Farmhouse Ales

Farmhouse Ales

Adventures in the age-old yet vibrant traditions of northern farmhouse ales: sahti in Finland, koduõlu in Estonia, Sweden’s gotlandsdricke, the maltøl of Norway, and kaimiškas in Lithuania.

Let’s begin with a comprehensive intro:

Sahti and Related Ancient Farmhouse Ales

Read this to know the origins of these ales:

History of Farmhouse Ales

If you want brew sahti yourself, start with these tips:

Sahti Recipe and Farmhouse Brewing Tips
Is Kveik Authentic Yeast for Sahti?

Then, you probably want to see a traditional sahti master in action:

Brewing Sahti in Pertunmaa

Low alcohol small beers were once important part farmhouse life too:

Small Beer Called Kalja

If you are visiting the Nordic or Baltic countries, I recommend reading this:

Finding Commercial Nordic and Baltic Farmhouse Ales

Voss, Hornindal, and Stjørdal are the main farmhouse brewing hubs of Norway. These stories are based on my visits to these places:

Heimabrygg and Vossaøl: Farmhouse Ales of Western Norway
Brewing Norwegian Farmhouse Ale in Hornindal
Traditional Farmhouse Malting in Stjørdal
Commercial Farmhouse Maltsters and Brewers Around Stjørdal
Norsk Kornølfestival 2019 – A Feast of Norwegian Farmhouse Ales

If you are brewing with kveik or Lithuanian farmhouse yeast, you should definitely check this four-part guide:

Guide to Kveik and Other Farmhouse Yeast: Introduction
Guide to Kveik and Other Farmhouse Yeast: Fermentation
Guide to Kveik and Other Farmhouse Yeast: Reusing and Maintaining Yeast
Farmhouse Yeast Descriptions