History

Rise Bryggeri is unique in the panorama of Danish microbreweries that have sprung up in recent years in that it has a previous history as a brewery.

The company itself was established in 1884. Documents certify that a Christian Pontoppidan applied to start a dairy here in 1880 and 4 years later the business was up and running. It is said to have been the second oldest of it's kind in Denmark (the oldest being Hjedding in Jutland). The dairy was then sold on to Axel Westerbroe for DKr4,500 and was doing well, as documents then show that in 1887 the company has no more debts, even after all taxes had been paid.

This is also when the local savings bank Rise Spare and Laane Kasse was established, which for a time was housed in the buildings of the company. Indeed, the brewery's manager's office is still known today as the "savings bank", the sparekasse.

It is only after the WW1 that the Rasmussen family takes over the whole business and in 1920 (officially 1926) begins to brew beer, which then became known in the South Danish Sea as Prima Lyst Hvidtøl. In 1934 the company diversifies again, and starts to produce ice-cream. In 1950 the old brewer Anton Rasmussen dies and the brewery starts selling mineral water from it's own source, with a capacity of 6-800 bottles per hour, but surely and relentlessly brewing is phased out.

In 1956 beer brewing stops altogether and in 1960 even production of ice-cream ends. When Anton's son, Svend Rasmussen takes over in 1965, the brewery becomes the depot for Ceres's brand of strong beer and for Slots ice creams, which eventually stopped in 1996. With no one to carry on, Svend Rasmussen sold the buildings to Christopher Seidenfaden in October 2003 and the following year a new company was established with the intent to re-start the brewing of quality beers.