Stigbergets Fot, the brewery’s Stockholm outpost, was just days from opening the last time I found myself in the Swedish capital. I could only stare at the brown craft paper lining the windows, knowing the printed “opening soon” would not be soon enough.
Recently, however—after shaking off the pandemic-induced travel cobwebs—I found myself back in Stockholm, back in the Södermalm area, and back at Fot, the craft paper now replaced with a giant, neon-yellow foot, beckoning passersby to stop in for a beer.
But a funny thing happened. While I fully anticipated walking away from the bar with two glasses of Amazing Haze, the IPA that more or less put Stigbergets on the map, I instead emerged from the taproom and onto the street with two mugs of unfiltered Pilsner Urquell. An offering not often seen outside of the Czech Republic, unfiltered Urquell is a creamy delight, and I know I’m not the only one who feels compelled to purchase it whenever I encounter it.
So, there my wife and I sat, watching the crowds walk along Götgatan from our little perch outside of the taproom. But instead of a freshly brewed Stigbergets beer, the small green table in front of us supported two mugs of Pilsner from some 900 miles away. Sometimes you gotta play the hand you’re dealt.
