What Haandbryggeriet does

Haandbryggeriet AS is an independent craft brewery founded in 2005 in Drammen, Norway, operating from a converted former sock factory at Havnegata 13. The company originated from the Drammens Ølbryggelag (DØL) home brewing club formed in 2000 and produces a portfolio of approximately 40 beer products across core year-round, barrel-aged and sours, seasonal, non-alcoholic, and ready-to-drink categories, using Rolec Craft brewing equipment and a dedicated sour beer facility established in 2016. Its proprietary house yeast culture underpins specialty products including Norway's first commercial sour beer (Haand Bakk), and the portfolio spans styles from farmhouse ales (Norwegian Wood) and Czech lagers (Sumava) to hazy IPAs (Lille Lørdag) and bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts (Epilogue, Dark Inception series).

The company generates revenue through a hybrid distribution model: direct-to-consumer sales via its on-site Drammen retail store and Skur 4 brewpub, wholesale distribution through seven Norwegian grocery chains (Meny, Rema 1000, Coop, Kiwi, Matkroken, Spar, Joker) and state-owned Vinmonopolet, on-tap and packaged supply to pubs, restaurants and specialty retailers, plus service revenue from brewery tours with tastings, Fresh Wort home brewing kits, and 20L/30L KeyKeg rentals. Pricing is positioned in the premium craft segment, with retail prices ranging from 15.40 NOK for handsfree 0.33L to 44 NOK for specialty 0.44L bottles, and Fresh Wort kits at 749 NOK per kit.

The brewery is led by CEO Egil Hilde alongside a small operating team that includes dedicated brewing, production lab, logistics, sales management, and bar/pub functions. Annual Haandfest festival and brewery tours form a community engagement layer, while collaborations with international partners such as Mikkeller, Brekeriet (Sweden), and the Norwegian black metal band 1349 extend brand reach. The brewery operates exclusively within Norway and is privately held.

Name

Haandbryggeriet

Legal name

Haandbryggeriet AS

Website

https://haandbryggeriet.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Haandbryggeriet is an independent Norwegian craft brewery founded in 2005 in Drammen, producing 40+ handcrafted beers distributed nationwide through grocery chains, Vinmonopolet, its own retail store, and the Skur 4 brewpub, plus brewery tours and Fresh Wort home brewing kits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Barrel aged beers
• Sour beer production
• Microbrewery products
• Home brewing kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Drammen

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Beer Sales: Direct sales of packaged and draft beer through own retail store in Drammen, on-site pub Skur 4, and brewery tours with tastings.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of beer products to grocery chains (Meny, Rema 1000, Coop, Kiwi, Matkroken, Spar, Joker), Vinmonopolet, pubs, restaurants, and specialty stores nationwide.
3. Fresh Wort Kit Sales: Sale of Fresh Wort kits for home brewing enthusiasts. Kits include approximately 22 liters of fresh wort, yeast, hops, and detailed instructions.
4. Fresh Wort Taps and Keg Rentals: Rental of tapping towers and sale of beer on 20 and 30 liter KeyKeg barrels for events and home celebrations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Haandbryggeriet is an independent Norwegian craft brewery that handcrafts a diverse portfolio of ales, lagers, IPAs, sour and barrel-aged beers at its Drammen brewery. It also runs the Skur 4 brewpub, guided brewery tours with tastings, KeyKeg rentals, and Fresh Wort home brewing kits, distributing nationwide through grocery chains, Vinmonopolet, pubs, restaurants and specialty stores.

Product overview

Haandbryggeriet is an independent craft brewery offering a diverse portfolio of handcrafted beers across multiple categories. The core range includes 15 year-round beers (Norwegian Wood, Sumava, Storweiss, Skikkelig Blonde, Lille Lørdag, Humlesus, Humlesus Lite, Haandverkspils, Haandbayer, Fyr & Flamme, Endelig Fredag, Dark Force, Black Canvas, Big Fat Cat, Bånn Gass). The barrel aged & sours collection features 11 specialty beers (Spontan Saison, Haand Bakk, Epilogue, Brothers in Arms, Trolls vs Goats, Space Between Stars, Of Wood and Smoke, Gapahuk, Dark Inception series). Seasonal offerings include 15 limited-edition beers (Synergy, Poor Exchange Rate, Nissemor, Nissefar, Lørdag, Kittens Puppies and Hops, Julepils, Halvors Jul, Cold Christmas IPA, Bow to No One, Bestefar, Allfather, 1866 Vienna Lager, 1349 Triple Ale, 1349 Black Ale). The portfolio extends to non-alcoholic (Handsfree) and ready-to-drink (Raspberry & Ginger Spritz) categories. Beyond packaged beer products, services include Skur 4 brewpub, brewery tours with tastings, KeyKeg rentals (20L, 30L), and Fresh Wort home brewing kits. Founded in 2005, the brewery operates from Drammen using Rolec Craft brewing equipment and distributes through retail chains (Meny, Rema 1000, Coop, Kiwi, Matkroken, Spar, Joker) and Vinmonopolet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Skur 4: The brewery's own bar/pub located at Havnegata 13, where craft beer and a cozy atmosphere meet. Features their freshest brews, exclusive beer types, and good food right from the source.
• Fresh Wort

Products and services

• Norwegian Wood A traditional Norwegian farmhouse ale with smoke and juniper flavors, inspired by the historical practice where all farms were required to brew their own beer. Targeted at craft beer drinkers seeking authentic Norwegian heritage styles.
• Sumava A Czech-style dark lager paying homage to the Šumava national park in Czech Republic, featuring rich malty flavors for craft beer drinkers seeking European lager heritage.
• Storweiss A Bavarian-style wheat beer inspired by Southern German wheat beers, offering a clean, fresh and flavorful taste that pairs well with seafood, grilled food and salads.
• Skikkelig Blonde A fresh and refreshing Belgian-style blonde ale serving as an accessible introduction to craft beer with balanced sweetness and clean finish.
• Lille Lørdag A hazy and hoppy IPA paying homage to the Wednesday tradition when servants could have a day off. A cloudy, juicy pale ale with tropical fruit notes.
• Humlesus A light, refreshing single hop Citra pale ale with tropical fruit notes and balanced bitter finish, paired with salads, chicken and Italian pizza.
• Humlesus Lite A gluten-free, light and refreshing pale ale with tropical fruit notes and refreshing bitterness, containing 30% fewer calories and 70% fewer carbohydrates than classic Humlesus.
• Haandverkspils A craft pilsner brewed with the finest ingredients without shortcuts, offering traditional pilsner character.
• Haandbayer A Munich-style Dunkel with complex and rich malt base balanced with German Tettnanger hop providing mild spicy aroma and refined bitterness, ideal with grilled meats and sausages.
• Fyr & Flamme A golden IPA with abundant fresh and fruity hop character, well-balanced with good malt body.
• Endelig Fredag A clean and flavorful pale ale with inviting hop aroma featuring citrus and tropical notes, more fruity than bitter.
• Dark Force An imperial stout brewed long before it became fashionable, featuring deep roasted flavors for dark beer enthusiasts.
• Black Canvas An American-style porter with dark malts providing complex aroma of chocolate, caramel and coffee, excellent with BBQ and chocolate desserts.
• Big Fat Cat A New England style IPA representing the culmination of ongoing experimentation with hops, water profile, malt composition, fermentation temperatures and brewing processes.
• Bånn Gass A West Coast-style double IPA with distinct hop bitterness, brewed with Norwegian malt and American hops.
• Spontan Saison A spontaneously fermented saison where the house culture takes center stage, matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks without fruit addition, expressing the brewery's carefully developed house culture.
• Haand Bakk A sour brown or oud bruin style beer, the first commercial sour beer in Norway and a beloved classic among the brewery's sour portfolio.
• Epilogue A bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout representing selected best bourbon barrels with imperial stout to mark the final tapping at the brewery.
• Brothers in Arms A sour beer collaboration with Swedish brewery Brekeriet, honoring the cultural connection between Norwegians and Swedes.
• Trolls vs Goats An aquavit barrel-aged triple bock inspired by Norwegian folklore and German brewing traditions.
• Space Between Stars A refined blend of 3-year-old bourbon barrel-aged stout and 3-year-old bourbon barrel-aged barley wine.
• Of Wood and Smoke An aquavit barrel-aged version of Norwegian Wood with additional smoked malt and fresh juniper added.
• Gapahuk A bourbon barrel-aged stout with a delicate hint of smoke, named after the emergency shelter used by hikers.
• Dark Inception A Tairora coffee variant of the bourbon barrel-aged stout Epilogue, using coffee from the Tairora region of Papua New Guinea providing creamy coffee with orange-like acidity.
• Dark Inception 2 A refined blend of hazelnut and toasted coconut elevating the exclusive bourbon barrel-aged stout Epilogue, with nutty flavors complementing tones of honey, almond and chocolate.
• Dark Inception 3 (Salted Caramel Edition) A Salted Caramel Edition bourbon barrel-aged stout with coffee from Varghese family's farm in South India, featuring notes of salted caramel, chocolate, cocoa and molasses.
• Synergy A collaboration sour IPA with Cirkus in Fargegaten, uniting two favorites: sour beer and IPA with juicy, tart flavors and generous dry-hopping with Australian and American hops.
• Poor Exchange Rate A collaboration with Mikkeller, a German-style pilsner brewed with Saaz, Tettnanger and Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops with malt sweetness balanced by complex hop aroma.
• Nissemor A Christmas beer brewed with 7 varieties of malt, a classic holiday ale suitable for both meat and fish, cakes and desserts.
• Nissefar A dark traditional farmhouse ale brewed for the holidays at Norwegian farms, with delicate smoke, balanced bitterness and deep chocolate flavor.
• Lørdag A hazy and juicy double IPA, the big tough big sister to Lille Lørdag, featuring a wide range of tropical flavors including citrus, grapefruit and mango.
• Kittens Puppies and Hops A hazy, juicy double dry-hopped DIPA with Mosaic and Simcoe hops, packed with blueberry, stone fruit, citrus and grapefruit notes.
• Julepils A mild and elegant pilsner with balanced sweet aroma and dry finish, suitable for good company and Christmas pork ribs.
• Halvors Jul A dark and well-hopped ale with added caraway and matured on aquavit barrels, suitable for desserts, cakes and chocolate.
• Cold Christmas IPA A fresh and balanced IPA with marked bitterness, designed to complement traditional Norwegian Christmas food.
• Bow to No One An American barley wine, unreservedly classic and true to the style.
• Bestefar A complex and robust ale honoring the time when all Norwegian farms brewed their own beer, positioned as a cold-winter companion.
• Allfather A barley wine named after Odin, the king of Norse gods, aged on aquavit barrels adding layers of complexity to this dark, malty beer.
• 1866 Vienna Lager Named after the city fire in Drammen in 1866, this Vienna lager has a clean sweet aroma from grain with balanced bitterness.
• 1349 Triple Ale A hop-rich triple ale brewed in collaboration with the iconic Norwegian black metal band 1349.
• 1349 Black Ale A black ale brewed in collaboration with the iconic Norwegian black metal band 1349.
• Handsfree A hop-rich and refreshing beer with full flavor and only 0.5% alcohol, designed for a relaxed lifestyle.
• Raspberry & Ginger Spritz (RTD) A Raspberry & Ginger Spritz, the brewery's first attempt at creating an RTD (Ready To Drink) beverage.
• Skur 4 Bryggeripub The brewery's own pub located at Havnegata 13, offering freshly brewed beers, exclusive beer types and good food in a cozy atmosphere for visitors and craft beer enthusiasts.
• Brewery tours with beer tasting Guided tours of the brewery including history and development, raw materials overview, brewing process, unique flavor development, and a tasting journey with four different beer types explained by experienced brewers.
• KeyKeg beer taps (20L, 30L) Draft beer available in 20 and 30 liter KeyKegs ideal for larger events or home parties, with free loan of tap towers for easy serving.
• Fresh Wort Kit A home brewing kit containing approximately 22 liters of fresh wort (unfermented beer base) with included yeast and hops, allowing customers to brew their own craft beer at home. Example pricing: Lille Lørdag Hazy Juicy IPA 4.5% kit at 749 NOK.

Quantifiable outcome

• First commercial sour beer in Norway (Haandbakk)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MikkellerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Poor Exchange Rate' beer - a German-style pilsner brewed with Saaz, Tettnanger, and Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops. The partnership balances malty sweetness with complex hop aroma.
• 1349 (Black Metal Band)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on two beers: 1349 Black Ale and 1349 Triple Ale. The iconic Norwegian black metal band's name adds cultural resonance to the product line.
• Cirkus FargegatenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Synergy' - a sour IPA combining sour beer and IPA styles, brewed with friends at Cirkus in Fargegaten.
• Brekeriet (Sweden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Brothers in Arms' beer, honoring the cultural connection between Norwegians and Swedes. Brekeriet is run by three brothers and specializes in Nordic sour beers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lervig Aktiebryggeri: Norwegian craft brewery in Stavanger producing a diverse range of IPAs, sours and barrel-aged beers for the Norwegian grocery, Vinmonopolet and on-premise channels. Directly comparable on craft positioning, channel mix and product variety.
• Nøgne Ø: Norwegian craft brewery founded in 2003 with a similarly broad portfolio of styles including sours and barrel-aged beers, distributed nationwide through grocery and Vinmonopolet. Closest like-for-like craft peer to Haandbryggeriet by size, channel mix and category breadth.
• Amundsen Bryggeri: Craft brewery also based in Drammen, producing IPAs, sours and seasonal releases for the same Norwegian grocery, Vinmonopolet and on-premise channels. The most direct local peer — same city, same channels, similar craft identity.
• 7 Fjell Bryggeri: Bergen-based Norwegian craft brewery with a diverse year-round and seasonal portfolio distributed through grocery chains and Vinmonopolet. Comparable craft scale, channel mix and product breadth within the Norwegian market.
• Ægir Bryggeri: Norwegian craft brewery in Flåm with a broad portfolio including sours, IPAs and seasonal beers, sold through grocery chains, Vinmonopolet and on-premise. Comparable on craft positioning, brewpub-style storytelling and national distribution.

Emerging players

• Mikkeller: Danish craft brewery known for an experimental, frequently collab-driven portfolio including sours and barrel-aged releases. Listed as a collaboration partner on Haandbryggeriet's Poor Exchange Rate pilsner; comparable on craft positioning, style experimentation and Nordic craft identity.
• Brekeriet: Swedish craft brewery run by three brothers, specializing in Nordic sour beers and barrel-aged ales. Collaboration partner on Brothers in Arms; comparable on sour-beer specialization, Nordic positioning and collaboration-led product strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Mack's Ølbryggeri: Established Norwegian regional brewery with a broad portfolio across mainstream and craft styles, nationwide grocery and on-premise distribution. Comparable channel footprint, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio scope than Haandbryggeriet.
• Ringnes: One of Norway's two dominant mainstream brewers, part of the Carlsberg Group, distributing across grocery, Vinmonopolet and on-premise nationwide. Comparable channel reach, but at vastly larger scale and broader category scope than Haandbryggeriet's craft focus.
• Hansa Borg Bryggerier: Major Norwegian brewer with broad portfolio of mainstream and craft-style brands distributed through grocery, Vinmonopolet and on-premise. Comparable national distribution footprint, but at significantly larger scale than Haandbryggeriet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Haandbryggeriet