Tell Stedji not to make beer from whale testicles, whale bones or any other whale bits!

It seems that a few Icelandic citizens really do like to irritate people in other countries don't they?

2014 Hvalur Þorrabjór Steðja is one of the most contriversery beer in the world. It´s brewed with milled whale bones. This brew is specially made for the icelandic midwinter festival called "Þorri". There icelandic people celebrate the Thundergod Þór and eat food in old icelandic style, for example: rotted shark, ram´s testicals, soured whale fat etc... SOLD OUT



2016 Hvalur 2 Þorraöl Steðja is even more contriversary, it´s an ale we brew for the season of Þorri. What makes this beer special is that, it´s ingredients, Pure icelandic water, malted barley, hops and sheep shit(dung)-smoked whale balls. Icelanders have used this method of smoking for centuries, so we choosed to handle the whale balls the same way, before we use it in the brew. Because a lack of trees in Iceland, we use dry sheep shit(dung) to smoke. This gives the beer an excellent smoke tast, a smoke tast you havn´t tryed out before... The balls also gives its flavour to the beer...... This is one of a kind...

Yes. It's one-of-a-kind bullshit is what it is. It's a pity because I really like the cartoon illustration of the label. It just goes to show that design can be used to convince people to buy anything.

Here's their facebook page. Let them know what you think about their idea. Bonus points for creativity!
Here's their website.
Here's the owner's facebook page.

According to Fréttablaðið, the Icelandic micro-brewery Steðji has begun to produce the beer Hvalur 2, which contains smoked whale testicles. The beer is produced for the Icelandic mid-winter festival Þorrablót, and is not being made for export. 

This is the second consecutive year Steðji creates a beer from whale products. Last year the brewery launched Hvalur, a beer containing whale meal. However, the Ministry of Industries and Innovation banned the sales of the beer as whale hunting company Hvalur hf. did not have authority to sell whale meal to Steðji. Many environmental groups, local and international, also criticised the brewery's use of whale meal in its products.

Dagbjartur Arilíusson, Steðji's owner, says the brewery's aim was to create a "traditionally Icelandic beer" for the mid-winter festival, which begins on 23 January.

Brewery Steðji will introduce a Thorri beer, Hvalur 2, later this month following the success of Hvalur Thorri which the company brewed and introduced last year. A lot of preparation went into Hvalur 2, according to the owner of the brewery.
 
"We want to create a true Thorri atmosphere and therefore we decided to put smoked testicles from fin whales into the beer for flavoring" says Dagbjartur Arilíusson, one of the owners of brewery in Borgarfjörður.
 
"The testicles are cured according to an old, Icelandic tradition, lightly salted and then smoked. We put a lot of effort into this and it's a long process," Dagbjartur says, adding that each brew had contained one testicle.Dagbjartur Arilíusson og Svanhildur Valdimarsdóttir, owners of the Steðji brewery.

Dagbjartur Arilíusson og Svanhildur Valdimarsdóttir, owners of the Steðji brewery.

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According to Dagbjartur, the beer will follow the Thorri beer that Steðji sold in January last year, which contained whale meal.

Vesturland Public Health Safety prohibited the sale of the beer, but the meal contained among other things the viscera and intestines of whales.
 
A few days later, Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, the minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, decided to allow the sale of the product. A week later, it was sold out when five thousand liters had gone through the liquor stores of the State Alcohol and Tobacco Company of Iceland.
 
"The beer was sold out almost immediately and therefore we decided to produce a similar product for Thorri," Dagbjartur says.

Inside the Steðji brewery
Inside the Steðji brewery

A great number of challenges, asking for whale beer
The decision of Vesturland Public Health Safety was confirmed last October by the Ministry of Industries and Innovation. Therefore, the sale of beer from whale meal is not authorised.
 
"However, we had a great number of challenges where we were asked to have the whale beer available again. This was decided, but we have got all necessary licenses for manufacturing and selling of the beer," Dagbjartur says.
 
Helgi Helgason, the director of Vesturland Public Health Safety, confirms that the company is authorised to sell beer containing whale testicles.
 
"Whale testicles and blubber are removed by the relevant control authority on behalf of the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority. However, the content intended for whale flour is a by-product not meant for human nutrition and has not been certified as such."

The liquor stores start selling Hvalur 2 from the Husband's Day, January 23rd.
The liquor stores start selling Hvalur 2 from the Husband's Day, January 23rd. VÍSIR/VILHELM

The sales start January 23rd
The beer is 5.1% in alc. A whole testicle is used in every brewing and then the beer is filtered and pasteurized.
 
"Everyone will be happy with the quality and the pertaining Þorri atmosphere."
 
Dagbjartur adds that raw materiels used in Hvalur 2 are in limited quantity. The liquor stores start selling Hvalur 2 from the Husband's Day, January 23rd.

Update #51 years ago
Every now and then I start a new petition. Here's my latest one: "Sack Jolyon Maugham, a prominent Barrister/QC who murdered a fox with a baseball bat (and bragged about it on twitter)." https://www.thepetitionsite.com/776/229/584/sack-jolyon-maugham-qc/
Please sign and share it. Thanks,
www.lesliedeanbrown.com
Update #44 years ago
No news. So I'm going to put 27,000+ people to good use here. Please go and leave a one-star review of 3 Frakkar restaurant ... the ones that COOK AND SERVE whale meat: https://www.google.com/search?q=%C3%9Er%C3%ADr+frakkar&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.&biw=2128&bih=1321&client=firefox-b&ech=1&psi=87JTWKusAojs8AXrjay4Ag.1481880309622.3&ei=87JTWKusAojs8AXrjay4Ag&emsg=NCSR&noj=1&gfe_rd=cr#gfe_rd=cr&lrd=0x48d60b3314587409:0x7ed68a31e685c31d,1,
Update #35 years ago
No new news. So I'm going to put 24,000+ people to good use here. Please go and leave a one-star review of 3 Frakkar restaurant on tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g189970-d944064-Reviews-3_Frakkar_Hja_Ulfari-Reykjavik_Capital_Region.html They serve whale meat, puffins, even gullemot!
More info here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/145/828/641/tell-chef-stef%C3%A1n-%C3%BAlfarsson-to-stop-cooking-whales/ THANKS! — Leslie
Update #25 years ago
Well it looks like they have turned OFF all comments to their blog. That won't solve anything and it shows that we are putting pressure on them. Here's their telephone number: +354 896 5001. Here's their email: stedji@stedji.com You can also downvote their Youtube video. Leave a comment there too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoHtvIsctSk Rate their beer on this other site: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34732/215972/
Update #15 years ago
Stedji are definitely aware of this petition. I have asked them for a statement about whether they will continue to make other types of whale beer in future. Meanwhile, you can leave a one-star review on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BrugghusStedja/ You can also leave a one-star rating at http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/beername/311424/ Thanks & I will keep you informed. Leslie Dean Brown
Update #52 years ago
Hello, I have another petition I would like you to sign. "Don't bulldoze 1000 trees for a Moruya highway bypass overdevelopment! Choose the shorter option D/E instead."
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/405/817/554/
I would *really* appreciate it if you could all sign & share this new petition.
Kind regards,
leslie dean brown
etsy.com/shop/vayakora
Update #47 years ago
No news. So I'm going to put 27,000+ people to good use here. Please go and leave a one-star review of 3 Frakkar restaurant ... the ones that COOK AND SERVE whale meat: https://www.google.com/search?q=%C3%9Er%C3%ADr+frakkar&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.&biw=2128&bih=1321&client=firefox-b&ech=1&psi=87JTWKusAojs8AXrjay4Ag.1481880309622.3&ei=87JTWKusAojs8AXrjay4Ag&emsg=NCSR&noj=1&gfe_rd=cr#gfe_rd=cr&lrd=0x48d60b3314587409:0x7ed68a31e685c31d,1,
Update #38 years ago
No new news. So I'm going to put 24,000+ people to good use here. Please go and leave a one-star review of 3 Frakkar restaurant on tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g189970-d944064-Reviews-3_Frakkar_Hja_Ulfari-Reykjavik_Capital_Region.html They serve whale meat, puffins, even gullemot!
More info here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/145/828/641/tell-chef-stef%C3%A1n-%C3%BAlfarsson-to-stop-cooking-whales/ THANKS! — Leslie
Update #28 years ago
Well it looks like they have turned OFF all comments to their blog. That won't solve anything and it shows that we are putting pressure on them. Here's their telephone number: +354 896 5001. Here's their email: stedji@stedji.com You can also downvote their Youtube video. Leave a comment there too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoHtvIsctSk Rate their beer on this other site: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/34732/215972/
Update #18 years ago
Stedji are definitely aware of this petition. I have asked them for a statement about whether they will continue to make other types of whale beer in future. Meanwhile, you can leave a one-star review on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BrugghusStedja/ You can also leave a one-star rating at http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/beername/311424/ Thanks & I will keep you informed. Leslie Dean Brown
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