Nøgne Ø
Grimstad, Agder, Norway · Est. 2002
Tally's Take
Why this matters
Norway's first serious craft brewery, absorbed by Hansa Borg and then Royal Unibrew. Being first is no protection at all.
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.
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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 reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-05Reviewed 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.
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