Archive record · Brewery
Nøgne Ø
Grimstad, Agder, Norway
- Founded
- 2002
- Archive ID
- TB-SJY4DE91
- Last checked
- 2026-08-05
Who owns this brewery?
The direct owner is recorded. No company is held above it.
- Nøgne ØThis brewery
- Royal UnibrewConglomerate
From the record
Summary
Norway's first major craft brewery, highly regarded for their porters. Swallowed by Hansa Borg, then acquired by Royal Unibrew.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
Norway's first serious craft brewery, absorbed by Hansa Borg and then Royal Unibrew. Being first is no protection at all.
Ownership & corporate history
- Acquired by Hansa Borg Bryggerier ASNovember 2013
What the sources say
Researched 2026-09-13 (Wikidata parent lead); no held claim preceded it. 54.44% majority stake; later the whole company. The direct owner.
- Subsidiary of Royal Unibrew A/SMay 2022
What the sources say
Researched 2026-09-13 (Wikidata parent lead); no held claim preceded it. Ultimate parent via Hansa Borg: Royal Unibrew bought the remaining 75% of Hansa Borg (it held 25%), closing 25 May 2022 after Konkurransetilsynet approval on 13 May.
Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.
The Museum
Timeline
- 2013Majority sold to Hansa Borg
In autumn 2013 Hansa Borg Bryggerier acquires 54.44% of the Grimstad brewery, bringing Norway's most celebrated craft producer into a group in which Royal Unibrew holds a substantial interest.
The Beer Library
Beers
Nøgne Ø IPA
Year-RoundAmerican IPA
Nøgne Ø means naked island, from an Ibsen poem. When it launched in 2002 this was among the most bitter beers in Scandinavia and there was no audience for it yet.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →On the record
Awards
- 2008
Gold — Dark Horizon
World Beer Cup
- 2008
Silver — Porter
World Beer Cup
Only awards we could attribute to a named body and year appear here. An empty section means unresearched, not unawarded.
Follow the money
How it changed hands
1 recorded move- 2002Founded
- 2013Majority sold to Hansa Borg
In autumn 2013 Hansa Borg Bryggerier acquires 54.44% of the Grimstad brewery, bringing Norway's most celebrated craft producer into a group in which Royal Unibrew holds a substantial interest.
Today the chain tops out at Royal Unibrew.
Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
Nøgne Ø is controlled by Public company.
Royal Unibrew Annual Report 2025 · Royal Unibrew A/S · 2026-02
PrimaryHigh reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-05Claim last checked 2026-08-05
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Nøgne Ø
- Who owns Nøgne Ø?
- Nøgne Ø is owned by Royal Unibrew. Nøgne Ø is based in Grimstad, Agder, Norway.
- Is Nøgne Ø still independent?
- No. Nøgne Ø is owned by Royal Unibrew and is no longer independent.
- When was Nøgne Ø acquired?
- 2013. In autumn 2013 Hansa Borg Bryggerier acquires 54.44% of the Grimstad brewery, bringing Norway's most celebrated craft producer into a group in which Royal Unibrew holds a substantial interest.
- When was Nøgne Ø founded?
- Nøgne Ø was founded in 2002 in Grimstad, Agder, Norway.
Drinking Nøgne Ø? Stamp it in your passport.
Discover it here — collect it in the Passport. Track every beer, earn stamps, and build your own beer passport.
Every brewery deserves its full story told.
If you're the owner or team behind Nøgne Ø, we'll build out your complete profile — history, the people, every beer — and feature you in a Tally's documentary. No cost, just your story.
No payment affects this record — editorial policy