Did you know that beer legend Garrett Oliver, he of Brooklyn Brewing fame, has been hard at work these days building a new brewery in Sweden? He has been. The brewery in question is the New Carnegie Brewery, and the venture is a joint project between New York craft brewer Brooklyn and Danish brewing giant Carlsberg. The pairing may seem rather incongruous, much like a marriage between David and Goliath. Brooklyn, after all, was America’s 10^th largest craft brewer in 2012 as reported by Fox News in a May, 2014 article. They brewed 176,000 barrels that year. Compare that to Carlsberg, the world’s 4^th largest brewing consortium, which reported volume of 60 Million Barrels in 2006.

Yet, the two certainly share a passion for beer. Carlsberg distributes Brooklyn beers in Europe, and both wanted to be a part of the legendary Swedish Carnegie brewery, which Carlsberg owns. Hence, collaboration on a new Carnegie Brewery in Stockholm. Carlsberg does have some amends to make, and perhaps this venture will help towards that end. Whilst enjoying what would be my last bottle of Carnegie Porter (a beer that earned much praise from the legendary beer hunter himself Michael Jackson) in 2002, I reported that Carlsberg had bought Carnegie and killed off that legendary beer. They apparently brought it back, though I haven’t seen it since.

Brooklyn is getting ready for the imminent opening of the new brewery with the release of a new beer in their Brewmaster’s Reserve Series: Hammarby Syndrome Ale. Here’s what they say about the beer on their website:

You’ve heard of Stockholm Syndrome, but these days we’re starting to feel the ef fects of a once-rare condition - Hammarby Syndrome. If you’ve never heard of it, we can’t blame you. But it’s right here in the New Brooklyn Dictionary:

“Hammarby Syndrome is the distress or impairment caused by the frenzied anticipation and giddy obsession over the beautiful Hammarby Sjöstad section of Stockholm, Sweden and the New Carnegie Brewer y that Brooklyn Brewery will open there in March.

This past Sunday found me at Taco Mac in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The Sandy Springs location has more taps than most (140), and amongst all of those wonderful beers the first I pounced upon was the Brooklyn Hammarby Syndrome Ale. Hammarby Syndrome was just released at the end of February, and like most beers in the Brewmaster’s Reserve Series it is draft only. Hammarby Syndrome is a formidable brew at 8% alcohol by volume, and I was pleased to get a full 20 ounce mug for just $5.75. Thanks, Brooklyn, for not sticking us with an expensive short pour for a high price as so many brewers are doing these days.

Ingredients from the Brooklyn website:

Style: Swedish Strong Ale

Malts: Floor-malted Maris Otter, Spelt malt, Crystal malt, British Pale

Additions: Spruce Fronds hand forged by Evan Strusinski - Chef Frederik Berselius, Aska, Spruce Advisor

Hops: Williamette

Yeast: Brooklyn Ale Strain

And here’s what I thought:

My mug of Brooklyn Hammarby Syndrome Ale arrived a light brown in color with a light layer of head formed atop and a lightly citrusy, resiny-piney nose that really tempts me to sip. When I do, I get some wonderful sweet cookie maltiness up front ala Brooklyn Brown Ale, then some nutty, husky grain character from the spelt and finally some fruity citrus and resiny pine from the spruce fronds. Finishes ever so slightly sweet with the chocolate cookies coming back, reminds me a bit of Anchor Our Special Ale with the malt and spruce interaction. As the beer warms, the alcohol starts to come out and the malts emerge become a bit more complex, even more nutty and grainy.

I really enjoyed this beer, and salute Brooklyn on another triumph. I think I would give this one 4 starts on its own merits, with another tacked on for the great value. Cheers to you in your New Carnegie venture; if Hammarby Syndrome is any indication of the beers it will produce, the people of Sweden are in for a treat.

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