Lervig Aktiebryggeri Is Founded in Stavanger

In 2003, Lervig Aktiebryggeri was founded in Stavanger, Norway, as a local response to the closure of Tou Brewery and the transfer of Tou beer production away from the city. Stavanger hospitality businesses and other local supporters backed the new company because they wanted the region to retain its own brewery. Lervig initially concentrated on pilsner, with its first beers produced at Mack’s brewery in Tromsø before production moved to Lervig’s own facilities in Hillevåg in 2005. Lervig changed direction after American brewer Mike Murphy became its head brewer in 2010. Murphy introduced beers such as Lucky Jack American Pale Ale and expanded the brewery’s production of hop-forward ales, imperial stouts, barley wines, and barrel-aged beers. This transformation helped Lervig grow from a locally focused replacement for Tou into an internationally recognized representative of Norway’s modern craft-beer movement.