Aass Brewery celebrates its 175th Anniversary

October 15, 2009

The old Aass Brewery in Drammen, Norway. Photo: Flickr.com

Aass Brewery, Norway’s oldest brewery, celebrates its 175th Anniversary this year. On Oct. 14, 450 guests, including King Harald V and Queen Sonja, marked the special event at a celebration in Drammen, Buskerud county.

The Aass Brewery company started as a trading company in Drammen in 1834, and delivered, among other things, lumber and shipping supplies, bakery and ran a small brewery and sold grain and malt to the local brewers. The brewery had no packaging and therefore so-called pot beer was sold to residents who took their own bins, buckets etc. (1 pot = 0.96 liters).

Today Aass Brewery is a modern industrial company with deep roots in the old beer brewing traditions. Culture is an integral part of our identity and we see it as our task to raise the status of beer in Norway.

In earlier times, there were 12 breweries locally, and now Aass Brewery is the only one left. The company has a central position in the urban scene and are still in the same location where the original business started in 1834.

Aass also produce varieties of carbonated soft drinks and soda water. The production of soft drinks started in 1869 and is still an important area for Aass Brewery. Aass is the co-owner of A/S Solo, which is perhaps Norway’s most famous brand. Solo was established way back in 1934, and has been a frequent companion through many Norwegians’ youth and daily life.