Drinking in Copenhagen: Warpigs Brewpub

By empties
August 28, 2019
This collaboration from Mikkeller (but of course) and the highly acclaimed US brewery 3 Floyds is located in the Meat packing district of Copenhagen — as you might expect the brewpub is located in an old meatpacking building. Due to the district being protected by the government, all the buildings are for the most part unchanged. Still all the bars, restaurants and clubs have done an incredible job of creating unique places while leaving the buildings and layouts intact. Warpigs still has the building’s original tiled floors and walls, drains and metal rails in the roof intact, which creates a unique feel that really just adds to the place. Less Mikkeller-influenced and much more 3 Floyds, instead of the cartoony graphics or minimalist feel you’d expect from a Mikkeller bar, Warpigs is very metal; Black Sabbath, Sleep, Danzig, Thin Lizzy and Entombed were some of the bands pumping out of the place on visits. There’s loads of seating inside, and plenty outside if the weather’s good.

The brewery looks impressive: large mash tuns are on display (and sometimes in use) in the back of the pub with the rest of the fermentation tanks, plus the kegging room and barrel room, which are available to see on the Warpigs tour. The barrel room is ageing some beasts in a variety of whisky, wine and spirit barrels but it’s also the spot for some private gigs, release shows and invite only gatherings. The tour is well worth doing and includes a bit of history on the brewpub and the meat packing district. It also lets you take a look at the “secret” room only available to special guests and Warpigs members. For those interested in the brewing process it’s great to see but it also won’t bore the arse of you if you’re just interested in the beers.

The beers and food here mean serious business: 22 taps with a mix of house beers, collaborations and guest breweries. This doesn’t include the limited edition bottled Warpigs beers and the odd rarity floating about (Like once again, Westy 12). The house beers alone are brilliant, all brewed on site so the hoppy styles couldn’t be fresher.

On my visits there has been a cherry sour, a sweet coffee stout, a blackberry braggot collab with Superstition Meadery, a 13% Belgian strong, a banging DIPA, and a 3 Floyds/Mikkeller barley wine. Ah, it’s madness and too difficult to try and list off, but the tap list is always up on their website. The quality is brilliant and the standard is high.

The beer alone is enough of a reason to spend multiple nights in here but food is just as big a priority to Warpigs. It’s Texas barbecue cooked in authentic Texas smoker… from Texas. It’s on all day and night, and staff have to be there 24/7 to man it. It looks like a shipping container and they smoke everything — almonds, beef jerky, pickles. They do half or full pounds of pork ribs, beef ribs, brisket, hot links, and chicken as well as mac and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, open face sandwiches, and all that sort of craic. They also do wings the size of a fist, dunno if they’re from an ostrich or what but they’re fucking whopper. In the many barbecue spots I’ve been to, none do food like this. They also sell their selection of sauces on site. Even if you couldn’t be fucked with beer, the food is worth the visit.
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