Belarusian beer: traditions and modernity

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

History of brewing in Belarus

Brewing in Belarus has a rich tradition. In the old days the masters produced a magnificent foam drink on so-called brovars. Beer is a traditional alcohol for this country, along with honey. At the same time, it was considered a democratic drink that was accessible to the widest sections of the population. In general, the peasants themselves produced products in their own farmsteads. In the old days there was a saying "go from milestone to milestone", which meant traveling, reinforced by foamy farms. The fact is that peasants who produced beer kept in their yard a special pole, a landmark on top of which was a bundle of straw. This was considered a mark of the master, on which the traveler could understand that here he can rest and drink well.

Chronicles of the XV-XVI centuries show that Belarusian soldiers, who were then part of the Rech Pospolita army, drank 2.5 liters of beer a day. By the 18th century, a tradition began to pour a frothy drink on glass bottles, and its consumption became fashionable among the upper classes.

Today, the principle of the ancient brovar can be found in the museum-reserve "Dudutki", where they serve Belarusian beer on authentic recipes.

Beer industry of Belarus

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

Today in Belarus there is no single monopolist. The bulk of production comes from 6 large plants, each of which occupies its market segment.

About 40% of production falls on the state company Krynitsa. In addition, a large volume is produced by the Minsk enterprise "Alivarya" and the firm "Syabar", the bulk of the shares which the Heineken concern bought out. From regional manufacturers it is worth noting "Lida", "Rechitsapivo" and the enterprise "Brest beer".

Products of Krynica

Krynica was founded in the Soviet times in 1975. Today the enterprise produces more than 10 varieties of products, including draft beer Belarusian In kegs, products in PET containers and glass.

The most popular is the classic line "Krynica", consisting of three varieties. These bright lagers are affordable and traditional in their own recipe.

Of the varieties containing rye malt, it is worth mentioning the brands "Vazyanskaya" and "Burshtyn of Belarus". The visiting card of the plant at many international competitions was "Starazhytnae", cooked according to the original recipe with the addition of natural kvass. Despite the complexity of the idea, the technologists managed to establish a mass bottling in glass bottles of such a non-standard variety.

Alivarya products

Minsk company "Alivarya" has the richest history in Belarus. The founder of this plant was the German Count Karol Gutten-Chapsky, who started production in the distant 1864. The enterprise with new strength earned in 1994 after the collapse of the USSR. Today, the products of this plant are most valued in the international market, and such brands as "Extra" and Porter, have been recognized as major exhibitions in Belgium and Australia.

After the acquisition of shares of the plant by the giant of the beer industry Carlsberg Group, Belarusian beer of this brand appeared on the shelves of Russian stores. The grades "White", "Dark" and "Classical" are presented in liter PET-containers and differ from domestic analogues using natural malt used for cooking wort.

Products of regional manufacturers

Among the regional companies, Lidskoye and Rechitsapivo are particularly notable. These plants appeared during the Soviet era. They produce a variety of beer: the Belarusian "Zhigulevskoe", "Dark", "Velvet" and other varieties. Particularly noteworthy are porters from the company "Lidskoe", which have been repeatedly noted at prestigious international exhibitions. Rechinsky plant specializes in the production of budget grades, poured into glass bottles of 0.5 liters.