Aarhus Bryghus A/S
About the distillery
Aarhus Bryghus is located in Viby J and has, since 2005, worked with hand-brewed specialty beer, a shop and visitor activities. The brewhouse is a microbrewery, but the Spirit of Aarhus series also points the way into spirits, where the whisky in particular stands out: a Danish single malt made from a special beer without hops and aged in Scottish Glenlivet casks. It is a place where beer, whisky and local events meet under the same roof.
History
Aarhus Bryghus has been operating since 2005, and that is the cornerstone the rest of the story is built on. Over the years the brewhouse has grown from a microbrewery to a place with a shop, Friday bar, guided tours and a range that spans from canned beer and bottled beer to draft beer for events. Spirits have also been added to the range, developed in collaboration with Brænderiet Enghaven under the name Spirit of Aarhus.
The whisky provides a clear milestone in the development. It was brewed and distilled in 2017 from a special beer without hops, and it spent five years in casks before being bottled in 2022. 450 bottles of the 50 cl. edition were bottled, and the same whisky is also available in a 4 cl. edition. The brewhouse also uses the venue for celebrations, including its 20th anniversary in September 2025, where the brewery will gather music, food and beer in a three-day Asfaltbal at the address in Viby J.
Raw materials and production
Aarhus Bryghus’ production is based on hand-brewed specialty beer and a desire to work with more parts of the beer’s flavor spectrum. The website describes a selection that includes light and dark beers as well as hopped IPAs inspired by American and English brewing traditions. Cans are also used increasingly with a view to modernization and convenience, while bottled beers are bottled in 60 cl. because the beer is seen as something social to be shared.
The whisky is the most concrete spirits story. The starting point is a special beer without hops, which is distilled in collaboration with Brænderiet Enghaven. The result is described as a Danish single malt whisky at 45%. It is a fairly unusual route to whisky, where the beer is not just a companion to the visit but the raw material in the finished spirit. In the production text it is clear that the collaboration between the brewhouse and the distillery is a central part of the method.
Maturation and cask types
The whisky was aged for five years in Scottish Glenlivet casks and was also on oak casks until 2022. This gives an aging history where both the previous cask type and the finishing maturation are part of the identity. This is not an embellished cask story, but a relatively simple and clear course: distillation in 2017, five years of maturation and bottling in 2022. That is enough to show that the brewhouse works with classic cask maturation rather than more complicated experiments.
Whiskies
The brewhouse’s current range is broad but clearly centered on specialty beer. On the webshop there are, among other things, New Zealand IPA, alcohol-free and very light beer, Schwarzbier, Hazy IPA, New England IPA, Golden Ale, Kölsch and wheat beers. In addition, the brewhouse offers bottled beers in 60 cl. and a canned range that can be mixed into cases of 6, 15 or 24 bottles or cans. The assortment is thus built for everyday enjoyment, sharing and variation.
Within spirits the selection is narrower and more focused. Spirit of Aarhus includes whisky and gin, and the whisky stands as a more serious, cask-aged counterpart to the beer program. It is not described with a large selection of different vintages or cask stories, but as a clear single edition with 45% alcohol and a documented production in collaboration with Brænderiet Enghaven.
| Whisky | Type / series | Alcohol | Cask and style | Flavor profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whisky 50 cl. | Danish single malt whisky; Spirit of Aarhus | 45 % | Glenlivet casks and oak casks | Danish single malt whisky at 45 %, distilled from a special beer without hops at Brænderiet Enghaven and bottled in 450 bottles. | Current; Core range; Available for purchase; 450 bottles |
| Whisky 4 cl. | Danish single malt whisky; Spirit of Aarhus | 45 % | Glenlivet casks and oak casks | Danish single malt whisky at 45 %, produced from a special beer without hops in collaboration with Brænderiet Enghaven and aged for five years. | Current; Core range; Available for purchase |
General flavor profile
Visit the distillery
Aarhus Bryghus can be visited. The shop is open on weekdays, the Friday bar runs every Friday from 13:00 to 19:00 with free entry, and the brewhouse arranges open guided tours with beer tasting approximately once a month. The tour lasts around 1.5 hours and takes guests through the production, the storage and the visitor room, while beer is tasted directly from the storage tanks. There is also the possibility to drop by for concerts, other events and private events in the visitor room.
The stated opening hours are: The shop is open Monday–Thursday 08:00–16:00 and Friday 08:00–15:00; Friday bar every Friday 13:00–19:00. Opening hours on the contact page are also given as Monday–Thursday 08:00–16:00, Friday 08:00–19:00, Saturday–Sunday closed.
See times and book a visit.
Philosophy and craft
The brewhouse works from a clear idea of hand-brewed specialty beer and breadth in flavor. The selection ranges from light and mild beers to dark and powerful variants, and the IPAs are described as inspired by American and English brewing traditions. At the same time, the beer is conceived as something social, which is reflected in the 60 cl. bottles and in the possibility to mix your own cases. When the brewhouse moves into spirits, it continues to do so with the beer as the starting point.
Latest news
Aarhus Bryghus turns 20 with Asfaltbal – 2025-09-11
The brewhouse marks its 20th anniversary with a three-day celebration from 11 to 13 September 2025 with concerts, a beer tent, visitor area, food, cocktails and its own beers.