Omnipollo & Bitburger Launch KNÄCKEBROT

In an interesting cross-border collaboration, Swedish craft brewery Omnipollo has teamed up with Germany’s legendary Bitburger to create KNÄCKEBROT, a German-style pilsner brewed with Swedish knäckebröd. This limited-edition beer marks a delicious collision of traditions, where Bitburger’s dry, characterful pilsner meets Omnipollo’s playful creativity.

The base of KNÄCKEBROT is built on classic German pilsner malt, but with a twist: 20% of the mash consists of wood-fired knäckebröd from Skedvi Bröd, a bakery outside Borlänge, Sweden. The result is a pilsner that carries subtle, toasty notes of crispbread.

For Henok Fentie, brewer at Omnipollo, the collaboration is a personal milestone. “This partnership is the culmination of over 20 years of admiration for Bitburger,” he says. “They’ve perfected this style of beer since 1909. It was incredible to explore their world and invite them into ours.”

The beer is brewed in Omnipollo’s church-turned-brewery using traditional decoction mashing for richer aroma and flavour. It’s cold-fermented and hopped with Bitburger’s own blend of German hops, some from their own hop fields.

Dr. Stefan Meyna, brewmaster at Bitburger, describes the process as magical. “When our German brewing tradition met their bold creativity, the energy behind KNÄCKEBROT was renewed. Our shared passion for beer is present in every sip.”

Housed in a 44 cl can designed by Omnipollo’s Karl Grandin, the packaging merges Bitburger’s branding with Omnipollo’s aesthetic. “I wanted to unite Bitburger’s iconic expression with Omnipollo’s boundless imagination – a meeting that becomes a dreamlike landscape,” Grandin explains.

KNÄCKEBROT Pilsner was released on December 5 and is available for order via Systembolaget in Sweden.