mourn for too long, because in the last few decades there has been a renaissance of small scale artisan brewing, producing what many now call craft beer. Notwithstanding that the microbrewery trend actually started on the west coast of America, Swedes have really taken it to heart, and during 2007-2017 the number of breweries in Sweden grew from around 30 to 300.

So now, after decades of mass production, a change has taken place on the Swedish market. Microbreweries, with their devotion to craftsmanship and feeling for top quality ingredients, have finally got the status they deserve – not a day too soon if you ask us! And Gothenburg’s thriving beer scene means that the city these days is reckoned to be the beer capital of Sweden, with many internationally recognised brands.