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The hallmark of Soviet brewing is Zhigulevskoye beer, but this is not the only variety produced in the USSR. In total, from 1917 to 1991, about 350 recipes were developed and released. One of the most popular varieties was “Rizhskoye”, which is still being produced.
Historical information
“Riga” beer appeared in 1944 after the liberation of Riga from the Nazi invaders (in fact, the variety existed since 1936 under the name “Russian” and was produced in Rostov-on-Don). The fermentation period was 8 days, the exposure was 42 days.
“Rizhskoe” beer had a density of 12% and a strength of 3.2%. This pale lager had a golden color, a pronounced hop profile and a distinct bitterness in the aftertaste.
The Soviet GOST allowed adding sugar, caramel and cereals to the wort, so the beer did not ferment completely and 60-70 years ago it was weaker than the modern one. The only exception is “Rizhskoe” beer, which was made from pure malt.
In the 1960s, Riga Original appeared on the shelves – this variation was made from light, premium malt with a lot of hops and fermented for longer. As a result, the beer turned out to be even more aromatic and “hoppy”.
“Rizhskoye” today
Rizhskoe is not a registered trademark or brand of a specific brewery, it is a recipe that any manufacturer can use. The composition and organoleptic characteristics of the variety are regulated by GOSTs (the most relevant one is P51174-98).
The fortress of “Rizhsky” should not exceed 4.5%, the density remained at around 12%. Everything else is at the discretion of the manufacturer. On the market there are unfiltered, draft, bottled and other types of “Rizhsky”
Until 1946, GOSTs prescribed the type of fermentation – bottom or top, but then they stopped, since lager was taken as the default basis.
Well-known producers of “Rizhsky” beer
- Brewery “Vyatich” (Kirov). Light lager with a slight bitterness and pronounced malt sweetness, notes of honey.
- “Tomsk beer” (Tomsk). Pasteurized light beer, corresponding to GOST 1998, has a long aftertaste.
- Lyskovsky brewery (Nizhny Novgorod region). It is made on the basis of barley malt and corn grits.
- Krasnodar brewery. Releases “Rizhskoye” since 1957.
- Trekhsosensky brewery. The local “Rizhskoye” has a particularly sweet taste, fruity notes are felt in the aftertaste.
- Laskovsky brewery.
- “Bavaria” (Veliky Ustyug).
- And etc.
There are a lot of manufacturers, so “Rizhsky” does not have a single taste profile. It is believed that this variety should be heavily hoppy, but some recipes include corn grits, which completely removes the bitterness. Another common feature is that this variety belongs to light lagers, but in Latvia until 1946 there was also a dark variation of the drink.
How to drink “Riga” beer
“Rizhskoye” is served in tall beer glasses, like witbier. The variety forms abundant dense foam, so it should be poured carefully so that the foam cap does not take up to 2/5 of the total volume.
Best of all, the taste qualities of “Rizhsky” beer are revealed at a temperature of 5-7 degrees. In warmer beers, it is difficult to distinguish between hop and malt profiles, and background notes do not appear.
A good snack for “Rizhsky” will be a classic beer set – hard cheese, dried fish, meat plate, chips, salted sticks and nuts.