Copenhagen nightlife: Far more than Bodegas and Carlsberg

A luxury pub crawl through Copenhagen

Better known for its beer and fairytales, Copenhagen has exploded as a culinary destination within the last six years, where it has evolved into a rich and vibrant congregation of culinary enthusiasts. For this post we decided to give the known pub crawl a little twist. Once reserved for boozy students and tourists, pub crawls can also be a great way to experience the diverse and exciting drinks in Copenhagen.
If you are interested in good drinks with an even better story, let’s take a walk.

Areas: Nørrebro & Frederiksberg
Distance: Total walking of 2,7 km

To ØL

First things first: The beer

Known for our Carlsberg, nowadays Copenhagen has so much more to offer when it comes to beer. Craft beer is popular in many places, but only few places do it as good as To Øl (two beers). This brewery is inside of BRUS, a restaurant, eatery, pub and brewery situated in the heart of Nørrebro. To Øl was started by two Nørrebro locals, Tore and Tobias, who learned about brewing already in high school, and never stopped brewing again. With an ever-changing vast array of beers ranging from stouts to a raspberry sour ale, from incredibly complex to beautifully simple; there sure is to be a beer for every preference. These beers are for the most part still brewed in house and are therefore one of the freshest beers you can find in Copenhagen, from the tank directly into your glass! Importantly on a pub crawl too – their food is also a must! Perfect to snack with a cold beer they serve their fermented fries (yes, fermented). If you still haven’t heard about our love for fermentation this is the perfect opportunity to give it a try! (Don’t be too late if you want a snack or dinner – the kitchen closes at 22:00)

The Barking Dog

As a next stop, we recommend paying this little gem a visit. The Barking dog define themselves as a ‘cocktail pub’. A cozy place where the music is never too loud, allowing for a nice atmosphere where you can talk and have a conversation without the music in the background interrupting you. This pub atmosphere stands together with some high-class cocktails. What we love here is how often these cocktails will embody the best of something as simple as a Lager with the sophistications of a Margarita, just like a ‘cocktail pub’ should. Many twists on our favorite classics!

Rødder & Vin

After a strong cocktail, why not go back to something a bit lighter to make sure we make it to the end of the night? Rødder & Vin offers the perfect stop for such an occasion. Specialized in fermentation in general, they offer a great selection of natural wines and ciders, by glass or by bottle, all selected personally by the owner Solfinn. Natural products have made it to the Copenhagen drinks scene, and this is one of the best places to give these a go. Our personal recommendation is to give some local fresh Nordic ciders a try: These are often dry, low in alcohol and all have incredibly interesting producers! If you don’t believe us, ask Solfin for a recommendation and a little story about who produces your drink… He knows every single one of them personally.

Gamble

It’s now time for a longer walk (1 km) and some fresh air before you arrive at your next place.

A Gamble, that’s exactly what this bar was for the two founders András & Sebastian, back when they opened last year. They dropped their education at CBS and decided to do what they were truly passionate about – cocktails! And thank god they did, because now they make what we believe to be a very important place in Copenhagen with some really extraordinary cocktails. With their live jazz (Wednesdays and Saturdays) and their electro swing tunes, boozy and beautifully balanced cocktails this it one of our more dangerous stops, because you forget all about time (and number of drinks). These guys might be new to Copenhagen, but we sure hope they will stay.

Gensyn

This last stop is a zero pretentiousness and high-quality gem. It is situated in what used to be a bodega, which is still visible from the inside and out. Bodegas are traditional Danish bars with low light and high smoking rates which always have a traditional cold Carlsberg to offer. These also happen to be some of the typical hide outs for people working at high end cocktail bars around the city, as they offer a great contrast and that relaxed environment one might seek after a busy night at the bar. This is exactly what Terkel, the owner of Gensyn, loves about bodegas, and why he brought that cozy and relaxed feeling to his own bar. Today, Gensyn is a bar that offers high quality cocktails and beers, while working closely together with small local producers. It is a place that might not seem like much at first but will knock you off your shoes after the first sip of one of their cocktails! Our personal recommendation: Their dry martini with their (secret recipe) homemade marinated olives.

As a pub crawl or not, these are some of our favorite places on Nørrebro and Frederiksberg. Hopefully you’ll be able to see why!

Do not drive home!