Mikkeller and Rick Astley open bar together in London
The unusual collaboration is a continuation of a long-standing relationship between the brewery and singer. They have previously worked together to release Astley's Northern Hop, a 4.7% ABV red lager, while Mikkeller founder Mikkel Borg Bjergsø has described Astley as his childhood idol.
The bar will be based in Shoreditch, east London, and will open its doors for the first time on 19 October. It is thought that the design of the bar will take its cues from Mikkeller’s Copenhagen locations, which are known for light wood, clean lines, and lots of taps on the walls.
Perfect partners
Writing on a Facebook event for the bar’s opening, Bjergsø said: “We have finally found a fantastic location in the Shoreditch district that suits us perfectly. Meanwhile, we have been fortunate to get to know Rick Astley and his wife Lene Bausager Astley, so now we have also found the perfect partners.
“Of course, we always prefer to work together with people who have a driving force and heart. It’s a huge plus if we also have a personal relationship with them.”
Astley added: “I met Mikkel back in 2015. Through his enthusiasm and passion for real quality, I have fallen back in love with beer. London is a great city but it needs a Mikkeller bar and it is really exciting to be part of creating Mikkeller's first bar in the UK with Mikkel and his fantastic team. I know we are going to have a lot of fun and drink some great beer!”
Number one hit
In a career spanning more than three decades, Rick Astley has sold over 40m records worldwide. He is best known for his 1987 song Never Gonna Give You Up which was a No.1 hit single in 25 countries and won the 1988 Brit Award for Best British Single.
Mikkeller was founded by high school teacher Mikkel Borg Bjergsø and journalist Kristian Klarup Keller in 2006 in Copenhagen. The brewery does not operate on a fixed site, and instead collaborates with other brewers to produce its recipes or experimental one-off brews.
The brewery also owns a number of bars in locations across the world including Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Reykjavík, San Diego, San Francisco, Singapore and Toyko.
