Yet another game-changer in the history of Mikkeller, the opening of Baghaven marked the moment when – finally – spontaneously fermented sour beer was made using local terroir. Importing skilled American brewer Ehren Schmidt to head up operations at Baghaven helped establish the foundation for a location that would fuse tradition with cutting-edge innovation.
Baghaven is home to twelve large oak foeders, ranging in size from 3000 to 7000 liters, and over fifty 225-liter California Chardonnay barrels. These oak vessels house beers where wild yeast and bacteria transform the liquid inside into products with incredible depth and complexity. In addition to barrel-aging, the in-house microbiology lab allows us to maintain our yeast and bacteria cultures and also isolate new strains from the air, fruit skins, and various other sources.
