(officially the Kingdom of Norway), home to 4.8 million people, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, which it shares with Sweden and part of northern Finland. Brewing has strong traditions in Norway, and since about 1200 bce it has been very much a part of the national culture. Beer was not only a natural part of all celebrations, funerals and feasts, but it was also a part of everyday life. It is speculated by anthropologists that beer was consumed regularly in part because people ate so much salted fish and meat. Beer acted as a diuretic, aiding the body in getting rid of all excess salt.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, brewing was actually mandatory for all land owners. Failure to brew before Christmas would result in heavy fines and failure to brew for several seasons would result in loss of land and livestock. Brewing in these times was a farm house activity. Most brewing relied on malted barley, with some adding honey or berries for additional fermentables. Very often the malts had a smoky profile, and in some regions the malt was kilned with alder wood to deliberately give a distinctly smoky character. As hops did not grow well in the short, cool summers of Norway, other additives were used for flavoring. Juniper twigs were the main additive, and they were used as a false bottom in the lauter tun, but spruce shoots and a wide variety of herbs were also used in the brew kettle with great local variation.

It was only after about 1820 that commercial brewing became common in Norway. The brewing industry experienced rapid growth, partly because the authorities considered it better for people to drink beer than distilled liquor. In 1857 there were 353 breweries in Norway (and a population of 1.5 million). Fifty years later, the number was about 40, and by 1996, it was at an all-time low of seven. In the years after World War II, the decline in the number of breweries was caused mainly by larger breweries buying smaller ones and then closing them down, concentrating a growing monopoly.

The commercial brewing industry was mainly influenced by German, and later on Danish, brewing culture. Hence, the rich and diverse brewing traditions from farmhouse brewing were never brought into the commercial world. From about 1840, dark lager—including Bavarian-style dunkel and bock—dominated the Norwegian brew scene, and kept its dominance for more than a century. See dunkel and bock beer. After World War II the breweries, which were operating in close cooperation to avoid tough competition, agreed that it would be beneficial to increase sales in the post-war tough economic situation by brewing beer with lower alcohol (cheaper) and lighter color (easier to drink as a thirst quencher). This move was highly successful. Lawmakers in 1993 made it illegal to sell beer above 4.75% alcohol in retail shops (stronger beer could only be sold through the government outlet system for alcoholic beverages, known as Vinmonopolet). This move decimated what little diversity was left in the Norwegian beer scene, and by the turn of the century, most breweries had stopped brewing anything but continental light lager, often referred to as “pils.” The exception to this is the strong culture for dark Christmas beers. This tradition is still very much alive, but since sales of strong beers were moved to Vinmonopolet in 1993, the Christmas beers are now mainly at 4.5%–4.75% alcohol, instead of the traditional 6.5%.

The temperance movement has had a strong position in Norway for many years. In the 19th century there were various Protestant temperance organizations, while in the early 20th century socialist political parties and trade unions advocated temperance. This resulted in a ban on distilled spirits and fortified wines between 1915 and 1920, the formation of a government-run sales outlet system for strong alcoholic beverages in 1922 (Vinmonopolet), and significant taxes on alcohol. Taxes on beer are the absolute highest in the world. See taxes. These factors are likely to have had an impact on beer consumption, which is almost half of what it is in Denmark, a country with a very similar culture and population. In 2008 the average Norwegian consumed 54 liters (14 US gal) of beer, while in Denmark the number was 86 liters (22 US gal).

In recent years there has been a change in the Norwegian brew scene. A small number of tiny craft breweries have started operations, and unlike their forerunners, they are focusing on beer styles and brewing techniques that have not previously been available in the country. One has to bear in mind that Norway is more Scandinavian than European, and trends and changes come later and more slowly to this corner of civilization. Still, there is a slow revolution going on. People are becoming more conscious about beer, and beer is now mentioned frequently in the media, often with a strong connection to food. There are many beer importers, with the number of imported beers growing from three to 300 in 5 years. In 2010 Norway had eight brewpubs, nine craft breweries, three contract breweries, seven regional breweries, and two large breweries.