Olgerdin is an Icelandic brewery and beverage company based in Reykjavík. Established on 17 April 1913, the oldest beer-producing factory in Iceland. Annually, it produces 45 million liters of beverages. The brewery is named for Egill Skallagrímsson, an early inhabitant of Iceland and main character of Egil's Saga.
History
The company was established on 17 April 1913 by Tómas Tómasson, who began production of a (1% alc/vol) beverage, malt extract. Today it is the oldest beer-producing factory in Iceland; and now it's also a wholesaler of food and beverages. At first, the operations of Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson were based in two bedrooms in the basement of the Þórshamar house at Templarasund in Reykjavík, which Tómas had leased. Today, this house is owned by the Icelandic parliament (Althing). A year later, the company moved to the Thomsen house at Tryggvagata, and with this, the operating area grew significantly. The scope of operations was not large at first. The brewing boiler was only 65 litres, and bottles were closed by pushing the cap onto the bottle with a flat palm and binding it with wire. During the first production year, Ölgerðin sold around 38 thousand litres, mostly malt extract and white beer. The light beer Egils Pilsner came to market in the same year, as the ban on alcohol was implemented in 1915, after which it was illegal to produce alcoholic beer with more than 2.25% alcohol content. Generally, brewmasters from Germany and Denmark were hired to oversee the beer production. The company also produces soft drinks (e.g. Egils Appelsín).[1]