Beer tasting at the 'School' in Turku

When we were in Turku we visited Koulu, or "Skolan" as it is called in Swedish. It doesn't sound like much fun, but the old girls' school now houses a brewery and a restaurant, and here we got to take part in a beer tasting!

School is in the walls

When the building was completed in 1889, the "Fruntimmersskolan" moved in. The school then changed its name an awful lot, from "Svenska flickskolan i Åbo" to "Åbo svenska flicklyceum" and to "Cygnaeusskolan".

The last student left the school in 1997 and the following year the brewery and restaurant opened with the name Koulu, "The School". Today, the Koulu, "The School", Finland's largest restaurant brewery with an annual beer production of 150,000 litres and 800 seats on two floors, for lunch, dinner and parties.

Even though these are new times, the history is in the walls. The first thing you see when you enter is a school carpet, and in the various rooms, which have obviously been classrooms, there are chalkboards, rules of order and world maps... as if the students were here just a short time ago.

Vi fastnade en stund vid Asien-kartan i ett av klassrummen — We took a moment to look at the Asia map in one of the classrooms.

Beer tasting in the "School"

The beer tasting started with a guided tour of the premises where the beer is produced and the whole process was described to us. I wasn't a very good "student" in school, so I can't reproduce it all, but it was at least interesting to follow around and see what it looks like in a restaurant brewery. In addition to the beer production, we got to see a lot of other rooms, such as the Bellman party room and the Vinstugan - yep, there's even wine here!

After the tour, it was time for tasting! We got to try four different types of beer, which were all very good and flavourful. I have been to many different wine tastings in my life, but never actually been to a beer tasting before, so it was a bit interesting. Do you like beer and if so, have you ever been to a beer tasting?

Öltillverkningen beskrivs för oss — Beer production is described to us

Ölprovning — Beer tasting with four different beers in the "School".

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

There is much to see and do in and around Turku. For example, we can advise on Turku Castle, Turku market hall, if good restaurants around Turku and if Turku archipelago in winter splendour. In addition, there is of course much to see and what to do in Helsinki. Even more tips about Finland can be found below.

21 January 2016 8:08

Finland

drinks, press trip, restaurants, metropolis

Helena

Administrator

18 Comments

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Vackralillavardag says:

Beer at Koulu is good! Hope you enjoy my old study city! 🙂 Although Turku is probably most beautiful in the summer of course!

21 January 2016 - 8:31

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Åsa says:

I don't like strong beer but am addicted to light beer...otherwise I prefer red wine! Or vinho verde!

21 January 2016 - 10:00

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nils-åke hansson says:

Went to Nørrebro Bryghus in Copenhagen for a beer tasting. 7 dishes and 7 beers.

Does it include Åland and the archipelago when you talk about the archipelago in Turku?

I am a bit jealous that you are there in the winter.

21 January 2016 - 10:25

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Veiken says:

I drink beer as rarely as I can so I've never been to a beer tasting. It's interesting to read about anyway! 🙂

21 January 2016 - 10:42

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Ama de casa says:

What a cool place! 🙂

When it's hot and you sit down on an outdoor terrace, it's very good with an ice-cold beer.

I've been checking out beer production, including at Carlsberg and Guinness, but not exactly at a tasting. In fact, we got to taste beer...
We had beer tasting at home instead. We had to guess which types of beer there were. I could tell the difference between light and dark beer. When I saw it. Haha!

21 January 2016 - 10:43

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Rolle o Carina says:

Beer is just so good on a hot summer day! 🙂

Take care and enjoy......

21 January 2016 - 10:57

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Steve says:

Nice restaurant-brewery (I didn't know there were such) and so good that they have preserved parts of the school environment and thus much of the soul and history of the building.
I like light Czech beer. However, I have never been to a beer tasting.

21 January 2016 - 10:30

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Eva - People in the Street says:

I have actually been to a beer tasting once, but it is a bit wasted on me as I do not like beer... But fun anyway! And you seem to have had a fantastically rich and rewarding blog trip 🙂 .

21 January 2016 - 11:34

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Vackralillavardag, oh what fun that Turku is your student city! We thought the city was really nice in winter clothes too! 🙂

Åsa, interesting that you like light beer but not strong beer. A bit unusual perhaps? Vino verde we also like!!! 🙂

Nils-Åke, oh wow, that didn't sound stupid!!! I do not think that Åland is included in the Turku archipelago, but that it is all the small islands a little closer to the coast. But you can take a boat from there to Åland!

Steve, I've probably never been to a restaurant brewery before either 😉 I also like Czech, but also Belgian beer. Have to say that the beer here was also really good 😉.

Veiken, not everyone is so fond of beer. In our house, I'm the one who drinks the most beer (Peter usually drinks red wine) 😉.

Ama de casa, I wouldn't think it was so easy to say beer types blindly either. But the difference between dark and light I would also manage, haha 😉.

Rolle and Carina, that's when it's at its best. But I like to drink beer with food at any time of the year 😉.

Eva, not as much fun if you don't like beer... Yes, a great trip! 🙂

21 January 2016 - 12:13

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Lennart says:

Never wrong with a beer or several!

21 January 2016 - 13:15

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Ditte says:

How nice with beer tasting here. I have taken notes for my next visit to Turku. I have NOT been here. But I have been to beer tasting in China, in the city of Xingtao, where the beer "Tsingtao" is produced and in Amsterdam. If you visit Åland and "Smakbyn" it is also possible to try beer. (On a smaller scale)

21 January 2016 - 13:15

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BP says:

I really like the place! Time has stood still there and everything is preserved - except for the brewery itself. Really delicious and big! Imagine that such a small town as Turku/Pargas can have the world's largest Dali collection and Finland's largest restaurant brewery. So fun that you tell me, I would never have guessed that.

Haven't been to a beer tasting either, maybe you should take the ferry to Turku now....

21 January 2016 - 13:51

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Lennart, right? 😉

Ditte, always impressed when we find a place where you haven't been, haha 😉 Fun with beer tasting in China!

BP, right? We have been impressed actually and I would love to see more of Turku! It might be a visit in the summertime at some point 🙂 .

21 January 2016 - 16:31

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Alexandra says:

No, I haven't been to a beer tasting, but I've tried drinking a lot of beer... But maybe that's another matter 😉.

But I would probably rather go to a beer tasting than a wine tasting! Although both would be a bit like throwing pearls at pigs. But I would love to visit a brewery and see the process!

21 January 2016 - 23:16

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Alexandra, haha, drinking a lot of beer is not really the same thing... but it can be nice too 😉 I like both beer and wine, but I drink red wine extremely rarely because it gives me a headache or migraine... 🙁

22 January 2016 - 11:50

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Henny says:

Can imagine a visit there too - even if I am not a beer connoisseur. Then of course it is the room that attracts an old teacher 🙂 There was also food and wine you wrote.

23 January 2016 - 10:47

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Maria at inredningsvis says:

Lovely photos even though I prefer wine tasting not to mention chocolate haha 🙂 .

Today I offer my new favourite recipe on the blog 🙂 .

Have a great new week!

24 January 2016 - 22:47

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Aaa says:

I have participated in a beer tasting in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. The beer is of course called Budweiser.

15 February 2016 - 20:06

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Beer tasting at the 'School' in Turku

School is in the walls

Beer tasting in the "School"

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

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18 Comments

Vackralillavardag says:

Åsa says:

nils-åke hansson says:

Veiken says:

Ama de casa says:

Rolle o Carina says:

Steve says:

Eva - People in the Street says:

admin says:

Lennart says:

Ditte says:

BP says:

admin says:

Alexandra says:

admin says:

Henny says:

Maria at inredningsvis says:

Aaa says:

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