Macks Ølbryggeri

Mack Bryggeri (English: Mack Brewery; Norwegian official name: AS L. Macks ølbryggeri og mineralvannsfabrikk) is a brewery in Balsfjord, Norway. It was considered the world's northernmost brewery until shifting their production to Nordkjosbotn in 2012.

History

Mack Bryggeri was founded during 1877 in Tromsø by Ludwig Markus Mack (1842–1915), son of a German immigrant, businessman and local politician. He had been educated as a baker, like his father, but several trips to visit his brewmaster uncle in Bavaria led him to pursue construction of a brewery in northern Norway. As a result, Mack beers were, and still remain, particularly German in character.

A large portion of the shares are presently owned by Ludwig Mack's descendants. Mack Bryggeri claims to be the northernmost brewery in the world, a claim that is cited on Mack's beer bottles. After over 130 years of operation in Tromsø, in March 2012 the company moved production to Nordkjosbotn in Balsfjord municipality, and subsequently lost the title of world's northernmost brewery to the brewery operated inside the Hotel Icefiord in Ilulissat (Greenland) by a margin of a mere 50 meters. When Hotel Icefjiord closed their brewery in 2013, the brewery equipment was taken over by Brewery Immiaq (also Ilulissat), who since then holds the title of "world's northernmost brewery". In 2015 Svalbard Bryggeri filled their fermentors and subsequently are the northernmost brewery in the world at 78 degrees North.