Mälardalen Brewing Company’s popular Irish-owned brew pub in Strängnäs has had to close its doors following the withdrawal of their alcohol license by the local council, and co-owner Kieran Blake says the members-only bar now faces an uncertain future.
The brewers admit that there were some minor breaches of the licensing laws, including a door that was left open when it should have been closed and errors in how new memberships were handled, but the closing of the pub ahead of what was expected to be a busy summer season came as a blow to both the bar owners and the local beer-drinkers.
Their appeals for understanding have fallen on deaf ears and Sweden’s strict licensing laws have been stringently applied by Strängnäs municipality, resulting in the pub closing its doors and the layoffs of two staff employed there.
To comply with the regulations of their license as a members-only bar, the Mälardalen Brewing Company invested in an app and an electronic door lock that would ensure that any visitors were members before they set foot on the premises to enjoy the range of beers produced there.
However, the municipality decided it was too little, too late and the bar is now closed while the owners decide their next move.
“The municipality have done everything by the book and clearly we could have done things better, but it’s very disappointing to have to close the bar when we have been doing everything we can to fulfil our obligations under the licensing laws,” Corkman Kieran told Irish In Sweden.
“Since we started in 2016 ,we’ve provided a very vibrant place for local beer-lovers to come and hang out, we’ve showcased Irish and Swedish musicians and we’ve built up a community that we now risk losing,” he added.
The brewers will continue to make their popular beers in the hope that sales via Systembolaget will keep them afloat as they plan their next move.
“The best thing the Swedish-Irish community could do for us now is to order our beers through the Systembolaget – it would be a shame if we had to close our doors altogether after all the work we put in, but the brew pub was really vital to us in terms of turnover,” Kieran explains.
A search for “Mälaradalen” on the Systembolaget website will bring up the company’s catalogue of ales, lagers and IPAs and they can be ordered for delivery to any Systembolaget store in Sweden.
In the meantime, another appeal is in process as Kieran and his cohorts hope that the decision will be reversed.
“The brew pub has been a great addition to the local community and Strängnäs needs places like this, so we really hope that we will be able to continue here,” Kieran says.