Belarusian beer: tradition and modernity

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

One of the popular types of drinks that can be found on the shelves of domestic stores is Belarusian beer. The product of this country differs from analogues of Russian or Kazakh production. The fact is that at one time Belarus refused to sign the regulations for beer products that are in force on the territory of the Customs Union. Most of the products of this country are bottled in special PET containers, while the drink contains more natural ingredients and a minimum of m alt extracts. Today, on the shelves of stores, you can safely take any Belarusian beer, reviews of most brands characterize the products of the factories of this country from a positive point of view.

History of brewing in Belarus

Beer brewing in Belarus has rich traditions. Even in the old days, craftsmen produced a magnificent foamy drink on the so-called brovars. Beer is a traditional alcohol for this country, along with honey. At the same time, it was considered a democratic drink, which was available to the widest sections of the population. Basically, the peasants themselves produced products in their farmsteads. There was a saying in the old days“Ride from milestone to milestone”, which meant traveling, refreshing yourself with foam on the farms. The fact is that the peasants who produced beer kept a special pole in their yard, a milestone, on top of which a bundle of straw was placed. This was considered the mark of the master, by which the traveler could understand that here he could rest and drink well.

Chronicles of the 15th-16th centuries testify that the Belarusian soldiers, who were then part of the army of the Commonwe alth, drank 2.5 liters of beer a day. By the 18th century, the tradition of pouring the foamy drink into glass bottles appeared, and its consumption became fashionable among the upper classes.

Today, the principle of the ancient brovar can be found in the Dudutki Museum-Reserve, where Belarusian beer is served according to authentic recipes.

Beer industry in Belarus

Today the main export destination for Belarusian brewers is Russia. The standards of many European countries exclude the possibility of bottling products in PET containers, which are used in most factories in this country. In Russia, as a result of an active anti-alcohol campaign, plastic packaging is gradually disappearing from store shelves as a result of an active anti-alcohol campaign. However, this does not mean that Belarusian beer will soon be impossible to buy. Manufacturers of this country are effectively solving problems and changing the bottling technology.

Today there is no single monopoly in Belarus. The main volume of production falls on 6 large factories, each of which occupies its own market segment.

About 40%production falls on the state company "Krynitsa". In addition, a large volume is produced by the Minsk enterprise "Alivaria" and the firm "Syabar", most of whose shares were bought by the Heineken concern. Of the regional producers, it is worth noting Lidskoye, Rechitsapivo and Brest Pivo.

Products of the enterprise "Krynica"

Krynitsa was founded in 1975 during the Soviet Union. Today, the company produces more than 10 varieties of products, including Belarusian draft beer in kegs, products in PET containers and glass.

The most popular is the classic line "Krynitsa", consisting of three varieties. These pale lagers are affordable and traditional in their recipes.

Of the varieties with rye m alt content, it is worth noting the Vyazynskae and Burshtyn Belarus brands. The hallmark of the plant at many international competitions was "Starazhytnaya", brewed according to the original recipe with the addition of natural kvass. Despite the complexity of the idea, the technologists managed to organize mass bottling of such a non-standard variety in glass bottles.

Alivary products

Minsk company "Alivaria" has the richest history in Belarus. The founder of this plant was the German count Karol Hutten-Czapski, who launched production back in 1864. The enterprise started working with renewed vigor in 1994 after the collapse of the USSR. Today, the products of this plant are most valued on the international market, and suchbrands like Extra and Porter have been recognized as major trade shows in Belgium and Australia.

After the beer industry giant Carlsberg Group acquired the plant's shares, Belarusian beer of this brand appeared massively on the shelves of Russian stores. Varieties "White", "Dark" and "Classic" are presented in liter PET containers and differ from domestic analogues in the use of natural m alt used in wort brewing.

Products of regional manufacturers

Among the regional companies, Lidskoye and Rechitsapivo stand out. These factories appeared during the Soviet Union. They produce a wide variety of beer: Belarusian "Zhigulevskoye", "Dark", "Velvet" and other varieties. Particularly noteworthy are porters from the Lidskoe company, which have been repeatedly noted at prestigious international exhibitions. The Rechinsky plant specializes in the production of budget varieties bottled in glass bottles of 0.5 liters.