On the labels of cans and bottles of beer “Polar Bear” flaunts the inscription: “Cooked to the conscience.” These are not empty words: the brand is one of the four best-selling beer brands in Russia. The drink is also popular in the CIS: in 2012, about 30% of Ukrainian beer imports were accounted for by the Polar Bear. Subsequently, imports declined, as this beer began to be produced at Ukrainian factories.
Historical reference. Ufa brewery “Amstar” was built in 1999. The name of the enterprise is explained by the fact that one of its owners was the Dutch company Amsterdam Brewery Investment.
The plant, equipped with the latest technology, was intended for the production of premium beer. When creating new varieties of the drink, the technologies of the famous Dutch company Royal Grolscн NV were used.
The first product of Amstar was the famous Sokol beer. In 2001, the company’s technologists developed a recipe for the Polar Bear lager. Beer consists exclusively of natural ingredients: brewer’s yeast, barley malt, hops, maltose syrup, water. The addition of maltose syrup allows the strength of the beer to be increased, and the malt and hops give it a characteristic taste that most connoisseurs like.
In 2003, the plant was acquired by Efes Breweries International NV, a company registered in the Netherlands, which is part of the Turkish brewing holding Anadolu Efes. Natural, high-quality beer “Amstara” was so liked by Turkish businessmen that they paid for the enterprise one and a half times more than competitors offered. According to unofficial data, Amstar was sold for $25 million.
Thanks to the new owners, the local brand “Polar Bear” went first to the federal and then to the international level. Within 10 years, the production of the drink has increased 5 times. Now this beer is made not only in Ufa, but also at other Russian breweries owned by Efes Rus: in Moscow, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don.
True, lovers of the “Polar Bear” argue that the best taste differs from the lager produced in Ufa, Moscow and Novosibirsk (this is due to the characteristics of the water). Since 2013, the “Polar Bear” has also been produced at the Ukrainian enterprises of the Efes Ukraine company.
Twice, in 2009 and 2010, “Polar Bear” won a gold medal at the international tasting competition Monde Selection.
Types of beer “Polar Bear”
“Polar Bear Strong” – lager with a strength of 7,2% and a density of 16%. It is packaged in glass bottles of 0,45 liters. and PET packages of 1,42 liters. Beer of amber-golden color has a rich taste with pronounced bitterness. The aroma is dominated by hints of hops and malt.
«Белый медведь Светлое» – lager with a strength of 5% and a density of 11%. It is packaged in aluminum cans of 0,45 liters, glass bottles and PET packaging. Clear beer of light straw color has a velvety taste and pleasant hop aroma.
“Polar Bear Alive” – pasteurized unfiltered lager with a strength of 4,5% and a density of 11,6%, packaged in PET packaging. The golden drink has a taste that is unique to live beer. Some haze is due to the fact that the lager is not filtered, which is why the yeast precipitates and accumulates at the bottom. The composition of the drink does not contain any artificial additives, the natural flavoring agent “Opamdenier” enhances the rich yeasty aroma.
“Polar Bear Non-Alcoholic” – light lager with a strength of 0,5%, packaged in glass bottles. As part of the drink – natural flavor “Beer”.
