The leader of the domestic brewing market, the Baltika company produces about fifty varieties of foam, including regional and national brands.
The most famous is the brand of the same name, which has repeatedly been included in the lists of the largest trademarks in the world.
Baltika plants in 8 Russian cities produce over 500 million liters of beer annually. At the moment, the St. Petersburg enterprise is part of the Carlsberg Group and supplies its products to 75 countries.
History of Baltika beer
The construction of the company’s first plant began in 1978 in Leningrad. At that time, the enterprise was considered part of the Lenpivo association, but upon completion of construction it was transformed into SE Baltika Brewery.
The first batch of foamy drink for 27 thousand liters was produced at the new plant in 1990.
In 1992, the enterprise was transformed into a JSC. Scandinavian holding BBH became the largest shareholder and investor. In the same period, work began on creating our own brand, which was accompanied by the reconstruction and modernization of production.
In 1996 the company became the leader in the Russian beer market.
In the late 90s, Baltika acquired factories in Rostov-on-Don and Tula and set about building a distribution network in the regions.
In the early 2000s, new enterprises were opened in Samara, Khabarovsk and Novosibirsk.
In 2006, a significant event for the Russian brewing industry took place – the merger of Baltika with the companies Vena, Pikra and Yarpivo. As a result, a year later, product sales increased by 40%.
By November 2012, as a result of the change of ownership of the Scandinavian holding VVN, OJSC Baltika Brewing Company completely became the property of the Carlsberg Group, and in 2014 it was transformed into an LLC.
Types of beer Baltika
Baltika 0 Non-alcoholic
Produced since 2001. Produced using membrane technology, which allows you to carefully remove alcohol from the finished product and preserve the taste of beer.
Fortress: 0,5%. Pairs well with beef and pork.
Baltika 0 Unfiltered Wheat
Soft refreshing drink with a spicy-citrus taste and a matte amber tint.
Contains 2 types of malt: light barley and wheat. Ideal for quenching thirst in the heat.
It goes well with fish, pork, cheese. Fortress: 0,5%.
Baltika 0 Grapefruit
Refreshing non-alcoholic unfiltered beer with the inclusion of natural grapefruit juice. Fortress: 0,5%.
Baltika 2 Light
Produced since 2004. A classic pale lager made from elite hop varieties.
Light, fresh, clean taste has a pleasant bitterness. Fortress: 4,7%.
Baltika 3 Classic
Multiple winner of Russian and international competitions, winner of numerous titles “Product of the Year”.
A classic pale lager produced since 1992. Fortress: 4,8%.
Good accompaniment to meat and fish dishes.
Baltika 4 Original
Vienna lager, produced since 1994 exclusively at the plant in St. Petersburg.
Winner of numerous awards, including a bronze medal at the British International Beer Challenge.
For the production of dark beer with a rich bread-spicy taste and pronounced bitterness, 3 varieties of malt are used: light barley, caramel and rye.
The drink is included in the premium series “Baltika Favorites”. Fortress: 5,6%. Pairs well with cheese and poultry.
Baltika 6 Porter
Winner of the silver medal of the International Beer Challenge.
Rich dark beer has been brewed according to the old English technology since 1994.
For production, dark and light malt, elite varieties of hops, special yeast, and purified water are used.
The taste is dominated by a light sweetness of malt and mild coffee bitterness.
The product is included in the series “Baltika Favorites” and has a high strength (7%). Pairs with meat and cheese.
Baltika 7 Export (+ non-alcoholic version)
Light lager of the premium segment, first released in 1994 on the occasion of the start of the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg.
Produced from selected malt and rare varieties of hops. It has a full and mild taste.
Exported to 50 countries. Has already won over 20 awards. Fortress: 5,4%.
Pairs well with chicken and fish.
Baltika 8 Wheat
Winner of the bronze medal “International Beer Challenge”. The drink has been made according to a special recipe since 2001 without the use of filtration.
Wheat beer has a multifaceted sweetish taste with caramel-malt, citrus, spicy-fruit tones and thick dense foam. Fortress: 5%. The best gastronomic couples: pork, poultry, fish.
Baltika 9 Strong
The highest alcohol product in the brand line: contains 8% alcohol.
Produced since 1998. Popular in 50 countries around the world.
Baltika Cooler
Pale lager, released in 2006, has a refreshing taste without pronounced bitterness.
For production, cold filtration technology is used.
The composition includes a special strain of yeast found in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. Fortress: 4,7%.
Baltika Draft
Pale lager that is not pasteurized.
Produced using multi-stage hopping technology.
It is distinguished by a thick, slowly settling foam, a bright aroma of freshly brewed beer, a rich taste with a subtle bitterness. Fortress: 5,3%.
Opens best at 8-12°C.
It should be noted that brewers from the Baltic like to experiment, for example, for the tenth anniversary of the company, Baltika 10 Jubilee beer was released, it included basil and almonds.
And at the experimental brewery they somehow brewed eight-degree beer Albus Alpinum. It had a whole range of alpine herbs – Alpine violet (Viola alpina), Alpine wormwood (Artemisia mutellina), Primrose (Primula minina), Alpine pine (Pinus mugo) and Wild strawberry (dried leaves and berries).
Interesting Facts
Initially, the beer produced at the St. Petersburg plant of Baltika was not united by a common brand and was produced under common names (Zhigulevskoye, Prazdnichnoye, Rizhskoye, Admiralteyskoye).
In 2014 Baltika Brewing Company was included in the list of official suppliers of the Olympic Games in Sochi.
For more than 20 years, Baltika beer has been produced under the logo with three wavy blue lines. In 2013, the familiar design was replaced with a more spectacular one: the lines became golden. The style of the inscription has also changed, which was supplemented by the phrase “Part of the Carlsberg Group”.
The company’s brands are produced under license in different countries. Baltika No. 3 is the only domestic beer produced under contract in Germany.
Relevance: 16.03.2020
Tags: Beer, Cider, Ale, Beer brands