Try Swedish Craft Beer at Ölbryggan- the Beer Pier!

Last week I had a friend visiting from Denmark. We spent one day on the island of Djurgården and for lunch I took her to Ölbryggan ("The Beer Pier"). This summer bar is part of the Museum of Spirits, which I had already visited along with their fine dining restaurant, but I had never visited the Beer Pier so I thought it was a great chance to do something fun with my friend and get a blog article out of it as well.

17 Swedish craft beers on draft... 

I think the first thing I should point out is the Beer Pier's great (and convenient) location on the waterfront of Djurgården, in between the Vasa Museum and ABBA the Museum and right next door to the new Viking museum Vikingaliv. This makes it the perfect place to take a break for some sustenance while visiting museums. The location is also quite beautiful, right on the water with views of Stockholm harbor.

The Beer Pier is open daily during the summer months, weather permitting, from noon onwards. Here you can try Swedish craft beer (from the Swedish Association of Independent Microbreweries). They have very knowledgeable staff on hand to help you choose the right craft beer and have 17 different beers on draft... from lagers to pale ales to porters. We let them know what types of beer we like generally and they recommended the Nils Oscar God Lager (unfiltered) which was delicious.

For lunch my friend ordered the split pea falafel with goat's milk yoghurt, cabbage and a side of grilled lamb while I took the pâté of Linderöd's pork with salted pickle and mustard. It was all really good and the rest of the lunch menu looked very appetizing. Think I will have the herb-cured herring next time. It will give me a chance to try some of the other beers as well!

The easiest way to get to the Museum of Spirits and their Beer Pier from the Rival Hotel is to take the Djurgård Ferry from nearby Gamla Stan. Ferries depart every 15 minutes and the trip takes just 10 minutes to Djurgården. If you are already in the downtown area, you can take the tram (street car) out to Djurgården.