Copenhagen: Carlsberg vs.Cocktails
Denmark, April 2010
The best way to describe Copenhagen is to tell you about its bar scene. In the one hand is a pint of "probably" the best known lager in the world - Carlsberg - which was founded here in 1847. This famous beverage represents the Royal family and their palaces; the Tivoli Gardens and the Little Mermaid; the canals and cobbled squares and everything "old" that is Copenhagen. In the other, is a bright pink cocktail that reflects the regeneration of the city's waterfront with the Black Diamond; the Opera House and modern apartment buildings which together with trendy new hotels and restaurants has given a visit to Copenhagen a new twist.
Nyhavn is where you will find yourself at least once over the course of a weekend
On a freezing cold Good Friday the last thing I expected to be doing was sitting outside, wrapped in a cosy blanket, drinking a pint of Carlsberg and eating a Danish open sandwich, known as a smørrebrød. But when in Rome - or I should say Copenhagen - Nyhavn is where you will find yourself at least once over the course of a weekend. This multi-coloured row of 17th and early 18th century townhouses have all been transformed into bars and restaurants that spill onto the cobbled street running along the edge of a dead-end canal. In contrast, the other side of the canal never sees the sun so its grey buildings are left to gaze sadly across the water to where all the action is.
The centre of Copenhagen is located on two islands divided by an estuary. Due to the canals, it is often compared to Amsterdam although initially this will appear strange as the city centre side only has two small sections. However, across the water in residential Christianshavn, there is much more of a similarity and the best way to see this district is to take one of the boat tours which depart regularly from Nyhavn.
The old town centre is comprised of four squares joined together by the longest pedestrianised street in Europe – The Strøget. Nyhavn sits in front of Kongens Nytorv, the most elegant of the squares, and is surrounded by palaces; the Danish Theatre; Hotel D’Angleterre and the Magasin du Nord. In winter, you can skate around the flower beds and the statue of King Christian V on his horse and in the summer you can relax with a coffee served from an ornate 1913 kiosk.
Strøget starts its journey next to Hotel D’Angleterre and is lined with every designer shop you can imagine. The next square along is Amagertorv and the Stork Fountain is a popular meeting spot. If you walk down past the fountain you will find find the second section of canal which loops past several museums; the Christiansborg Palace and the old Stock Exchange with its fabulous dragon spire.
Back on Strøget and after crossing the old medieval market place of Gammeltorv you will come to the last section which mainly consists of souvenir shops and fast food outlets although look out for the old tobacco pipe shop and glove shop next door. At the end you will arrive at Rådhuspladsen or City Hall Square and not surprisingly, this large cobbled space is dominated by the City Hall but there is one building on the square that has an unusual dual purpose.
If you look closely, you will notice that down the edge of one of the buildings is a barometer. At the top, when the sun is out, you will see the golden “weather girl” with her bicycle – which is very appropriate since 36% of Copenhageners commute daily by bike - and when it rains she is holding an umbrella and walking her dog.
Tivoli Gardens is located on the far left hand corner of the square but the word “garden” is slightly misleading. Tivoli is in fact a miniature Disneyland spread over a whole city block and its most famous ride is a wooden rollercoaster built in 1914. Even without a map it’s easy to find Tivoli - all you have to do is look up and you will see the world’s tallest carousel standing 80 metres high.
Despite being around since 1843, don’t expect Tivoli to be open all year round. Its main season is mid April to the end of September although it does open at other festive holidays such as Halloween and over the Christmas period. It was therefore annoying to discover we had missed its opening by a matter of days and had to settle on peering through the entrance gate and fences.
when the sun is out, you will see the golden weather girl with her bicycle
As we couldn’t enjoy the city views from Tivoli’s carousel, we decided to walk to the top of the Round Tower which was built as an observatory in 1642. Instead of stairs you stroll up a spiral cobbled ramp that brings you to a 360 degree viewing platform where you can see the old orange terracotta tiles of the city mixed with modern architecture.
You can’t get more modern than the extension to the Royal Library, nicknamed the Black Diamond, which acts like an enormous mirror reflecting the water of the estuary. Further along the waterfront is another 21st century landmark - The Copenhagen Opera House and no better contrast between old and new can be made with its location.
The Opera House which was opened in 2005 is a slick modern design and lies directly across the water from one of the city’s oldest buildings – the Marble Church - which was completed in 1894. In front of the church, set around a cobbled plaza, are the four identical palaces that make up Amalienborg - the winter residence of the Danish Royal family.
A short distance away you will find the Citadel surrounded by a moat, the Gefion Fountain and the Little Mermaid – or where she would have been if she hadn’t been holidaying in Shanghai for the next 8 months! Beyond that is where the cruise ships dock and opposite is the naval base. The city’s waterfront has an industrial port feel but this is slowly changing and along every stretch of canal and on previously abandoned islands trendy apartments have been built.
Designer hotels are also appearing all over the city and their cocktail bars are buzzing in the evenings. Cocktails seem to have taken the city by storm and we were presented with a mouth watering selection that would put London and New York to shame. The city even had a competition a few years back to create a “Copenhagen” to rival a Manhattan or Singapore Sling.
"Ruby" is by far the most unique bar we have ever visited. More like visiting a friend’s apartment, the townhouse entrance is shared with offices and the Embassy of Georgia. Only the name plaque - the size of a business card - in red on the double set of white doors hinted that we were in the right place.
Perched on two bar stools we agonised over the cocktail list but they all sounded so intriguing that we asked the barman, Sune, if he would choose for us. After enquiring what our favourite cocktails were and hearing that I don’t like Gin, he decided to make it his mission to convince me otherwise! My first cocktail was a “Snowdrop” followed by a “Carrot Head” and an “Apple Smash” and I have to admit that after the first sip my aversion to Gin had been cured. David’s cocktails all included his favourite tipple, Tequila and consisted of a “Sloeberry Margarita”, a “Whoopsy Daisy” and “Tommy’s Arette”.
Even without a map its easy to find Tivoli - all you have to do is look up
It didn’t take long for the bar and attached drawing room to fill up. Sune had been joined by three other mixologists – Morton, Nicholas and Kasper – who were similarly dressed in waistcoats, shirts and ties but each had concocted their own outfit with as much creativeness as the cocktails they were shaking. I’ve never come across such friendly bar staff and whenever the white wooden doors opened and a head peeked shyly round, our hosts would stop shaking and make eye contact and welcome the newcomers in. In fact if it wasn’t that we had a dinner reservation at one of Copenhagen’s 13 Michelin star restaurants we might have been there all night.
Clutching a list of bars to try out in London and Edinburgh we left with a new respect for cocktails and their creators. Never again would I just settle for a Cosmo! However, just to make sure we hadn't become biased, we decided to visit the Carlsberg factory the next day.
The original Victorian brewery has been turned into a visitor’s centre and taking the tour is like walking back in time. As you follow the painted line from building to building you don’t only learn about the history of the company and how to brew beer, but you can sit at the communal table where the staff had their lunches; look inside their lockers and touch every piece of machinery. In the stables they had all the horse drawn carts used to transport beer over the decades and you could see where the farriers worked. The stalls even had what we thought were dummy shire horses eating hay, until they moved and we realised they were real.
The tour finished in a brand new bar where our entrance ticket entitled us to sample two half pints of their various brews and was the perfect end to the visit. However, before heading back into town, we went in search of the original entrance of the brewery which is just round the corner, further down the main road. The four life-size stone elephants (two on each side) that make up the fantastic carved entranceway are well worth the extra walk to stand next to and in the background you can see the company’s modern brewery.
Copenhagen to me will always be Carlsberg vs. Cocktails or to be more precise Old vs. New. If I ever go back it would be in the summer so that I can enjoy a cold beer at Nyhavn without the need of a blanket. I would also stop by and say hello to the Little Mermaid and enjoy the delights that the Tivoli Gardens had to offer but on the very top of my list would be a cocktail, or two, at Ruby's!