Turns Out Whale Beer Is Unfit for Human Consumption

It sometimes seems like the most otherwise peaceful countries are the ones with the most antagonistic relationship with whales. Japan has eschewed a military since World War II (it does have a “self-defense force”), yet there is a fleet of Japanese whaling ships in the Southern Ocean right now, as the country has been a consistent hold out against moratoriums on the practice. Gentle Iceland also eschews the moratorium and even exports whale meat to Japan, in spite of the Scandinavian island nation also being known for high marks in gender equality, Björk, and also lacking a standing army.

I guess there isn’t a reason to feel like one thing should necessarily follow from the other—national cultures are complex.  But the Public Health Authority of Vesturland, Iceland is putting the end to one cultural tradition practiced at the expense of whales: "Whale beer” has been deemed unfit for human consumption.

Now, it’s not like the Icelanders were all down at the pub, slamming pints of whale beer every weekend. Fin whale bones were an ingredient in a beer that was to be brewed for a month to be part of Þorrablót—Anglicized by The Daily Mail as Thorrablot—which is the Icelandic midwinter festival in honor of Thor.

The Toronto Star quoted a spokesman from the Steðjar brewery, which partnered with the whaling company Hvalur to make the beer, said the 5.2 percent beer has a “smoked caramel taste with barbecued whale meat taste in undertone and aftertaste.” It was meant to wash down the Þorrablót fare of “soured whale fat, burned sheep heads, soured sheep testicles, salted fish, shark, etc.”

“People will be true Vikings drinking it,” Dabjartur Arilíusson, the brewery’s owner, said.

But the taste of soured sheep testicles will have to be washed out with something else this year. Helgi Helgason, GM of the Public Health Authority of Vesturland, where the brewery is located, said that the whale meat used in the beer does not meet health regulations.

“The conclusion is that all ingredients used for human consumption should comply with food legislation and originate from recognized suppliers,” she said. “Hvalur Inc doesn't have a license to produce whale meal for human consumption; therefore we have to stop this."

As the brewery owner, Arilíusson already understood the objections, but said he thought that since there wasn’t very much whale meat, and the beer was made only for Icelanders during a festival that involves eating unusual things, that at least for one year the beer would be okay. But he also didn’t seem like he would raise any objections to the Public Health Authority.

"If this is the conclusion, we naturally have to abide by it," he said, demonstrating that Icelandic culture, no matter what else you say about it, is still damn civil.