History of Soviet beer

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

Beer, like any other drink, has its own history, which is rooted in the distant past. Previously, the intoxicating drink was brewed in breweries in limited quantities; only natural ingredients were used for its manufacture, as a result of which it had a short shelf life. What was beer like in the Soviet Union when it was produced on a large scale?

1920s

Officially, Soviet beer began its existence in 1922, when the corresponding decree on the production of intoxicating drinks was signed. At the same time, the beginning of Soviet brewing coincided with the heyday of the NEP, when the country's authorities allowed private entrepreneurship. At this time, many small breweries appeared, each of which brewed its own varieties of beer.

At the same time, the same brands were popular as before the revolution - "Bavarian", "Munich dark", strong "Bock", "Viennese", "Pilsen", "Bohemian". German beer was taken as the basis, which, as now, is considered oneof the best in the world.

In the best English tradition, ale was brewed with a low alcohol content. The brands "Table" and "Martovskoe" were popular. "Black" and "Black Velvet" were considered originally Russian, the production of which resembled the technology of brewing kvass, when the drink was not completely fermented.

In the late 1920s, GOST of Soviet beer was adopted. This period coincided with the end of the NEP era. GOST significantly reduced the beer variety to several varieties: light 1, light 2, dark and black, which had 1% alcohol.

1930s

Approximately in the mid-30s of the last century, the party leadership decided to expand the choice of beer for the population. At the same time, they decided not to invent anything new and to take the types of beer that were popular during the New Economic Policy as a basis. Naturally, the technology of beer was improved.

So, for example, "Munich" beer was approved, the m alt for which was high roast and hard water, "Viennese" required medium roast m alt and soft water, while "Pilsen" had to be made from light m alt. It was impossible to use the old pre-revolutionary names, so Anastas Mikoyan, being the people's commissar of the food industry, suggested naming a light beer by the name of the manufacturer. This is how the legendary Soviet "Zhigulevskoye" beer appeared.

In the 30s, the intoxicating drink was produced in almost all the republics of a large country. specialRussian (Samara and Rostov) and Ukrainian foamy (Odessa and Kharkov) beers were famous for their quality.

In 1938, GOST was replenished with new varieties, among which some managed to retain their old names, since the party elite did not see anything bourgeois in them. These were varieties such as porter, March, caramel, which appeared instead of black. Some of these beers lasted until the collapse of the great country.

In 1939, the development of such brands as "Kievskoye" and "Stolichnoye" began, the strength of which reached 23%. There were big plans for the industrial production of ale, but the Great Patriotic War did not allow them to come true.

Post-war period

Mass production of Soviet beer resumed after the end of the war in cities less damaged by the fighting. However, already in 1944, even before the victory, the release of "Rizhsky" beer began in the liberated Riga. The country was recovering from the horror and devastation of the war for a very long time, so in 1946 the volume of the product produced did not reach even half of what it was in 1940.

The production of Soviet beer was gradually established, the varieties of which were popular before the war. A large amount of the drink began to be sold on tap in beer establishments that opened everywhere. The main volume of consumed foam falls on Zhigulevskoye.

Khrushchev thaw

After Stalin's death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became general secretary. These timesremembered by the country as "Khrushchev's thaw". At this time, GOST beer standards were diversified by the introduction of republican standards, in addition, large factories introduced VTU (temporary technical conditions), which significantly increased the number of varieties of intoxicating drink.

Beer produced in the republics of the country was often named after the city in which it was made. This is how "Magadan", "Taiga", "Kadaka" from Estonia, "Romenskoye holiday", "Pereyaslavskoye" and many others appeared. In the same years, the recipe for Soviet beer became very diverse - flavorings such as barley, rice, corn, soybeans, and wheat began to be used.

In the early 1960s, Uralskoye beer appeared, which had a dark color and a dense rich taste, and Sverdlovskoye, a well-attenuated light beer. They are considered the forerunners of the modern frothy drink.

Soviet production technologies did not allow the drink to ferment completely, therefore, along with information about the manufacturer, the Soviet beer label indicated the fermentation period, which could reach 100 days.

In Moscow, the production of the pre-revolutionary drink "Double Golden Label" was revived, which acquired a new name - "Double Golden". Later, strong varieties of light beer appeared - "Our Mark", "Moskvoretskoye". In the Ukrainian SSR, the Lviv and Kyiv factories stood out, which produced an excellent product.

In the late 60s, the issue ofbottled foamy drinks, which used to be much less than Soviet draft beer. The shelf life in this case was no more than 7 days, which was an indicator of the quality of the drink. This was achieved using natural ingredients. In fact, the drink left the shelves within 3 days. During this period, the standards of "Viennese" m alt, which formed the basis of "Zhigulevskoye" beer, left the GOSTs, after which this type turned into one of many, having lost its uniqueness.

1970s period

In the early 70s of the last century, brands of Soviet beer appeared, many of which continue to exist to this day - "Klinskoye", "Barley Ear", "Petrovskoye", "Admir alteyskoye". However, over time, the recipe has undergone significant changes. Therefore, we can assume that the Soviet "Klinskoye" and today's are different types of foamy drink.

1980s and early 90s

Despite the fact that in 1985 an active anti-alcohol campaign began under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev, new varieties and brands of beer actively replaced the old ones. The assortment of Soviet-era beer, which had an alcohol content of up to 5% and belonged to low-alcohol drinks, was expanding especially rapidly.

In the early 90s, when the country was striving for independence, such names as "Chernihiv", "Tver", "Bouquet of Chuvashia" appeared. Unfortunately, the quality was rapidly declining, asSoviet GOSTs, which clearly regulated production, lost their force. Also in the early 90s, Soviet beer appeared in Samara in cans, which had not been produced since the Olympics. At the same time, the number of small breweries increased rapidly, as private business was allowed. During the entire existence of the Soviet Union, about 350 different types of beer were developed and brewed. A photo of Soviet beer shows a wide variety of types and names of the foamy drink.

Zhigulevskoe

His taste was familiar to almost every inhabitant of a vast country. Since the recipe for the Soviet "Zhigulevskoye" beer was based on the technology of preparing pre-revolutionary "Viennese", its taste can be called mild. It clearly shows notes of hops and m alt without foreign flavors.

Since 1938, Zhigulevskoye beer has been produced strictly in accordance with GOST, so regardless of the manufacturing plant, the taste has remained unchanged for decades. Soviet beer was made from natural ingredients - water, barley m alt, barley. At the same time, the strength of the final drink was about 2.8% alcohol. Initially, this Soviet beer was made in Samara, but soon the name of the drink became a household name and was used everywhere.

Today, the recipe is significantly different from the original, so the taste of the drink varies depending on the manufacturer. At the same time, the shelf life has also increased due touse of preservatives.

Beer on tap

Draft Soviet beer was loved by many citizens of the country, especially during the hot periods of the year. It was valued primarily for its freshness, as a bottled intoxicating drink often spoiled before even reaching the store. Drinking establishments where you could drink a mug or two of a cold drink near a small round table were in every district of any city in the USSR.

Since beer was a perishable commodity, the operation of the beer tent was completely dependent on the delivery of the drink. There is beer - the institution worked, if there was no delivery, then a sign "No beer" was hung. Unfortunately, the pubs were not equipped with toilets, so those who wanted to drink used the surrounding bushes for this purpose.

In addition, draft fresh beer could be purchased right on the street from a barrel, like kvass. A long queue often lined up for such barrels, so sometimes there was not enough drink for everyone. At the same time, a person wishing to purchase a drink had to have a container with him, since plastic cups or baklag did not exist during the Soviet Union. There was also no limit on the sale of goods to one person, so people often took home their native Soviet beer in cans of various sizes.

Draft beer could also be found in restaurants, where it was served in beautiful crystal decanters, but most of the population still preferred to drink beer on the street. The cost of a decanter of intoxicating drink in a restaurant often reached five rubles, so thispleasure was not for everyone. In addition, getting into a prestigious place on the weekend was also very difficult.

At one time, there were even beer machines that, like machines with mineral water, filled glasses with cold beer. At the same time, the machine poured 435 ml of drink for 20 kopecks. But the innovation did not last long, because people still preferred to go to the pub, not only to drink a mug of cold foamy drink, but also to enjoy the unique atmosphere of the place.

Drink container

Despite the abundance of drinking establishments, some Soviet citizens preferred to drink beer at home. A foamy drink was sold most often in glass containers with a volume of 0.5 liters. All year round, beer was on the shelves of any store, but in the summer heat, demand increased, so there was a shortage.

According to eyewitnesses, the quality of bottled beer was inferior to draft beer, as transportation and storage conditions, which were most often inadequate, provoked fermentation of the drink. As a result, it was possible to buy sour beer with a normal expiration date or find an unpleasant sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Soviet beer in tin cans was not produced. An exception can be considered the preparation for the Olympics-80, when they decided to conduct an experiment with containers, which turned out to be unsuccessful. The cost of one can was 60 kopecks, despite the fact that the quality of beer has not improved. In addition, the drink in jars was also stored for a short time. For these reasons, after the Olympics, it was decidedthe decision to no longer produce Soviet beer in cans. In Samara and other cities of the country, they returned to the usual glass.

The cost of bottled beer ranged from 40 kopecks to 60 kopecks, depending on the variety. At the same time, an empty container could be handed over and bailed out 20 kopecks. That is, by handing over 2-3 empty bottles, one could buy half a liter of beer.

Drinking culture

Since they drank beer almost everywhere and always, over time, a certain culture of drinking a foamy drink was formed. It was slightly different depending on the place of drinking:

1. Beer was expensive in a restaurant, but it was not a shame to go there with a girl. At the same time, all kinds of s alty snacks were often ordered - crackers, fish and even boiled crayfish. The restaurant, due to its inaccessibility to many ordinary citizens, was considered a decent place, so they rarely got drunk to unconsciousness.
2. The liquor stores that were below the level of the restaurant didn't have that kind of comfort. There often had to stand in endless lines, and drink - while standing, as there were no chairs. People took several glasses at once, because they did not want to stand in line again. The establishment did not offer any snacks to visitors, except for those that they brought with them. At the same time, the level of service was limited only by the fact that they periodically took away empty containers and wiped the tables in the presence of visible contamination. It was in such establishments that the drink "ruff" was born, which is beer mixed with vodka. Even the saying appeared: "Beer without vodka - money down the drain."
3. Drinking beer in the morning is notIt was considered shameful, because by the evening it could simply not be. Despite the fact that grocery stores sold bottled, the majority still preferred draft, although only one product was offered - Zhigulevskoye. There were much more names of Soviet beer in bottles, as well as varieties.
4. We often drank in the hallways, if there was no place at the table in the pub.
5. In perestroika times, there was a shortage of glass containers for beer, so the drink began to be poured directly into plastic bags. They drank from them, carefully biting a hole in a convenient place.

Some of the "rules" for drinking beer still exist, such as drinking in the morning or mixing with vodka.

Despite the fact that in the Soviet Union from the beginning there were a huge variety of foamy varieties, the real "beer boom" began in the 70s. Up to this point, the amount of beer drunk by a person per year was approximately 11-12 liters. Despite the fact that vodka was drunk about 7-8 liters. As a result of the construction of large breweries in the late 60s of the last century, the government wanted to reduce the number of "vodka" alcoholics. And they got the result - there really were fewer hard drinkers, but instead the number of so-called "beer" alcoholics increased.

Interesting facts about beer

There are some amazing beer facts to know:

1. The biggest beer festival is held in Germanyevery year in October and is called Oktoberfest. So much of this foamy drink is drunk there that the enterprising Germans built a "beer pipeline", which is a large pipe that goes from the brewery to the festival site.
2. Annually, the average person drinks about 23 liters of intoxicating drink.
3. The strongest beer that was produced in the USSR had a strength of 23 degrees.
4. The lightest beer in the Soviet Union was called "Karamelnoe" and had about 0.5-1% alcohol. It was even recommended to pregnant women, nursing mothers and children. In terms of taste and characteristics, it was more like kvass than beer.
5. Beer is rich in calcium and vitamins, however, to replenish the daily intake of these trace elements, you need to drink about 5 liters of drink per day.
6. Beer "Zhigulevskoye" was the most widespread in the USSR and got its name in honor of the Zhiguli highlands, which is located next to the Volga River in Samara, where they first began to mass-produce this kind of drink.
7. From the large amount of beer consumed in men, a "beer" belly and chest begin to grow. This phenomenon is caused by the presence of phytoestrogen hormones in the drink, which are similar in properties to female progesterone.
8. Despite the fact that beer is considered a light drink, it has been proven that a standard 0.5 liter bottle contains as much alcohol as 50 g of vodka.
9. Beer addiction in women is not treated.
10. Beer is a very high-calorie product. Despite the low percentage of fat, it containsabout 500 calories per 1 liter, which is also the cause of weight gain in both men and women.
11. Women who drink frothy drink frequently increase their risk of developing breast cancer by several times. This is due to the increase in the level of female hormones in the body.
12. Daily drinking in large quantities provokes the development of impotence in men.
13. However, in moderation, natural beer is useful - it improves appetite, stimulates metabolism, lowers blood pressure.
14. Traditionally, beer bottles are brown for better protection from harmful UV rays.

The history of beer in the Soviet Union is not as rich as in Europe. The reason for this was the Great Patriotic War, which significantly slowed down the development of the country. At the same time, in the post-war years, the factories did not give up and continued to produce different types of beer, which undoubtedly pleased Soviet citizens. And yet, despite such diversity, many preferred the good old Zhigulevskoye.