Last week we caught up with our long time friends Ölrepubliken, the bar we launched our very first beer at. We chat about famous beer tastings, their many, many beers, and of course Supporting your locals.
It isn’t hard to find a bar in Gothenburg with multiple choices of local Swedish Craft Beer, but when you set out to find a Belgian Beer or a British Ale, or something new to try in between, Ölrepubliken is the place to head to.
They have always had a focus on European breweries, and old school beer styles. And by that we mean a lot of good beer, and a lot of different styles. You even get matching glasses with your beers, as an owe to Belgian Beer. Mix that Belgian feeling with a good ol’ British Pub welcoming in a Swedish Beer Hall, and you have Ölrepubliken. What is not to love?
Beerbliotek and Ölrepubliken go way back. From the start it’s always been a place we go to, because they always have good beer available on tap or from their massive fridge, guaranteed.
We attended a lot of beer tastings with famous breweries before we started Beerbliotek. The last one we did was in 2012 with Mikkeller, Mikkel Bjergsø, where we specifically asked about adding fruit/chilli into beer, as we were preparing to brew our first beer, Black Ale Chilli. Ölrepubliken of course had to be the place where we launched the first ever batch of Black Ale Chilli.
Over the years we got to know the owners well, Gary and Niklas, from their days at The Rover and ended up always going to either place to drink beer and hang out, if we didn’t drink at Haket. We’re glad to say we’re all still good friends today.
Hej Niklas, describe Ölrepubliken, in your own words? Ölrepubliken started out as a place for everyone, not only for beer nerds. We have something for everyone.
You have a lot of beers, what’s the thought behind curating the beer list? We keep an open mind with beer. We have a selection of styles from all over the world. You can get everything from a San Miguel Fresca, which for me is the easiest drinking Lager you can find, to a Belgian Quadrupel or a Barrel Aged Sour.
On tap, in bottles and in cans? Yeah, we make an effort to have a variety of beer styles on tap as well as bottles, so people can easily try something new that shows that Craft Beer is more than just a Pilsner or an IPA. We always have local Swedish Craft Beer, but we love British Ales and Belgian beers. Our hope is that Gothenburg Breweries will start to brew more British styles.
Well, you’re in luck! As part of our brewing philosophy, to brew beer that we want to drink, our brewers have been finalizing new recipes, and we can say, there’s an English Mild Ale in the works, as well as a Bock.
What Beerbliotek beer do you guys carry? Our beer we made with you, BeerЯepubliken, has been our house beer since 2014, it’s always on draft and really popular. We try to keep up with the new beers too, but A Moment of Clarity is a personal favourite. Our history together meant we got a lot of really cool beers on the beer list here at the start, and luckily we still do!
How are you handling the pandemic? Everyday is a new day. It’s impossible to make plans. We are now focusing on bookings and beer tastings.
Ted, Ölrepubliken
Hej Ted, how long have you been working here, and what do you do? Around 7 years. I’m the guy curating the tap list and working the beer tastings.
What is Ölrepubliken to you? Open minded. We welcome and encourage people to try something new, there are so many great beer styles out there, we don’t want people to miss out. How many taps do you have? 33.
Favourite beer on the menu right now? Mild Ale by Ocean and Hello You Cherry by Wild and Sour.
Hej David, how long have you been working here, and what do you do? I’ve worked here for 5 years, and a couple of months, all things bar related. I’ve been in the restaurant business for a long time.
What is Ölrepubliken to you? It is the most diverse place in Gothenburg when it comes to beer styles, as well as food goes. It is a beer hall with British pub tendencies.
Favourite beer on the menu right now? Delicious IPA by Stone or a classical Belgian Abbey.
Help us strengthen the beer culture in Sweden, by safely supporting the restaurants and taverns that actively support Swedish craft breweries.
Beer Tastings
Want a private beer tasting at Ölrepubliken?
You can have the option to choose what styles or regions of beer you want to taste! They can adapt to your preference, whether that be region focussed, a mix of styles, or focus it only on IPA’s or Belgian or British. It’s up to you. Check out their Website for more.