This will teach the Danes to ban Marmite!

[oldironside]

"The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has allegedly made the importation of Marmite illegal, apparently on the grounds that the yeast extract is fortified with vitamin B, and therefore doesn't meet strict safety guidelines. (It's not the first time Marmite has been banned for health reasons – a few years ago some Welsh schools removed it from breakfast menus because of its salt content.) The possibility of a Marmite war with Denmark seems remote – the half of the UK population who find Marmite disgusting are unlikely to be outraged – but if the ban (which also includes Ovaltine and Horlicks) continues, what Danish produce can Britain boycott in retaliation?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/may/24/uk-should-ban-sandi-toksvig

As I get older, I do find the dormant Daily Mail reader within me stirring. "Ban Marmite? How dare they?" Having said that, their most famous export is very much like making love in a canoe.

[LeftishBrit]

1. I'm having visions...

of newspaper reports on the lines of: 'Today police in Copenhagen arrested the driver of a van, which was found to contain a record haul of illegal Marmite, estimated to be worth a million pounds on the black market'; 'Denmark is suffering severely from prison overcrowding, due largely to the endemic problem of illegal use and sales of marijuana, ecstacy, cocaine, Marmite, and other substances'; etc. One way of expanding the drug wars!

[oldironside]

2. And what would happen...

... to an Australian tourist caught with Vegemite in his luggage? I'd like to see the lab report on that one.

[T_i_B]

3. You could always rile beer tickers....

...and ban Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel in retaliation. Never mind the 10.9% alcohol, there's another "issue" with this one!

http://www.mikkeller.dk/index.php?beer_id=78&id=61&land=1

Joking aside, I may well try and sample some stuff in London very soon, and I wouldn't put it past a brewery like Mikkeller to to a Marmite beer as some sort of statement.

[oldironside]

5. Is this a wind up?

Do they really put poo in it? Jesus, it's enough to turn a man to Carling Black Label.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. I've heard of the civet-shit coffee before

and I wouldn't put it past some microbrewery to add a bit to a beer, just for 'shits and giggles', as they say.

Mind you, the beer is actually Norwegian. So retaliating by banning it would be a rather Bush-like move.

[T_i_B]

7. It's actually VERY highly rated.

In addition to the reviews on the below link I have a friend in London who is notorious for really liking his Brunch Weasel.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/mikkeller-beer-geek-brunch-weasel/97034/

I'll see how much the price is at the Cask & Kitchen in Pimlico next week. In the event that it's not extorionately expensive I may try some Mikkeller beer as there are those who consider Mikkeller to be one of the world's top breweries.

As to the Norway thing, Mikkeller are known for being very fond of collaboration brews, including I Beat You & I Hardcore You brewed in collaboration with Scotland's very own Brewdog (who you have have heard of as they do like a publicity stunt).

[oldironside]

8. It may be highly rated...

... but I would have loved to have seen the face of the first guy to taste it.
"It's okay! You can't taste the poop!"

In addition, if they try to export it to Germany it could be the end of (a) the European Union and (b) peace in Western Europe.

[T_i_B]

9. I'm giving a friend of mine a bottle of Rauchbier tomorrow as a present

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen. Now that is a seriously wierd beer!

[oldironside]

10. I just found myself...

... on a real ale freaks' website. Scary. "This beer pours a clear copper color with ruby highlights, and it has a big fluffy 3-finger off-white head. The head has good retention, and leaves some nice lacing on the glass. There are also some rising carbonation bubbles visible."

In spite of that it sounds very drinkable. My current favourite here is Duckstein (mainstream but very cheeky), but I'm always on the lookout for something new. But if I were you I would avoid St. Pauli Girl. An American's idea of a German beer.

http://youtu.be/Y9cTXl5ApEk

[T_i_B]

11. My personal favourite German beer is Saphir Weiss

I just need to find it in bottles, not just at the Sheffield Tap once every so often.

And don't get me started on the horrors of beer tasting notes.

[fedsron2us]

4. Presumably Danes are still able to enjoy the health benefits of Carlsberg Special Brew

so beloved of alcoholics up and down the UK. The decision is even more bizarre when you consider the amount of added vitamin B in Marmite is actually tiny so that you would have to eat a good portion of a jar to get the same hit as one multi vitamin pill.