Local Drinks

1. fadøl

   Draught beer

   Usage

   Beer drawn from a keg rather than from a bottle or can. Bar menus list sizes under fadøl; in Denmark the draught beer is normally a pilsner

   Grammar Note

   Usually common gender (en fadøl, definite fadøllen); neuter et fadøl also occurs. The l doubles before the ending. From fad (cask) + øl (beer)

2. pilsner

   Pilsner — pale bottom-fermented lager

   Usage

   The default Danish beer. The first bottom-fermented pilsner was brewed in Plzeň in Bohemia in 1842; the first Danish one was made by Tuborg in 1881 by Hans Bekkevold. Menus often list only the brand name

   Grammar Note

   Common gender (en pilsner), definite pilsneren

3. julebryg

   Christmas beer

   Usage

   A special beer the breweries release in the run-up to Christmas, usually stronger than an ordinary pilsner. The first commercial Danish julebryg was brewed by De forenede Bryggerier in 1892. Do not confuse it with nisseøl, which is a dark, sweet, low-alcohol hvidtøl

   Grammar Note

   Used as common gender (en julebryg). From jul (Christmas) + bryg (brew)

4. påskebryg

   Easter beer

   Usage

   A strong lager released before Easter, with a higher alcohol content than ordinary pilsners. The release day is called P-dag. Carlsberg's first påskebryg came as draught in 1905 and Tuborg followed in 1906

   Grammar Note

   Used as common gender (en påskebryg). From påske (Easter) + bryg (brew)

5. hvidtøl

   Hvidtøl — Danish low-alcohol beer under 2.25%

   Usage

   Beer under 2.25% alcohol. The name comes from brewing with hvidmalt (pale malt), not from the colour. It comes in dark and light versions, the light one once sold as lys pilsner. This is the beer used to make øllebrød

   Grammar Note

   Normally neuter (et hvidtøl). From hvid (white) + øl (beer); the d is kept in the spelling

6. gløgg

   Gløgg — Nordic mulled wine

   Usage

   Hot spiced wine drunk in December. It was originally called glødet vin, "glowed wine", and was much weaker; the strong version arose once caramelised sugar was found to improve the taste. It corresponds to German Glühwein, French vin chaud and English mulled wine. Swedish spells it glögg with ö

   Grammar Note

   Common gender (en gløgg), definite gløggen, no plural

7. hyldeblomstsaft

   Elderflower cordial

   Usage

   A drink made from the flowers of common elder (almindelig hyld): sugar dissolved in boiling water with citric acid is poured over the flowers and lemon slices, left to steep for a few days and strained. It is diluted with water — still or sparkling — before drinking. A characteristic Danish summer drink, also used in beer, ice cream and koldskål; adding snaps turns it into a punch

   Grammar Note

   saft (juice, cordial) is common gender (en saft), so en hyldeblomstsaft. From hylde (elder) + blomst (flower; en blomst) + saft

8. saftevand

   Saftevand — diluted fruit cordial

   Usage

   A concentrated fruit syrup, sweetened, diluted with water — commonly served to children. It is distinct from sodavand, which is carbonated, and from most or juice, which are not concentrated. The undiluted concentrate is far too sweet to drink

   Grammar Note

   A compound of saft (juice) + vand (water). vand on its own is neuter (et vand), though a single serving can be en vand

9. kærnemælk

   Buttermilk

   Usage

   A sour milk drink with 0.5% fat. It was originally the by-product of churning cream into butter, once fed to pigs and regarded as poor man's food; today it is mostly made by souring skimmed milk with lactic acid bacteria. It is the main ingredient of koldskål. Norwegian spells it kjernemelk and Swedish kärnmjölk

   Grammar Note

   Common gender (en kærnemælk). From kærne (to churn) + mælk (milk; en mælk)

10. æblemost

    Æblemost — unsweetened pressed apple juice

    Usage

    Juice pressed from apples with no added sugar. The label is regulated in Denmark by the Bekendtgørelse om frugtsaft: only undiluted apple juice with no added sugar may be called æblemost. It may be filtered and pasteurised after pressing

    Grammar Note

    A compound of æble (apple, neuter: et æble) + most (pressed juice)

11. kakaomælk

    Chocolate milk

    Usage

    A drink of chocolate or cocoa with milk and sugar. The cold version is a fixture of Danish kiosks and chillers, the best-known brand being Cocio (launched 1951, made in Esbjerg, owned by Arla since 2008). The hot version is called kakao or varm kakao

    Grammar Note

    mælk (milk) is common gender, hence en kakaomælk; kakao on its own is also common gender (en kakao)

12. kaffepunch

    Kaffepunch — coffee with snaps or rum

    Usage

    Coffee with snaps or rum, a regional drink of West Jutland, especially Esbjerg and Fanø. The traditional method is to put a coin in the bottom of the cup, pour coffee until the coin disappears, then pour snaps until it can be seen again — which makes it very strong. Drinking it on 30 December, lille nytårsaften, has become popular

    Grammar Note

    Common gender (en kaffepunch). From kaffe (coffee; en kaffe) + punch

13. sodavand

    Fizzy soft drink

    Usage

    A non-alcoholic carbonated drink, normally sweetened with sugar; versions with artificial sweeteners are called light-sodavand. Plain sparkling water is danskvand

    Grammar Note

    Both neuter et sodavand (the liquid) and common gender en sodavand (a bottle or glass of it) are used; the plural is sodavand or sodavander

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