Easter in Copenhagen

This is set of photos from a very happy Easter with family in Denmark about two years ago. It involved steak tartar, snaps, 'Bear-beer'and a look through my granddad's old sketchbooks. I found these photos again recently and it just reminded me how seriously my Danish family takes hosting. There always has to be a centrepiece, curly parsley garnishes on the plates and no one can eat without candles lit.

 





 

Beer bottle art - Mikeller brewery

Mikeller is a Copenhagen microbrewery that was set up by a home brew-loving Danish teacher and two of his pupils. You can drink beer from the age of 15 in Denmark so this isn't necesarily as legally problematic as it sounds. The beers Mikeller makes are tasty and forceful and their bars are fun and full of attractive people. But that isn't what this website is about.

What grabs my attention about Mikeller are their dry-humoured, 2D cartoon bottle labels, designed by a Philadelphian called Keith Shore. It's like a sarcastic Ancient Egyptian discovered neons and Microsoft Paint. They are a thing of beauty and, excellently, Mikeller sell t-shirts as well as beer.

Here are some favourites. They look good and they taste good.



Keith sells some prints of Mikeller posters and if I can work out how to get them shipped over to the UK I am most definitely going to get one. Or six.




Be sure to visit the Mikeller bars if you are in Copenhagen.

Fjællrævn

 Whew! Just back from a very busy trip to Copenhagen. Not much sleep was had, but I danced, stayed out late, wore fur, bought an orange backpack (see picture) and ate steak tartar on ryebread. All in all, a very good trip.

 I'll do a proper post about Copenhagen soon, but for now all I want to say is how ridiculous it is to see so many otherwise normal and sophisticated people are posting incoherent hatred about the news that Margaret Thatcher died this morning.

I think Britain would be in a sorry state geopolitically, socially and economically if she hadn't enacted her political programme, but I don't think she was flawless. I respect her opponents if their opposition is thought out and not based on vitriol, but my timeline seems to be full of ranting hipsters who don't know their history. If you have posted a comment about Margaret Thatcher today, but know that deep down you don't really know anything about the politics of the time except that you *ought* to hate her, then I implore you to read this.

Do it!!

 Ok, back to normal programming.

The Copenhagen Post

I'm back from another great trip to Copenhagen and I wanted to offload a couple of recommendations before I forget...

An area I got explore a bit more than usual is Nørrebro. It is a bit like Shoreditch; ethnically mixed with some very posh bars and shops and lots of hipster families milling around.

• Elmegade is the best area to have a walk around. Here you can find the Laundromat Cafe, a nice bar/cafe/restaurants full of secondhand books which still has its original laundromat (surely the most expensive place to do your washing in Copenhagen?) and Osborne's; a down to earth, Irish basement pub where you can smoke.

• Temple Bar on Nørrebrogade is another Irish owned place that tolerates smoking. It also has lots of space, great furniture and big windows for people watching.

• The Danish Design Museum is great for adding to your wishlist of classic Danish design.

• The HAY shop is great for adding to your wishlist of modern Danish design.

My accomplice enjoying some øl at Temple Bar.

Danish Design Museum - my spiritual home

HAY Shop - My spiritual working-week crashpad

• Nørgaard paa Strøget is not only full of very desirable clothes, but it has a great heritage. My mother can remember buying their famous striped thermal tops in the 70s (and I've been lucky enough to inherit them!)

The cardigan and pinafore of dreams!

More soon.