When Carlsberg unveiled the world’s smallest beer in October 2025 – twelve millimetres tall and filled with a single drop of non-alcoholic beer – university students were simultaneously challenged to try to beat the record. The response was immediate. It is now confirmed that five Swedish students from the The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden have surpassed Carlsberg and claimed the world record.

The new world’s smallest beer is one third the size of Carlsberg’s predecessor. The bottle measures four millimetres in height, holds 0.00001057 centilitres of alcohol-free beer, and is roughly the size of a sesame seed. This means that it would take approximately 5.37 million bottles to fill a single pint. Given its scale, it may look AI-generated, but it’s the result of precision 3D printing and human craftsmanship.

Behind this small yet remarkable innovation are KTH students Joel Bovin, Annie Nordström, Lucas Bergman, Linnea Isaksson and Karin Hallgren.

“We wanted to test how far we could push the boundaries. Winning and now holding a world record feels absolutely incredible,” says Joel Bovin.

How the students created the world’s smallest beer

The quintet are currently studying at The Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, and drew on their academic expertise when developing the world’s smallest beer. Using a digital 3D model of the classic 33 cl Carlsberg bottle, the students employed a high-precision 3D printer to determine just how small the bottle could be made. Four millimetres proved to be the absolute limit. After cleaning the inside with a microcannula and curing it under UV light, the bottle was complete. Miniature artist Åsa Strand then assisted with creating the cap, the label as well as filling, and coloring, the bottle.

“Every step of the process required extreme precision, as there are virtually no margins when something is this small. It was truly an exercise in patience for all of us,” says Joel Bovin.

“Hats off to the winners! It’s impressive that they have created the most moderate beer ever made, and we hope it can now serve as a natural conversation starter about responsible drinking,” says Casper Danielsson, Head of Communications at Carlsberg Sweden.

“I’m not surprised that KTH students succeeded in this. Pushing boundaries is part of our culture. We are incredibly proud that the group, through curiosity and determination, broke the record by a wide margin,” says Lydia Boij, President of the KTH Student Union.

The winners of the competition, organised together with the KTH Student Union, will now receive prize money, a trip to Copenhagen and a tour of the Carlsberg Research Laboratory. In addition, their beer – now the world’s smallest – will be exhibited at the Home of Carlsberg museum for the public to see.