Contents
Despite the fact that Russian beer is not included in the list of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world, it also has its own merits, interesting features and characteristics.
History
The exact century of the appearance of beer in Russia (then in Russia) is unknown. Etymology indicates the relationship of the words “drink” and “beer”, from which linguists conclude that at least in the XNUMXth century AD. beer was the main everyday drink. At the same time, hop honey and perevar were brewed – a product based on honey and beer.
In birch-bark documents of the XNUMXth century, there was a mention of the drink “ol” – apparently, it was an analogue of European ale in the medieval sense of the term – that is, it meant beer brewed not with hops, but with herbs.
It is believed that it was the love of alcoholic beverages, and beer in particular, that became the decisive factor in the choice of Christianity as the state religion. The fact is that in Islam alcohol is prohibited, and “Russia is the joy of drinking, we cannot exist without it” (The Tale of Bygone Years).
In the XNUMXth century, a decree was issued making brewing a state monopoly, although monasteries and private households still produced a foamy drink, only for personal consumption, and not for sale. Such products were not taxed. In the XNUMXth century, the most zealous peasants were officially allowed to brew beer on the main church holidays. The reformer Peter I in the XNUMXth century Europeanized Russia and brought brewers from the West to exchange experience. Since that moment, large breweries began to appear in the country.
One of the purely Russian variations of the intoxicating drink is half a beer. This is a weak beer (up to 1.5% ABV), brewed with malt already used to make regular strong beer. It was popular in the XV-XVIII centuries.
In the second half of the XNUMXth century, Russian production began to unite with foreign partners, so the companies Bavaria, Vienna, etc. appeared. By the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the popularity of beer fell, as vodka came to the fore.
The beginning of the XNUMXth century was associated with political instability, revolutions, wars, including the First World War and the Civil War. All this did not contribute to the development of brewing. With the introduction of the New Economic Policy, the beer industry also began to revive. At first, pre-revolutionary varieties were brewed – Pilsenskoye, Bavaria and others, then the USSR developed its own official product line.
The first beer standard was defined in 1928. In the new Soviet state, beer could only be of four types:
- Pale #1, 2.9% abv, with a pronounced hop profile;
- Pale #2, 2.9% abv, with a good balance of malt and hops;
- Dark, 3% ABV, with a pronounced malt profile;
- Black, fortress 1%, with high density – 13%.
In 1936, the domestic beer line was supplemented by Zhigulevsky, Martovsky, Moskovsky, and other dark and light varieties. The number of brands grew, each republic of the USSR produced its own samples (Nizhny Novgorod, Riga original, Isetskoye, etc.).
After the collapse of the USSR, the market was captured by Baltika, in the late 1990s foreign brands joined it: Carlsberg, Stella Artois, Heineken, new names appeared – Siberian Crown, Klinskoye, etc.
In 1994, the political Party of Beer Lovers (PLP) was registered in the Russian Federation, which existed until 1998. The party program proclaimed the freedom of choice of each person – whether he should drink beer or neglect this foamy drink. In the elections to the State Duma in 1995, the PLP won 0.62% of the vote and took 21 seats out of 43.
Russian beer brands (large producers)
Both foreign and domestic brands are widely represented on the Russian beer market, craft brewing is developing. In large cities, English and Irish pubs are popular, where you can buy real Guinness, and there are also Czech pubs with a classic pilsner.
As of 2016, there were 861 breweries operating in the country. The main problems of the market are the introduction of the EGAIS (Unified State Automated Information System) – an automated system designed for state control over the volume of production and turnover of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products, restrictions on alcohol advertising, a seven-fold increase in excise taxes over the past 8 years, new bills that complicate the sale of alcohol (for example, a ban on the sale of beer and similar products in plastic containers with a volume of more than 1.5 liters).
The largest brewery is still Baltika, SUN InBev is second, Heineken is third, Efes Group is fourth, SAB Miller RUS is fifth, and Ochakovo Group closes the list of leaders. The remaining Russian companies do not play a significant role and most often sell products in their regions without reaching the level of the whole country.
Russian beer styles
The most popular style of beer in Russia is pale lager. It is believed that the beer tastes of Russians are close to Czech and German ones. Main styles:
- Light. Standard lagers are 4-5% ABV.
- Dark. Fortress 4-5%, sweetish, roasted aftertaste is felt in the bouquet, sometimes spices.
- Strong. Strong lager with a degree of 6-8%. It features a pronounced hop profile, high density, sweetish aftertaste.
- White (wheat). Similar to German Weissbier, but slightly spicier.
- Porter. Dark hoppy beer up to 10% ABV.
Kvass stands out. Technically, this is also beer, although not on malt, but on bread sourdough, and the strength of the drink rarely exceeds 1%.
Zhigulevskoe
“Zhigulevskoe” is a special variety, as it is not a registered brand of a particular manufacturer, not a trademark, and not even quite a style. At its peak, Zhigulevskoye was produced by more than 700 Soviet factories, and now it is brewed by about 200 producers.
To be called “Zhigulevskoe”, the beer must be no weaker than 2.8 degrees, contain 42 kcal and no more than 4.6 g of carbohydrates per 100 g of product, the density of the drink must be 11%. “Zhigulevskoe” is made on light barley malt, it also includes water, barley and hops. Style standards are not strict, so many brewers interpret them quite loosely, and samples from different productions can vary greatly from each other.
Beer advertising
There is a twofold attitude towards beer advertising in Russia. On the one hand, the promotion of beer could theoretically reduce the level of hard liquor consumption. On the other hand, doctors consider “beer” alcoholism even more dangerous than “traditional”.
If in the 1990s beer advertising was everywhere, then in 2004 it was allowed only on evening television, and in 2012 it was completely banned. For the period 2014-2018, due to the ongoing World Cup in Russia, the ban was temporarily lifted, but from January 1, 2019, it should come into force again.
Beer traditions in Russia
- Beer in Russia is perhaps the most popular alcohol. One of the features of the national beer culture is that Russians prefer to buy beer in a store and drink it in the yard (drinking alcohol in public places is prohibited by law) or at home, rather than going to pubs or bars. Experts believe that this is primarily due to the difference in price – the restaurant markup on alcohol is at least 100%.
- “Ruff”. In Russia, beer is often combined with vodka – sometimes mixed into one cocktail (the same Ruff), or simply washed down with strong alcoholic beer.
- Snack. In Tsarist Russia, beer was eaten with boiled crayfish. After the revolution, the well-being of the population fell and the main snack was the ram – dried fish, mainly vobla.
- Mugs. In Soviet times, beer was sold mainly in barrels on the street and served in pot-bellied mugs, also shaped like a barrel. Now in beer restaurants they use European-style glasses, and at home and in company, beer is often drunk directly from bottles.