Welcome to the final issue of SBR in 2019 and the first-ever Denmark-themed issue of the SBR!

Although my work as the editor of this issue was somewhat easier than for the previous Norway- and Sweden-themed issues (Nos. 2 and 3, 2019) of the magazine, it would still be an exaggeration to say that I was able to pick and choose between numerous potential articles – nevertheless, a very warm thank you to those of you who’ve contributed to the more than 10 Denmark-themed articles in the SBR issue at hand.

It is obviously up to you to draw your own conclusions – whether influenced by your reading of this issue of our journal or not – as to the state of affairs for beer and brewing in Denmark. But, if you ask me, it’s looking good! The Danish brewing scene is vibrant, it is innovative and it is – as a whole – solid and the customers and consumers are both appreciative and ready for more!

An editorial like this is supposed to serve as an ‘appetizer’ tempting you, dear reader, to eagerly dig into all the delicacies on the pages to come, but I’m sure that if I had begun to briefly – which, as you will know, is a relative term when it comes to me – introduce each of the theme articles, there would be no room for the actual articles. So I invite you to browse entirely on your own. However, I can’t resist the temptation to draw your attention to the news in the article by Louis Honoré from the Danish Brewers’ Association about the plans to organize a ‘Copenhagen Beer Week’ in 2020. This event – or rather multitude of events – has the potential to give the image of beer, the breweries and all other good people fighting the good cause a significant lift in all areas. And it is a concept that I’ve personally been promoting for more than a decade.

Without having been able to pick and choose, I can only be consider it a spot of luck that the articles in the magazine at hand to a large extent – probably most clearly in Jan Paul from Svaneke’s article about his love affair with his lager yeast and Philip Hulgaard from Åben’s article on the importance of storytelling – reflect ‘the soft elements’ in the business models and nature of the breweries covered. There are very few figures and statistics and even fewer pictures of shining stainless steel in the Denmark articles. In my humble opinion, the ‘soft elements’ – philosophies, ideas, missions and visions – are far more interesting than figures. And I also believe that they are more important when it comes to the success or failure of a company than brewery layout, tank specifications and even product portfolios, especially in a universe like brewing.

Further, many of the articles in this issue present matters from a highly personal perspective, which, again, is my clear preference over the more ‘objective’ angle. The latter alternative is very rarely actually objective, but it is always much less engaging and interesting. And looking at the factors that determine success or failure in an ‘experience economy’-heavy sector as the (craft) brewing industry, the ability to ‘personalize’ the face of your brewery and to communicate directly, eye-toeye with the consumers, is hugely important.

Please remember that we at the SBR always very strongly encourage you to comment on anything you wish to comment on in the magazine, but obviously particularly to the editorial.

Please forward your comments to anders@kissmeyer.dk. Best wishes for a joyous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year to you all and to all those dear to you!

Anders Kissmeyer
Technical Editor, Scandinavian Brewer’s Review