Beer has been an important part of human heritage and is probably the world's oldest culture drink. Sources say that the beer can be more than 10,000 years old and that it was conceived in the garden of Eden by the rivers Eufrat and Tigris in Iraq.

How old the art of brewing beer in Norway is, one is not really sure. But we know for sure that beer played an important role in the Middle Ages. Beer was the drink that was most prevalent. It was a duty to brew beer in Norway. At that time the most of the beer in the interior of Norway was brewed on barley and oats in the coastal areas and on the isles. It was added by the bark from alder, small tree branches, or twigs from the lane, but from 1100 onwards it was gradually replaced by hop. In the 18th century, beer brewing was industrialized in Germany and came a little to Norway. In 1857, Norway had an impressive 343 breweries, of which one brewery was P. LTZ. Aass (Aass Brewery). Even in those days it was placed in the heart of Drammen.

In 1516, the Bavarian Purity Law was presented. A clause that was carried forward from Germany that the beer was to be brewed on three ingredients: malt, hop and water. That the yeast was added through the air, no one knew at the time. This law was applicable in Norway until 1994.
 

Did you know...

• On a primstav (a flat, rod-shaped wooden calendar stick) Christmas was marked with a beer horn turning upwards on 25 December and then downwards on 13 January.
• 1500 years ago, it was mandatory to attend drinking parties to "drikke jul” – “drink yuletide”, better known as Christmas. Those who did not show up could be fined.
• The tradition of brewing beer for Christmas was applied to Christian Norway and embodied in Norway's own law by Olav Tryggvason.
• 1000 years ago, it was mandatory for all grain farmers in Norway to brew beer for Christmas. If you did not follow the law, one may lose the farm to the Church and even be ostracized.
• There are over 800 flavour components in beer, and beer with food is an exciting combination.