Egill Skallagrímsson Brewery

Olgerdin (Icelandic: Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson) is an Icelandic brewery and beverage company based in Reykjavík. Established on 17 April 1913, the oldest beer-producing factory in Iceland. Annually, it produces 45 million liters of beverages.

Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson
IndustryBeer, non-alcoholic beverages
Founded1913 (1913) in Iceland
FounderTómas Tómasson
HeadquartersReykjavik, Iceland
Key people
Andri Thor Gudmundsson CEO, Okto Einarsson Chairman, Jón Þorsteinn Oddleifsson CFO, Margrét Arnardóttir CTO

History

The company was established on 17 April 1913 by Tómas Tómasson, who began production of a (1% alc/vol) beverage, malt extract. Today it's the oldest beer-producing factory in Iceland; and now it's also a wholesaler of food and beverages. At first, the operations of Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson were based in two bedrooms in the basement of the Þórshamar house at Templarasund in Reykjavik, which Tómas had leased. Today, this house is owned by the Icelandic parliament (Althing). A year later, the company moved to the Thomsen house at Tryggvagata, and with this, the operating area grew significantly.

The scope of operations was not large at first. The brewing boiler was only 65 litres, and bottles were closed by pushing the cap onto the bottle with a flat palm and binding it with wire. During the first production year, Ölgerðin sold around 38 thousand litres, mostly malt extract and white beer. The light beer Egils Pilsner came to market in the same year, as the ban on alcohol was implemented in 1915, after which it was illegal to produce alcoholic beer with more than 2.25% alcohol content. Generally, brewmasters from Germany and Denmark were hired to oversee the beer production. The company also produces soft drinks (e.g. Egils Appelsín).[1]

Tómas Tómasson went to Copenhagen in 1915 to learn brewing at the Bryggeriet Stjernen and then in Germany, where he spent the next two years. Returning home in 1917, he bought his first building on Njálsgata on the crossroads between Njálsgata, Frakkastigur and Grettisgata, which was later renamed "Ölgerðartorfan". The company was located there for much of the 20th century. In the years 1924–1928, both a brewery and a yeast cellar were in use there. He built up a comprehensive brewery, fermentation and bottling facility.

In 1926, Ölgerðin sold a million bottles in one year. In the same year, Danish King Christian X made an official visit to Iceland. Subsequently, Ölgerðin was given the right to call themselves the "royal brewery".

The production of Egils Pilsner began in 1916; while the company claimed 1917 on the bottle for years.[2] The company was the first to receive an exemption for the production of alcoholic beer in Iceland during the war, when it produced the Polar Ale for the British occupation forces.[3] From 1951, Ölgerðin produced the Polar Beer for the US military base in Keflavik and then Export Beer, which the general population called Egils strong. After the beer ban was lifted in 1989, the brewery’s main product was Egils Gull.[4]

The production of soda drinks began in 1930, and Ölgerðin bought the soda drink factories Síríus and Kaldá. Ölgerðin was made into a corporation two years later and was merged with Ölgerðin Þór hf., which had been operating for two years. Þór had built a brewery at Rauðarárstígur, but it was closed during the merger. In 1955, Egils Appelsín (orange soda) was introduced. Sigurður Sveinsson, an employee of Ölgerðin created a recipe that was immediately appreciated by locals and has since then surpassed all other such drinks.

After Tómas died in 1978, in his nineties, his sons, Jóhannes and Tómas Agnar ran Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson for almost a quarter of a century. In 2000, they decided to sell the family’s share, and an agreement was reached at the end of the year with Íslandsbanki-FBA and the investment company Gilding.[5] There was a change in ownership in April 2002, when Lind ehf., a subsidiary of Danól ehf., bought Ölgerðin.[6] The operations of Lind and Ölgerðin were merged in the beginning of that year, and with this merger, the product availability of Ölgerðin increased substantially. In 2007, Októ Einarsson and Andri Þór Guðmundsson acquired Ölgerðin with Kaupthing bank, which later sold its shares to several bank executives.

Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson produces 45 million litres of beverages every year, of which 10 million litres are brewed in the brewing boiler.

Awards

Egils Gull earned the "World’s Best Standard Lager" at the World Beer Awards 2011[7] and Bríó won the best German-style Pilsner at the 2012 World Beer Cup.[8]

YearPrizeStyleProductCompetition
2004 Silver Egils Gull Monde Selection
2004 Silver Egils Sterkur Monde Selection
2004 Silver Pilsner 4,5% Monde Selection
2006SilverEgils GullMonde Selection
2006SilverBoliMonde Selection
2006GoldGull LiteMonde Selection
2006BronzeGull LiteEuropean Beer Star
2006SilverBoliEuropean Beer Star
2006GoldAmerican-style low-carbohydrate light lagerGull LiteWorld Beer Cup[9]
2007GoldEgils GullMonde Selection
2007GoldBoliMonde Selection
2007GoldGull LiteMonde Selection
2008SilverInternational-Style LagerEgils GullWorld Beer Cup
2008 Silver Egils Gull Monde Selection
2008GoldBoliMonde Selection
2008GoldGull LiteMonde Selection
2008GoldBeers, waters, soft drink & other Non- Alcoholic BeveragesGull LiteWorld Selection
2008SilverLager Brewery SectionGull LiteAustralian International Beer Awards
2008SilverBoliAustralian International Beer Awards
2008BronzeGull LiteAustralian International Beer Awards
2008GoldMetal Beers, waters, soft drink & other Non- Alcoholic BeveragesBoliWorld Selection
2010BronzeInternational-Style LagerPolar BeerWorld Beer Cup
2011GoldFloridana AndoxunThe InterBev Awards
2011GoldWorld´s best standard lagerEgils GullWorld Beer Awards
2012GoldGerman-style PilsenerBríó, Borg BrugghúsWorld Beer Cup
2012World's BestPilsner LagerBríó, Borg BrugghúsWorld Beer Awards
2012Europe´s bestIPA Pale BeerÚlfur Nr.3, Borg BrugghúsWorld Beer Awards
2013Europe´s bestFlavoured Beer Chocolate & CoffeeMyrkvi Nr.13, Borg BrugghúsWorld Beer Awards
2013Europe´s BronzeLager, German PaleBríó, Borg BrugghúsWorld Beer Awards
2013Europe´s SilverPale Beer IPAÚlfur Nr.3, Borg BrugghúsWorld Beer Awards
2013Europe´s BronzeLager low carbGull LiteWorld Beer Awards
2014GoldHerb and Spice BeerSnorri Nr.10, Borg BrugghúsEuropean Beer Star
2014SilverImperial StoutGarún Nr.19, Borg BrugghúsEuropean Beer Star
2014GoldIndia Pale AleÚlfur Nr.3, Borg BrugghúsGlobal Craft Beer Awards
2014GoldImperial StoutGarún Nr.19, Borg BrugghúsGlobal Craft Beer Awards
2014GoldPilsenerBríó, Borg BrugghúsGlobal Craft Beer Awards
2014SilverChocolate or Coffee BeerMyrkvi Nr.13, Borg BrugghúsGlobal Craft Beer Awards
2014Europe´s SilverFlavoured Beer Chocolate & CoffeeMyrkvi Nr.13, Borg BrugghúsWorld Beer Awards
2014Europe´s SilverStout & Porter ImperialGarún Nr.19, Borg BrugghúsWorld Beer Awards
2014SilverInternational -style lagerEgils GullWorld Beer Awards
2015Europe's BestStrong Wheat BeerSólveig Nr.25, Borg BrugghúsWorld Beer Awards
2015 Best beer By country Garún Nr.19, Borg Brugghús Rate Beer
2015 Silver German-Style Festbier Boli European Beer Star
2016 "Certificate of Excellence" Stout/Porter: Baltic Porter Gréta Nr.27, Borg Brugghús Brussel Beer Challenge
2016 Bronze Baltic-style Porter Gréta Nr.27, Borg Brugghús European Beer Star
2016 Gold Strong Smoke Beer Surtur Nr. 30, Borg Brugghús European Beer Star
2016 Gold German-Style Dunkel Bock/Doppelbock Boli Doppelbock Brussels Beer Challenge
2016 Best beer By country Surtur Nr.38, Borg Brugghús Rate Beer
2016 Best Brewery By country Borg Brugghús Rate Beer
2017 Gold World's best Flavoured Beer / World's best Wood Aged Beer Surtur Nr.8.2, Borg Brugghús World Beer Awards
2018 Gold Best can design Ástríkur Nr.51, Borg Brugghús World Beer Awards
2018 Best beer By country Surtur Nr.8.8, Borg Brugghús Rate Beer
2019 Best beer By country Garún Nr.19.3, Borg Brugghús Rate Beer

See also

References
  1. "Appelsín (500ml)". ShopIcelandic. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  2. "Pilsnerinn rangt merktur í áraraðir" [The pilsner was wrongly labeled for years]. Archived from the original on 2015-10-16.
  3. "Icelandic beer: Everything you need to know!". wakeupreykjavik.com. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  4. Icelandic microbrew revolution Iceland magazine
  5. Gengið frá kaupum á Ölgerðinni Agli Skallagrímssyni. Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic)
  6. "History". www.olgerdin.is. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
  7. "Our Export". Ölgerdin. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  8. "Our Export". Ölgerdin. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  9. Egils Lite fékk gull. Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic)

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