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Carlsberg is one of the largest brewery companies in the world, present in about 50 countries. The headquarters are in Valby in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company's main brand is Carlsberg Beer, but it also brews Tuborg as well as local beers. The company was founded in 1847 by J. C. Jacobsen after the name of his son Carl (Carl Jacobsen).

After merging with the Norwegian brewery group Orkla ASA in January 2001, Carlsberg became the 5th largest brewery group in the world, and now employs around 31,000 people.

History

Carlsberg was founded by J. C. Jacobsen; the first brew was finished on November 10, 1847. Exportation of Carlsberg Beer began in 1868; foreign brewing was begun in 1968 with the opening of a Carlsberg brewery in Blantyre, Malawi. Some of the company's original logos include an elephant (after which some of its lagers are named) and the swastika. Use of the latter was discontinued in the 1930s because of its association with political parties in neighboring Germany.
Carlsberg founder J. C. Jacobsen was a philanthropist and avid art collector. With his fortune he amassed an impressive art collection which is now housed in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in central Copenhagen.

Jacobsen set up the Carlsberg Laboratory in 1875 which worked on scientific problems related to brewing. It featured a Department of Chemistry and a Department of Physiology. The species of yeast used to make pale lager, Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, was isolated at the Laboratory and was named after it. The concept of pH was developed there as well as advances in protein chemistry. The laboratory was part of the Carlsberg Foundation until 1972 when it was renamed the Carlsberg Research Center and transferred to the brewery.

The old brewery in Copenhagen is open for tours and famous visitors have included Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II.

Carlsberg acquired Tuborg breweries in 1970 and merged with Tetley in 1992.

Carlsberg has two breweries in China - Huizhou and Shanghai. It used to have one in Hong Kong, but shut it down in 1999 due to high costs. Carlsberg's Shanghai brewery started production in 1998.

Sponsorships

Carlsberg was a major sponsor of the 2004 European Football Championship and use the promotional slogan "probably the best beer in the world". They're the main sponsors of Liverpool F.C., F.C. Copenhagen, Odense BK, and are also the secondary sponsor (after Eircom) of the Republic of Ireland national football team. Carlsberg also sponsors other sport events, such as golf and skiing.
Furthermore, Carlsberg is the sponsor of "probably, the best view in the world" from the Carlsberg Sky Tower in Singapore.

Brands

Brands held by the Carlsberg brewery group:
*Carlsberg (Global)
*Carlsberg Export (UK).
*Elephant
Special brew
*Tuborg (Regional)
*FuZzi (Regional)
*Carls Jul (Regional)
*Tetley (UK)
*Holsten (Germany)
*Lav (Serbia)
*Feldschlösschen AG (Switzerland)
*Cardinal Lager (Switzerland)
*Baltika (Russia) - through the 50-50 joint venture BBH
*Pripps (Sweden)
*Carnegie Porter (Sweden)
*Falcon (Sweden)
*Karhu (Finland)
*Koff (Finland)
*Ringnes (Norway)
*Okocim, Bosman and Harnas (Poland)
*Pirinsko and Shumensko (Bulgaria)
*Saku (Estonia)
*Splügen and Bock 1877 (Italy)
*Troy and Venüs (Turkey).

Carlsberg Pilsner

Carlsberg Pilsner or Carlsberg Lager is the beer most people expect when ordering a Carlsberg. A german style pilsner, first brewed in 1904. In Denmark the beer is often known as HOF, although that name has not been printed on the bottles for 20 years.

Special Brew

Special Brew is a very strong lager (sometimes known as premium lager) brewed in Denmark and the United Kingdom. It comes in a can with a distinctive gold and red colour.

Special Brew was first brewed by Carlsberg to commemorate a visit to Denmark of Winston Churchill in 1950. In May 1951 two crates were delivered to Churchill's London home. In a thank you letter Churchill called the drink "Commemoration Lager". In Denmark the drink was called Påskebryg(Easter Beer), but has been taken off the market. For the British market Carlsberg called the drink Special Brew and production was started in Northampton in the 1950s.

At 9% alcohol Special Brew is one of the strongest lagers freely available in the United Kingdom, without going to a specialist shop. Some people will say that Special Brew should more properly be described as a Barley wine, rather than a lager.

In the UK Special Brew is occasionally available in bottles in pubs, but it is almost never served draft. Most pubs refuse to sell it because its high alcohol content leads to excessive drunkenness and unwarranted behaviour among customers. However it is widely sold in off licences and supermarkets nationwide. Special Brew is extremely popular among tramps and the poorer community and off licence owners will often say it is their best selling . Its price and high alcohol content allows users to become extremely drunk quickly at a low cost should they desire to do so. Drinkers also enjoy the drink for its strong syrupy taste and many will often refute its image as a tramps and street drinkers drink. Many consumers can be seen to have a strong affinity with the drink, as shown in the tribute song by Bad Manners "Special Brew". The British comedian Peter Serafinowicz refers to Special Brew as "Trampagne".

Elephant Beer

In 1901, on brewer Carl Jacobsen’s initiative the Architect, Professor J.L. Dahlerup created a tower resting on four elephants carved in granite from the Danish island Bornholm. Brewer Jacobsen was inspired to this gate by the obelisk supporting elephant on the Minerva Square in Rome. The four elephants each bear the initial of one of Carl Jacobsen’s four children: Theodora, Paula, Helge and Vagn. This became known as The Elephant Gate and is a landmark entrance to the brewery. To the west of the gate, Carl Jacobsen’s motto was inscribed: Laboremus pro Patria (Let us work for our country). Since then the Elephant has been a famous part of the Carlsberg Family, especially after the strong Elephant Beer was created in 1955 under the name “Export Lager Beer” and featuring the Elephant label. Marketed in Ghana, the Gold Coast, and Nigeria. Launched on the Danish market as Elephant Beer on 9 November 1959. The Elephant is still brewed in Carlsberg Breweries in Copenhagen and exported around the world. A few markets brew their own Carlsberg Elephant beer locally according to the original recipe.

A similar beer is Tennent's Super.

Miscellany

Carlsberg was featured in the film Ice-Cold in Alex as the lager the main cast get to drink after driving across the desert. Lines from the film gave rise to two of Carlsberg's best known advertising slogans: "probably the best lager in the world", and "worth waiting for".

In the PC game "GTA Vice City" in the motorcycle gang mission opening video there is a Carlsberg logo in the background in the pub