Guinness | three little birds travel

I’ll admit loud and clear, that I’m a gal who loves her beer!! Stouts and Porters are definitely my go-to, but when I’m traveling I just want to taste the local refreshments and see what all the fuss is about. When I was in Ireland, it was the Guinness Storehouse and when I was in Prague, it was a 3-stop free beer tour. A few months ago in Copenhagen, my sister and I decided to check out Carlsberg Brewery.

Travel Tip: Take a cab! We took the Metro and got turned around a few times. Maybe too many beers??

When you first arrive at Carlsberg, head to the Elephant Gate. You’ll see a lot of these signs posted so just follow those and look for “Elefantporten.”

You really can’t miss it! It’s a very tall brick building and at the bottom, it appears as if it’s being supported by four elephants. Each elephant has an initial of Carl Jacobsen’s four children. Neat!

On to the beer tour! You need to find the main entrance/brand store building. Once you walk in, you’ll instantly be hypnotized by all the Carlsberg merchandise you can buy including clothing, magnets, soccer balls and glassware. They even sell the actual beer in ready-to-take cans! Walk up to the sales clerk and buy your ticket to the self-guided tour. They will hand you a fancy sticker and on you go!

Once inside the museum, you’ll see a fascinating timeline of the history of Carlsberg beer. You’ll also get a glimpse of the machinery, delivery vehicles, stables with the famous Jutland horses and even a miniature stature of the Little Mermaid! It’s quite extensive. For more pictures on this part, check out my Carlsberg Brewery Pinterest page.

By far, the most awe-dropping part about this tour was walking up the stairs to a whole floor dedicated to the “World’s Largest Collection of Unopened Beer Bottles.” Seriously people…this is massive!!! Right now, there are 22,346 bottles housed here for you to gawk at. I was even lucky to find a Guinness Stout!

The whole tour took us about 45 minutes, but that’s only because we spend 20 minutes salivating at all the beer bottles mentioned above! It’s fairly quick if you just run from room to room. I do recommend following the timeline and checking out every part of this museum. After the tour, it was time to relax over some delicious Carlsberg beers. You get two free beers with your tour ticket. If you’re lucky, they will have the famous Jutland horse out for you to enjoy!

What brew tours have you been to? Share your stories in the Comment field!

Sometimes life throws you a curveball. It’s always a bit unexpected and leaves you shaken up, but it’s always interesting to see what comes out of it. There’s a silver lining in everything, and for me it was discovering the world. In the past four years I’ve enjoyed a fresh pint of Guinness in Ireland, seen the Eiffel Tower light up the night in Paris, marveled at the works of Gaudi in Barcelona, gone for a swim off the island of Santorini (a little panic ensuing), devoured a ‘wet burger’ at 5am in Istanbul, received an unwarranted ticket in Budapest and kayaked with whales in Alaska. I often wonder where my life would be today if it wasn’t for that once scary curveball.

I’m definitely not your traditional traveler. Sure I’ll try and make it to all the hot spots, but I’ll also be the one who goes down that dark alley in search of the most authentic local meal. I’m the traveler who will fall in love with a hot Grecian man serving me coffee on the ferry to Santorini (his name was George and how else was I going to entertain myself for a 4hr ferry?). I’m also the traveler who got into an unmarked white van in Istanbul (…for real). I surprise myself at times at how far I’ve come. I continue to explore and grow and my hope is that by sharing these experiences, you too will feel empowered to start a new journey of your own.

Oh, and as far as Three Little Birds Travel, it’s a dedication to the many travels with my sister and for those who follow us in spirit. Don’t think I don’t notice the flickering lights or you walking through my crusie cabin…(shiver).