Fans of the beer brand “Old Melnik” are strongly associated with the characteristic “soul beer”. And the point here is not the special quality of the drink, but the intrusive advertising that secured such a title for the product. The brand also became famous for its “social” activities: Stary Melnik has repeatedly sponsored rock concerts and football matches. The lager has many prestigious awards and the title of “the first premium beer brand” released in Russia and for Russia.
Brand History
Today, the popular lager is included in the product portfolio of AB InBev Efes, which was formed in 2018 as a result of the merger of divisions of the Turkish holding Anadolu Efes and the international corporation AB InBev. The production capacities of the association include 14 plants: 11 in different regions of Russia and 3 in Ukraine. Together, they produce more than 75 beer brands, of which the most famous are BUD, Corona Extra, Velkopopovický Kozel, Klinskoye, Hoegaarden, Poly medved.
However, the history of “Old Melnik” began long before the creation of “AB InBev Efes”. The first batch of lager was released in 1999 at a Moscow brewery owned by the EFES group of companies. The brand was developed specifically for Russian consumers, taking into account their tastes and habits. Thanks to an active marketing campaign, Stary Melnik quickly turned into one of the most dynamically developing beer brands on the domestic market. Particularly successful was the promotion of the Stary Melnik from a Keg sub-brand, which was introduced 8 years after the main one and was recognized as the most successful launch of the year (according to the AC Nielsen agency).
In the early 2000s, different types of Stary Melnik repeatedly became EFFIE award winners and made it into the top ten “favorite beer brands of Russians”. From 2000 to 2007 the brand was the organizer of the rock festival “Wings”, in the period from 2001 to 2015 – the sponsor of the Russian Football Union and the Russian national football team. In anticipation of the EURO-2008 Championship, a special “football” line of reduced strength (3,5%) was released. Today, the famous lager is produced at factories in Novosibirsk, Ufa, Kazan.
Types of beer
Old Melnik (Light)
The same legendary brand, produced since 1999. Winner of numerous awards, including the medal of the prestigious Monde Selection tasting competition.
Classic lager beer has a clean amber hue, fresh taste with mild bitterness and a pleasant hop aroma. Fortress: 4,7%.
Old Melnik from the Barrel (Soft)
Light lager beer with subtle hop tones and a pleasant refreshing aftertaste. Thanks to a special technology identical to the production of draft beer, the drink is distinguished by the fullness and richness of the bouquet.
The composition includes 3 varieties of hops, which are added in stages to provide 3 effects: creating a moderate bitterness, obtaining a bright aroma and softening the taste. Fortress: 4,3%.
Old Melnik from Barrel (Light)
A classic light beer with an intense, expressive, dense flavor and a bright hop accent.
The recipe includes selected Russian barley sprouted in malt houses and specially prepared water. Fortress: 5%.
Old Melnik from the Barrel (Dark Velvet)
A young variety in the brand line. The drink is produced on the basis of 3 varieties of malt: light, burnt and caramel.
Dark beer has a soft, velvety taste with moderate bitterness. Fortress: 4,6%.
Old Melnik from the Barrel (non-alcoholic)
Available in 2 versions: light and dark. It is easy to drink and has a rich taste, almost as good as the original beer.
Brand drinks are supplied in glass bottles, cans, 30-liter kegs.
Interesting Facts
The well-known slogan of the brand, in addition to “soulful beer”, was the phrase “work rests.”
At the enterprises of AB InBev Efes, special attention is paid to compliance with brewing standards and product quality control. Throughout the full production cycle, drinks undergo 184 physical-chemical and 18 microbiological analyzes. At each stage, the beer is tasted by experts.
To provide the consumer with a fresh product during shipments, the FIFO principle – first in – first out (“first in – first out”) is observed.
Relevance: 04.10.2019
Tags: Beer, Cider, Ale, Beer brands