Amundsen

Amundsen are one of the breweries that fully embraced the modern craft beer boom and somehow managed to keep a sense of fun running through it the entire time. Founded in Oslo in 2011, the brewery originally started as a small brewpub before rapidly growing into one of the best-known Scandinavian names in international craft beer. From the beginning, the focus was very much on bold flavours, playful branding, and beers that didn’t take themselves too seriously, even when the brewing itself was clearly being done with a huge amount of technical skill.

A huge part of Amundsen’s identity comes from their willingness to lean fully into modern beer styles without much hesitation. Pastry stouts, heavily fruited sours, thick hazy IPAs, dessert-inspired beers, they became one of the European breweries most associated with that louder, more expressive side of craft beer culture during the late 2010s. At the same time though, the beers rarely feel gimmicky for the sake of it. Underneath all the bright artwork and ridiculous flavour combinations, there’s still a very solid understanding of balance and brewing technique holding everything together.

The branding has always been a massive part of the brewery too. Bright colours, cartoon-style artwork, pop culture references, and a general atmosphere that feels closer to streetwear or gaming culture than traditional beer marketing. That approach helped Amundsen connect with a much younger generation of craft beer drinkers and made the brewery instantly recognisable on shelves and bottle lists around the world.

Despite the international reputation they’ve built, there’s still something quite approachable about the whole project. Amundsen never really feels elitist or overly serious in the way some modern craft beer scenes can become. The brewery seems much more interested in creating beers people get excited to open with friends than chasing prestige or tradition for its own sake. Loud, creative, slightly chaotic at times, but always very drinkable underneath it all.