Local Drinks

1. øl

   Beer

   Usage

   Beer. The synonym bjór also exists and is the word used in ordering phrases. Note that beer stronger than 5.8% only became purchasable in the Faroe Islands on 2 April 2012

   Grammar Note

   Two entries. As a mass noun it is neuter (øl, genitive øls, no plural); counted as bottles it is feminine (genitive ølar, plural ølir)

2. Föroya Bjór

   Föroya Bjór (the main Faroese brewery)

   Usage

   The brewery in Klaksvík, founded in 1888. It holds around 70% of the Faroese pilsner market and 60% of the gold-beer market, and bought its rival Okkara in 2020. The Jolly soft drinks are made by the same company

   Grammar Note

   The brand deliberately spells itself with ö. Faroese orthography has no ö — the letter is ø — so this spelling is an exception limited to the company name; the common nouns are øl and bjór

3. Okkara

   Okkara (the Velbastaður brewery)

   Usage

   A Faroese brewery at Velbastaður. It was bought by Föroya Bjór on 18 June 2020, but it continues to brew its own beers as before

4. Veðrur

   Veðrur (pilsner, 4.6% ABV)

   Usage

   Föroya Bjór's standard pilsner at 4.6% ABV, moderately hopped. The name veður means "ram" (the same spelling also means "weather")

5. Gull

   Gull (strong beer, 5.8% ABV)

   Usage

   Föroya Bjór's strong beer (exported as Export), 5.8% ABV, strongly malty and hoppy. gull means "gold"; gulløl is a recognised beer class in the Faroes

6. Jólabryggj

   Jólabryggj (Christmas beer)

   Usage

   Föroya Bjór's Christmas seasonal, 5.8% ABV, darker and maltier than Gull. Its Easter counterpart is Páskabryggj

7. kaffimunnur

   Kaffimunnur (a cup of coffee)

   Usage

   The Faroese word for a cup of coffee. When ordering you say "Ein kaffimunn, takk." ("One coffee, please."), where the word is in the accusative, kaffimunn

   Grammar Note

   Masculine, genitive kaffimuns, plural kaffimunnar. kaffi on its own is neuter (genitive kaffis, no plural)

8. te

   Tea

   Usage

   Tea. Coffee dominates overwhelmingly, so it is worth checking whether a café serves te

   Grammar Note

   Neuter, genitive tes, no plural. Note there is a homograph meaning the name of the letter T, which does take a plural

9. appilsindjús

   Orange juice

   Usage

   Orange juice, the one you will meet most often at hotel breakfast

   Grammar Note

   Neuter; the genitive is also appilsindjús (unchanged)

10. súrepladjús

    Apple juice

    Usage

    Apple juice. The base is súrepli (apple) — epli means potato, so "epladjús" would not be understood

    Grammar Note

    Neuter; the genitive is also súrepladjús

11. rabarbusaft

    Rhubarb cordial

    Usage

    Rhubarb juice or cordial. Rhubarb is one of the few crops that grows well in the Faroes, and this is often made at home

    Grammar Note

    Feminine, genitive rabarbusaftar

12. djús

    Juice (usually a squash made from concentrate)

    Usage

    Note that djús usually denotes juice mixed from concentrate rather than a pure fruit extract. Check the label if you want 100% juice

    Grammar Note

    Neuter, genitive also djús, no plural

13. Jolly

    Jolly (the Faroese word for a cola)

    Usage

    A soft drink made by Föroya Bjór, launched in 1955. Ever since, a cola in the Faroe Islands is simply called a Jolly. It is the best-selling soft drink in the country; the range includes Jolly Cola, Jolly Light, Jolly Time, Jolly Orange and JollyX

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