Höijer’s Brewery

Erik and Frida Höijer founded Höijer’s Brewery around the turn of the century
on the eastern side of the Ängerån river mouth. It began by producing a weak beer
“svagdricka” before switching to soft drink production after a few years. This change
came after they were outcompeted by Ängerån Brewery on the opposite side of the river.
Most of their customer base was located on Norrbyskär. From the jetty by the Ängerån,
the soft drinks were loaded onto a boat, which was either rowed or sailed to Norrbyskär,
and later also to Hörnefors.

Ängerån brewery

Around the turn of the century, Gustav Värme established Ängerån Brewery on the western side of the Ängerån river mouth and began producing weak beer “Svagdricka”. During the summer, a batch was brewed six days a week. Each batch of “Svagdricka” required 85 kg
of malt and 1,200 litres of water. The water was hand-pumped up to the upper floor of the brewery.

“Svagdricka” was bottled in 5-litre or 10-litre containers, as well as stored in wooden casks.
Twice a week, “Svagdricka” was loaded onto a boat and rowed or sailed to Norrbyskär and later to Hörnefors.

“Svagdricka” was the main mealtime drink, as milk was scarce and the water quality on Norrbyskär was poor. During dry periods, saltwater would seep into the wells, and the water also had a high iron content.