Gahr
Ambassador of Blues & Brews
Really??? Pretty strict regulations? ??
I learned the art from my great grandfather in Kentucky in the summer of 1980. After I retired in 2011, I made a few batches....about 15 gallons total yield at around 170-180 proof. Sold the whole lot at $25.00/quart...![]()
The Norwegian alcohol legislation is probably the strictest in the world, except from Muslim countries where alcohol is prohibited.
You can produce as much beer or wine as you like at home without a license, but you cannot sell it. Home destination is forbidden. Anyone producing alcohol commercially needs a license to produce it and a license to sell it, and a different license in order to sell it to anyone outside your home county. Anyone buying alcohol stronger than 4.7 % abv directly from a producer needs a special license, hence supermarkets are not allowed to sell anything stronger than 4.7 to their customers. Bars can do it, but only for consumption on the premises (no takeaway!).
Since 1973 we are not allowed to advertise any alcoholic beverages. You do not need a license to sell anything below 2.5 % abv, but we still can't advertise beer at 2.5 %. In fact, we are not even allowed to advertise alcohol free beer if there is any logo or mark on the beverage containers that can remind the public of any alcoholic products. We are allowed to give neutral product info on our brewery web pages, but we can't show pictures that "may encourace" the consumption of alcohol. And breweries are not allowed to promote through social media either. We may be given special permission to advertise abroad, provided we have a substantial enough export to the particular country.
The reason for the strict laws is simple; to prevent consumption and the damages thereof. And there is no question that the laws actually work. Norway has fewer problems with alcohol related diseases and accidents than most comparable Western countries. The strict laws are a pain in the ass, though... But the ban on advertising works to the advantage of small breweries like ours in particular, and domestic breweries in general; Due to the restrictions, large international brewing companies like for instance SAB Miller, Anheuser Busch, Heineken and Carlsberg (who happens to own Ringnes, Norway's largest brewery, can't run ads to steal significant market shares from Norwegian breweries. Big brands like Bud are present here, but don't sell much.

