The first brewers’ guild in Copenhagen was established in 1525. It consisted of a few local brewers who supplied both the people and the king and his army with their products. This was quite a job as the daily ration was some 10 litres per person. The traditional drink – and until the late 19th century, the only drink – was hvidtøl. While this means ‘white beer’, it actually is fairly dark due to the roasted malt.
In 1838, J.C. Jacobsen presented a Bavarian beer to the Danish king. This was brewed according to a modern process, had a finer finish and could be preserved longer. It was a success and led to the establishment of the Carlsberg brewery just outside Copenhagen in 1847. A few years later, Tuborg began the large-scale production of lager and this pale beer type is currently the most popular in Denmark.