Iceland, like many other countries, went through a period of prohibition. In 1915, a total ban on wine, beer and spirits was passed by a 60% majority. Seven years later, the wine ban was lifted and in 1935, the spirits ban. But for some reason, beer was banned until 1989. The logic behind the beer ban was that access to beer would encourage young people and workers to consume a lot of alcohol. Historians also say that the reason for the ban could be that alcohol was frowned upon in Iceland for a long time, and beer mainly for political reasons. When the complete ban became law, Iceland was in a struggle for independence from Denmark, and beer was strongly linked to the Danish way of life, according to Icelanders. Prohibition was repealed in another national referendum in 1933. But the majority of votes were close, and to appease a powerful temperance movement, the Icelandic parliament decided that beer would remain illegal. The year Iceland and Denmark signed an agreement in which Denmark recognized the island as a fully independent state, albeit with the support of Denmark, which (although smaller in area) has a larger population. The agreement lasted until 1944, when Iceland declared independence during a period when Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany. Previously, Iceland was considered an independent kingdom in Denmark and before that as part of Norway. Historian Stefan Palsson is a beer lover who works part-time in a brewery based on the School of Beer.

He said Icelanders didn`t care much about beer in 1933. Often bars have beer promotions on this day with exceptionally low prices. If you like to drink beer, we recommend joining the locals and going to the nearest bar. Skál! Rural Icelanders are losing their numerical strength, as are rural American Protestants. Nevertheless, rural Icelanders retain a certain sense of power through the law in an unrepresentative parliament and, in the case of the beer ban, they had the support of workers` political parties and trade unions. The beer ban is therefore a way to demonstrate rural dominance in the face of demographic opportunities associated with rapid changes in Iceland`s economic and social system. Such a protracted conflict in Icelandic politics has obscured class or material interests, for for most of this century there was only the most rudimentary class system in the country. Since economic stratification in Iceland developed much later compared to other Western democracies, parliament was easily distracted by material issues of status disputes in the past. Industrialization also occurred later than in other Western countries and developed much faster due to the influence of these other nations. The rural dominance of parliament, its ban on beer and the contemporary prohibitionist mood of the unions dramatically reflect the resulting cultural backwardness. For 74 years, Icelanders had to endure a beer ban, but that finally changed on March 1, 1989. Since then, March 1 in Iceland is called B-Day (B stands for Bjor, the Icelandic word for beer).

Some people like to celebrate it every year by taking a . You guessed it! A pint of an ice cold beer. But why on earth was beer banned in Iceland in the first place? In a referendum in 1908, Icelanders voted to ban all alcoholic beverages, which came into effect on January 1, 1915. In 1921, the ban was partially lifted after Spain refused to buy Iceland`s main export product, fish, unless Iceland bought Spanish wines. [3] The ban was changed after a national referendum in 1933 voted to legalize spirits. However, strong beer (with an alcohol content of over 2.25%[4]) was not included in the 1935 vote to please the temperance lobby – which argued that beer would lead to more depravity because it was cheaper than spirits. [5] Thorsteinsson lost his case, but won the hearts of beer drinkers across Iceland when the public caused another break in a policy that proved untenable. Soon, Icelanders coming from abroad will be able to bring beer back to the duty-free shop. Thirty years ago, Icelanders drank beer legally for the first time in more than a generation. Taste the Saga is an evening of drinks and an exploration of Iceland`s beer history at Reykjavãkâs Ãlgerðin Brewery.

Here you can taste the famous “beer substitute” created by Icelanders who were determined to get their beer despite the beer ban. Icelanders love to have a drink. Since we are descended from Vikings, this should not come as a surprise. There are many records of beer consumption in the ancient sagas, although the cold climate made it difficult for early Icelanders to grow barley locally. Here is a brief overview of the unique history of beer in Iceland. The thirst for change began in the 1970s, when Icelanders increasingly vacationed in sunny European resorts and developed a taste for cold beer. Pubs focused on craft beers have also popped up in downtown Reykjavík, and gone are the days of simply offering 1 or 2 beer options in Icelandic bars on tap. The following year, after a grace period that allowed bars and liquor stores run by the country`s government to stock up, the beer officially returned to Iceland in March 1989, where it has been ever since. A legit Icelandic craft beer worth writing. Other Icelandic beers you can try include Kaldi, Bríó, Thulé, Boli, Gull, Víking, Christmas specials or summer beers, and a variety of craft beers such as Úlfur, Bjartur or Surtur. The ban on Spanish and Portuguese red and rosé wines was lifted in 1921. Doctors also described strong alcohol for all sorts of diseases, people brewed their own alcohol, and alcohol was smuggled into the country.

But beer was left out again and again. To counter this, enterprising Icelanders got creative with the invention of bjÓrlÃki, a portmanteau of the words for beer (bjÓr) and margarine (smjÖrlÃki). A traditional serving of bjórlãki included an almost complete serving of beer close to 2.25%, with a high percentage pinch, usually vodka, in the blend. The government tried to retaliate, and in 1985 the Ministry of Justice banned bar associations from serving bjórlãki. But despite widespread support from residents for repealing the country`s legislature, an unusual argument prevailed that justified the argument that, just as marijuana is seen by some in the United States, beer was an entry drug to stronger types of alcohol. The logic was far from bulletproof – they legalized, of course, the strongest types of alcohol by the time this argument won favor – but it was the argument that convinced politicians at the time. Article text Why Iceland banned beer by Megan Lane via BBC. Click here to read the full article. After the ban was lifted in 1989, the drinking culture in Iceland changed considerably and for the better.

The shift from spirits to beer reduced excessive alcohol consumption and allowed local breweries to develop their own beers. Beer – n. an alcoholic beverage made from malt and flavored with hops Prohibition ended in 1933 in another national referendum with a very narrow majority. To keep the peace, the Icelandic parliament decided to continue banning beer. According to one study, “opposition to beer in Iceland was strongest among Alþingi members in rural areas and traditional socialist parties. The most influential argument against beer alone was that young people are particularly sensitive to the temptation to drink beer. Opponents of the beer ban in Alþingi pointed out the peculiarity of the law, which allows strong alcohol, but bans the weaker drink. A more liberal alcohol policy has increased the overall amount of alcohol consumption in Iceland in recent years. [1] Discover our selection of beer tours and city walks! For beer lovers, we recommend the Reykjavik Beer Tour, where you can visit Reykjavik`s only microbrewery, a trendy gastropub, the best micro-bar in the city and the only place with the largest selection of Icelandic beers.

You can visit four of Reykjavik`s most interesting beer bars, taste over 10 amazing Icelandic beers, and explore Reykjavik with a fun and knowledgeable local beer expert. The debate over whether beer and wine should be sold in supermarkets is regularly raised in Parliament, but so far the decision has always been against it. I traveled to Iceland almost ten years ago and learned this unusual information when. and I was reminded of this when I recently had the opportunity to try Einstök`s Icelandic Wee Heavy Scottish Ale, a beer that, for various reasons, is closest to a cultural match on the beer front – it`s a drink that appeals to the country`s Viking roots, just like those bad arguments about “Viking blood” at the time. and reflects a distant time when the said Vikings invaded Scotland. The ban finally ended on a Wednesday. Reykjavik`s four bars were filled with drinkers toasting their newfound freedom, while the country`s 260,000 residents celebrated by buying more than 340,000 cans of beer from Vinbudin`s crowded monopoly shops.