Beer in Norway has a long history, stretching back more than a millennium. Until some 200 years ago, most farms where it was possible to grow grain south of the Arctic Circle, brewed their own beer. From the early 20th century brewing was industrialized and home brewing was restricted. Significant consolidation in the brewing sector reduced the number of major breweries to just a handful. With the exception of the farmhouse ales, most beer styles brewed in Norway trace their ancestry to central Europe. Market The Norwegian beer market is dominated by two large brewers: The major Carlsberg-Ringnes based in Oslo and Copenhagen, Denmark, and the smaller Hansa Borg Bryggerier, based in Bergen and Sarpsborg. Each produce beer branded in a variety of traditional Norwegian beer brands, as well as foreign brands bottled on licence. This system is a result of the large-scale consolidation of Norwegian breweries that has taken place over the last 50 years. Brewing has a long history in Norway, harking back to the pre-Christian era, when beer was a central element in all religious and social gatherings of any importance. The farmers brewed from their own grain, and most larger farms had a separate building used for drying both grain and malts. Home brewing in Norway is common, and divided in two separate traditions. On the one hand the, mostly city-based, modern home brewing of styles familiar from the rest of the world. On the other, in remote rural regions, farmhouse brewers brewing the same styles their parents and grand-parents brewed. These are styles that don't exist elsewhere. As with most countries in Europe and America, the most popular style of beer in Norway is pilsner-style pale lager. According to the Norwegian brewers' association, most beer brewed in Norway is pale lager. Until recently, this was the only style of beer to be had, except at Christmas time, when Christmas beers become available. These are dark malt beers traditionally brewed for the holiday season. Today, the craft beer market has continued to develop in Norway offering a number of different styles; including the popularization of kveik yeast for both traditional and modern beers. Due to government restrictions, beers above 4.75% ABV are only available from licensed premises or from the state-run Vinmonopolet ("wine monopoly") liquor stores. This has resulted in some foreign breweries lowering the alcohol percentages in their beer in order to make them legal