Lars Marius Garshol
@larsga.bsky.social
Author, speaker, and researcher of farmhouse ale.
Norwegian posts: @larsga-no.bsky.social
https://www.garshol.priv.no
Norwegian posts: @larsga-no.bsky.social
https://www.garshol.priv.no
Pinned
Lars Marius Garshol
@larsga.bsky.social
· Feb 11
I recently gained a lot of new followers, so I thought I'd introduce my work. I work on farmhouse ale, which farmers used to brew from their own grain, because, basically, they already had the grain, so it didn't cost them anything. As long as there was enough to eat they could brew from the rest. 🧵
First run of the year. A bit tough to run in the loose snow, but otherwise fine.
January 5, 2026 at 5:24 PM
First run of the year. A bit tough to run in the loose snow, but otherwise fine.
Winter finally arrived at the cabin. Wed-Fri we had quite a bit of snow, and strong wind. Because it's still early in the season there's lots of humidity in the air, so the snow is really sticky. Sticks to windows, walls, the car, your clothes. But because of the wind the snow is really uneven.
January 3, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Winter finally arrived at the cabin. Wed-Fri we had quite a bit of snow, and strong wind. Because it's still early in the season there's lots of humidity in the air, so the snow is really sticky. Sticks to windows, walls, the car, your clothes. But because of the wind the snow is really uneven.
Fuck everything about this. Fuck Donald Trump, too, that fucking war criminal. What an absolute drivelling moron.
January 3, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Fuck everything about this. Fuck Donald Trump, too, that fucking war criminal. What an absolute drivelling moron.
In the 19th century folklorists started collecting Norwegian folk literature. Mostly they found fairy tales, folk songs, and so on, but one piece stood out quite sharply. A visionary poem called Draumkvedet, or the Dream Lay. It has been compared to Dante's Inferno.
December 28, 2025 at 11:20 AM
In the 19th century folklorists started collecting Norwegian folk literature. Mostly they found fairy tales, folk songs, and so on, but one piece stood out quite sharply. A visionary poem called Draumkvedet, or the Dream Lay. It has been compared to Dante's Inferno.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
December 24, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Local newspaper in Stjørdal has an article on "what's happening locally during Christmas." The main photo is the annual stjørdalsøl tasting at a cabin in the woods on the 26th.
Note how many of them have knitted wrappers for their beer bottles so they won't get too cold.
Note how many of them have knitted wrappers for their beer bottles so they won't get too cold.
December 23, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Local newspaper in Stjørdal has an article on "what's happening locally during Christmas." The main photo is the annual stjørdalsøl tasting at a cabin in the woods on the 26th.
Note how many of them have knitted wrappers for their beer bottles so they won't get too cold.
Note how many of them have knitted wrappers for their beer bottles so they won't get too cold.
Very sorry to hear about Chris Rea. He may have released that Christmas song in a careless moment, but he also did some more serious stuff. Here's one of my favourites.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI_U...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI_U...
Chris Rea - Nothing To Fear
YouTube video by ChrisReaVideos
www.youtube.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Very sorry to hear about Chris Rea. He may have released that Christmas song in a careless moment, but he also did some more serious stuff. Here's one of my favourites.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI_U...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI_U...
The guys in Hornindal have little gathering tonight, tasting each other's Yule beer.
December 20, 2025 at 8:56 PM
The guys in Hornindal have little gathering tonight, tasting each other's Yule beer.
Reading "the Return of the Native," by Thomas Hardy.
Chapter 1 is a description of Egdon Heath.
The title of chapter 2 is: "Humanity appears on the scene, hand in hand with Trouble."
Good start.
Chapter 1 is a description of Egdon Heath.
The title of chapter 2 is: "Humanity appears on the scene, hand in hand with Trouble."
Good start.
December 19, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Reading "the Return of the Native," by Thomas Hardy.
Chapter 1 is a description of Egdon Heath.
The title of chapter 2 is: "Humanity appears on the scene, hand in hand with Trouble."
Good start.
Chapter 1 is a description of Egdon Heath.
The title of chapter 2 is: "Humanity appears on the scene, hand in hand with Trouble."
Good start.
All the sake history stuff I've been posting lately comes from this book. If you're interested in sake I recommend it. Lots of intriguing information not available elsewhere. press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Kanpai
Lift a glass to the story of sake—from Japanese homebrew to global phenomenon. Sake, Japan’s iconic rice-based alcoholic drink, has been central to Japanese culture for over 1,300 years. Traditional...
press.uchicago.edu
December 15, 2025 at 6:53 PM
All the sake history stuff I've been posting lately comes from this book. If you're interested in sake I recommend it. Lots of intriguing information not available elsewhere. press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Saw this Finnish movie today: 100 liters of sahti. Quite an intense story. Two sisters have learned to brew sahti from their dad, and their cousin asks them to brew 100 liters of sahti for her wedding. The sahti is absolutely amazing. Their best ever. We see the sisters tasting it and giving it a 10
December 14, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Saw this Finnish movie today: 100 liters of sahti. Quite an intense story. Two sisters have learned to brew sahti from their dad, and their cousin asks them to brew 100 liters of sahti for her wedding. The sahti is absolutely amazing. Their best ever. We see the sisters tasting it and giving it a 10
The Japanese are less law-abiding than I thought: farmhouse sake brewing continued despite the legal ban. In 1941 folklorists surveyed 85 localities, finding home brewing in 44 of them. It was particularly common in the Tohoku region. These brewers used grains other than rice as well.
In 1882 two thirds of the farmers in Tohoku (northern Japan) bought home brewing licenses. In 1895 there were 1 million home brewing licenses in total. So Japan definitely had farmhouse brewing of sake.
Then in 1886 the gov't banned home brewing entirely. Probably killed the farmhouse brewing.
Then in 1886 the gov't banned home brewing entirely. Probably killed the farmhouse brewing.
December 14, 2025 at 10:40 AM
The Japanese are less law-abiding than I thought: farmhouse sake brewing continued despite the legal ban. In 1941 folklorists surveyed 85 localities, finding home brewing in 44 of them. It was particularly common in the Tohoku region. These brewers used grains other than rice as well.
Mid 20th C the Japanese gov't encouraged a transition to so-called "3x sake", which was based on distilled alcohol and additions like MSG. A chemically engineered drink. By the 1970s real sake was essentially gone from the market. Consequence: beer took over the market from sake.
December 13, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Mid 20th C the Japanese gov't encouraged a transition to so-called "3x sake", which was based on distilled alcohol and additions like MSG. A chemically engineered drink. By the 1970s real sake was essentially gone from the market. Consequence: beer took over the market from sake.
Foggy morning in Lillestrøm.
Been wet and above 0C all month so far. This used to be November weather. Soon I guess it will also be January weather.
Been wet and above 0C all month so far. This used to be November weather. Soon I guess it will also be January weather.
December 12, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Foggy morning in Lillestrøm.
Been wet and above 0C all month so far. This used to be November weather. Soon I guess it will also be January weather.
Been wet and above 0C all month so far. This used to be November weather. Soon I guess it will also be January weather.
In 1882 two thirds of the farmers in Tohoku (northern Japan) bought home brewing licenses. In 1895 there were 1 million home brewing licenses in total. So Japan definitely had farmhouse brewing of sake.
Then in 1886 the gov't banned home brewing entirely. Probably killed the farmhouse brewing.
Then in 1886 the gov't banned home brewing entirely. Probably killed the farmhouse brewing.
December 7, 2025 at 7:32 PM
In 1882 two thirds of the farmers in Tohoku (northern Japan) bought home brewing licenses. In 1895 there were 1 million home brewing licenses in total. So Japan definitely had farmhouse brewing of sake.
Then in 1886 the gov't banned home brewing entirely. Probably killed the farmhouse brewing.
Then in 1886 the gov't banned home brewing entirely. Probably killed the farmhouse brewing.
I tried to look at the past 13,000 years of beer brewing from a bird's eye perspective. That leads to some reflections I certainly didn't expect.
A simple way to put it: there are three kinds of beer, but not the ones you expect.
www.garshol.priv.no/blog/439.html
A simple way to put it: there are three kinds of beer, but not the ones you expect.
www.garshol.priv.no/blog/439.html
Malt, Mould, or Saliva | Larsblog
Personal blog of Lars Marius Garshol.
www.garshol.priv.no
December 3, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I tried to look at the past 13,000 years of beer brewing from a bird's eye perspective. That leads to some reflections I certainly didn't expect.
A simple way to put it: there are three kinds of beer, but not the ones you expect.
www.garshol.priv.no/blog/439.html
A simple way to put it: there are three kinds of beer, but not the ones you expect.
www.garshol.priv.no/blog/439.html
We did get an hour with the secretary of agriculture, who was very interested. Several different things might come out of this. Huge cred to Vidar Skeie for setting this up.
December 2, 2025 at 1:38 PM
We did get an hour with the secretary of agriculture, who was very interested. Several different things might come out of this. Huge cred to Vidar Skeie for setting this up.
The chair of the @kornolfest.bsky.social board has set up a meeting with politicians at parliament to discuss legalizing sale of farmhouse ale directly from the farms. On the train from Voss they also brought a lot of beer, including one 10-l canister for me. But how to get it home?
December 2, 2025 at 8:58 AM
The chair of the @kornolfest.bsky.social board has set up a meeting with politicians at parliament to discuss legalizing sale of farmhouse ale directly from the farms. On the train from Voss they also brought a lot of beer, including one 10-l canister for me. But how to get it home?
What the Trump administration really thinks about Ukraine is painfully clear from simple statistics about support to Ukraine. They don't give a shit about Ukraine. Never have, never will.
Their attitude to Europe is unlikely to be very different.
Their attitude to Europe is unlikely to be very different.
December 1, 2025 at 3:26 PM
What the Trump administration really thinks about Ukraine is painfully clear from simple statistics about support to Ukraine. They don't give a shit about Ukraine. Never have, never will.
Their attitude to Europe is unlikely to be very different.
Their attitude to Europe is unlikely to be very different.
We've found yet another new kveik in the Voss area, so I called the owner to get some background info. He normally ferments 36 hours, he says.
November 30, 2025 at 4:20 PM
We've found yet another new kveik in the Voss area, so I called the owner to get some background info. He normally ferments 36 hours, he says.
Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone, but this, happily, is one of his lesser-known inventions: "he designed the "Saxotonnerre", a massive, locomotive-powered organ which was supposed to be so loud as to be heard across all of Paris at once"
November 29, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone, but this, happily, is one of his lesser-known inventions: "he designed the "Saxotonnerre", a massive, locomotive-powered organ which was supposed to be so loud as to be heard across all of Paris at once"
Beginning to look to me like the only type of boiled beer is European commercial beer. I don't think any of the other continents boiled, and European farmhouse brewers largely didn't, either.
So of course everyone concluded all beer must be boiled.
So of course everyone concluded all beer must be boiled.
November 29, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Beginning to look to me like the only type of boiled beer is European commercial beer. I don't think any of the other continents boiled, and European farmhouse brewers largely didn't, either.
So of course everyone concluded all beer must be boiled.
So of course everyone concluded all beer must be boiled.
Reposted by Lars Marius Garshol
We have a special award for this evening, to honour the work of Martyn Cornell (@thezythophile.bsky.social) as his contribution to beer writing throughout his life.
We present Martyn’s Lifetime Achievement Award to his brother, Dave Cornell.
We present Martyn’s Lifetime Achievement Award to his brother, Dave Cornell.
November 27, 2025 at 9:02 PM
We have a special award for this evening, to honour the work of Martyn Cornell (@thezythophile.bsky.social) as his contribution to beer writing throughout his life.
We present Martyn’s Lifetime Achievement Award to his brother, Dave Cornell.
We present Martyn’s Lifetime Achievement Award to his brother, Dave Cornell.
Judith Bennett's book about women brewing in England says the transition to male-dominated brewing happened when the brewery became a business with employees. It was difficult for women to exert authority over male employees, so the husband tended to take over.
She cites other reasons, too, but ...
She cites other reasons, too, but ...
November 23, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Judith Bennett's book about women brewing in England says the transition to male-dominated brewing happened when the brewery became a business with employees. It was difficult for women to exert authority over male employees, so the husband tended to take over.
She cites other reasons, too, but ...
She cites other reasons, too, but ...
The paper Margo Samorokov and I wrote for Brewery History Journal on Estonian farmhouse brewing is now available online, in case anyone is interested. www.breweryhistory.com/journal/arch...
www.breweryhistory.com
November 23, 2025 at 11:11 AM
The paper Margo Samorokov and I wrote for Brewery History Journal on Estonian farmhouse brewing is now available online, in case anyone is interested. www.breweryhistory.com/journal/arch...