Beers from Around the World_ Hansa from Norway (#44)

Today, we are reviving our Beers Around the World series with Hansa, a Norwegian brew that is produced in Bergen and Sarpsborg (Norway's second and fifth largest cities, respectively).

According to an Internet web site, it is apparently available in some parts of New Jersey. But, somehow, we don't expect halal markets in Paterson are the place to look, though when we have time we can ask Mayor Jeff Jones (yes, he is the mayor of Paterson) if he knows of a place to find Scandanavian beers in town. Of course, since I'm half-Turkish, I can make fun of halal markets where one can always find great yogurts actually, especially if they are from Bulgaria or Lebanon (I should say that Turkish yogurt is perfectly good too before I offend my constituency---not there are many here in Welch, W.Va*).

As for Hansa, it was founded in 1997 and the Hansa Borg brewery has 26 percent of the beer market in Norway. And, apparently, beer has been in Norway for close to one thousand years.

SIDEBAR: Earlier today, while taking a quiz on mentalfloss.com we learned that Crown and Sugarlof is the name of a London pub, which happens to be on Fleet Street (where the macabe musical play "Sweeney Todd" takes place) as opposed to a Charles Dickens story. Apparently, the pub has a very relaxed atmosphere and they are not open on Sundays, which makes me wonder if the owner might be someone from Provo, Utah?!

*-We don't actually live in Welch, W.Va, but we understand they have a great drive-in movie theatre there!