This article is brought to you in partnership with RVK Brewing Company
Read on to learn more about one of Iceland’s most beloved and successful beer makers, RVK Brewing Co. Where in Reykjavík can you sample their creations, and what is Iceland’s drinking culture like?
Iceland’s vibrant beer culture has flourished over the last few decades, with companies like RVK Brewing Co very much leading the charge.
Before we get started on espousing the many virtues of RVK Brewing Co, it’s important to recognise the island’s controversial history regarding beer.
In fact, it was completely illegal until 1989. (When looking at the downtown district today – with its many bars, clubs, and restaurants – it’s obvious why people say the past really is a different country…)
A short history of Beer in Iceland
The illegality of beer may sound unbelievable to some, especially considering how much history the rest of the world has with this particular beverage, but it’s true.
The reason for its illegality lies in the fact that Iceland was once a territory under Denmark’s rule.
Given the Danes’ love for drinking beer – an obsession that very much continues to this day, as a trip to Copenhagen will prove – the notion of drinking fermented cereal grains was considered by many to be unpatriotic, and wholly un-Icelandic.
This prohibition meant that beer-loving Icelanders could only indulge when travelling abroad, or when they were lucky enough to get their hands on smuggled contraband.
In the years since its consumption has been permitted, Icelanders have readily indulged – some might say overindulged – not just in the drinking aspect, but brewing too.
Even so, the first beers that were imported to Iceland, or even concocted here, were not of particularly good quality.
For a short while, this made very little difference; the population was ready to drink whatever was on offer, if only to take a break from the sipping on their national drink, Brennivín, a distilled liquor.
Over time, Icelanders quickly addressed this by experimenting with new brewing methods, making sure to include local ingredients in order to for their beers stand out.
Today, beer-lovers can be thankful that there are many breweries across the country, each offering its own unique flavours.
How did RVK Brewing Co begin?
As one of the island’s most creative and prolific breweries, RVK Brewing Co has operated since 2017. Like all great projects, the company was founded off nothing other than a burning passion. Experience and technical know-how quickly followed suit.
After years working in New York City’s financial sector, the original founder, Sigurður Snorrason – or Siggi to his friends and drinking partners – turned his attention to bringing Iceland into something of a beer renaissance. He has not stopped since.
In May 2018, the company’s first beer was brewed using a 5 HL system and 40 HL fermentation space. Not long after, their first tap room opened, bringing in crowds of thirsty visitors.
This is no hyperbole; the demand for RVK Brewing Co beer has been so unabating that the company has been playing catch-up since the very beginning.
In July 2022, the “New Brewery” was opened, this time with a 15 HL system with 300 HL fermentation space. They followed this up two years later by opening a new, larger tap room on the premises of Tonabio, converting the old cinema and bingo hall into a place that celebrates the growth of Icelandic beer and drinking culture.
You can find both the brewery and the taproom at Skipholt 31 and 33.
As of today, RVK Brewing Co’s most famous products include: RVK Pale Ale, RVK Kopar Klassík (a Vienna inspired lager,) Sömmer Lövin citrus wheat beer, and Hlemmur IPA.
Visit RVK Brewing Co’s Tap Room
RVK Brewing Co operates right in the heart of Reykjavík, making it the perfect stop for those with time to kill in Iceland’s capital city.
Curious visitors can step into their bright and welcoming tap room to sample any one of the beers on offer. Feel free to take a seat at the bar or one of the many tables, and let yourself enjoy the pleasing, laid-back ambience; good tunes, good people, and most importantly of all, good beer!
While tours are not available as of yet, there are plans to operate them in the future. However, tours are offered for groups if contacted through RYK Brewing Co’s website.
The staff has an excellent reputation for friendliness, rotating their beers throughout the week, and happily conversing with anyone who steps inside.
On top of that, there is an opportunity to purchase merchandise to remember your trip. Without question, the go-to favourite product among guests are the souvenir glasses, allowing drinkers to remember their vacation to the land of ice and fire every time they decide to pour themselves a fresh pint.
Let’s raise our glasses to beer in Iceland!
In Icelandic, when you wish to raise a toast with family and friends, it is expected to raise up a full glass of freshly poured beer, tap them together, and let out a hearty “Skal!”
There really is no better place to do it in the city than RVK Brewing Co.
You’ll find the staff become fast friends – not to mention anyone else partaking around you – and you’ll likely experience one of the best drinking sessions of your life.
So, with that said, let your hair down, have a drink or two (…or three, if so desired) and experience the very best beers that RVK Brewing Co – and, arguably, the whole of Iceland – has to offer!
