How bottled beer of famous brands is produced today. What kind of beer in Russia is real, natural, high quality?
Residents of Russia annually consume millions of liters of various types of beer. Due to the huge variety of brands, it is simply impossible to choose the best one in terms of taste and quality. But knowing the criteria that determine beer quality, you can make a rating of the best beer in Russia. Undoubtedly, the best quality belongs to a natural beer drink. The compiled rating is based on the effectiveness of control procurement activities and the purchasing preferences of the Russian population.
Natural, high-quality beer differs in a number of characteristics:
- foam consistency,
- color index,
- aroma,
- taste qualities.
The foam of natural beer should be dense white and remain on the sides of the glass. High-quality light varieties should not have any foreign matter and must be characterized by a certain transparency and shine; in dark varieties, dullness, lack of shine, and a brownish tint are possible. The aroma of real beer should contain notes of hops and freshness. In terms of taste: light beer displays the bitter aftertaste of hops, while dark beer displays sweetness.
10. "Goat"
An example of a classic light beer that is easy to drink and has a pleasant taste, delicate bitterness combined with caramel notes of malt. It has a delicate aroma and a golden hue.
9. “Afanasy Homemade”
Real live, filtered, not pasteurized. It has a dark brown color with a ruby tint and medium-grained, creamy foam, a delicate aroma. Production - Russia.
8. “Baltika No. 6”
Russia, having a dark brown color with a reddish tint. The foam has a creamy, brownish color structure. Has a strong damp smell. The taste contains notes of caramel, coffee, prunes, and burnt sugar.
7. "Ochakovo"
Russian light, filtered, pasteurized, with a subtle hop aroma and yellow color.
6. “Special” Zhigulevskoe
Belarus, having a low density and pleasant bitterness of hops, light in color.
5. "Yuzberg"
Russian light, characterized by persistent foam, weak malt aroma and mild grain taste.
4. “Baltika No. 3”
Russia, transparent golden color with persistent foam, has a rich malt taste with bitterness and hop aroma.
3. “Russian Imperial Stout”
A special type of Russian dark beer, which has a rich taste of grain and roasted malt with notes of dried fruit. The color is close to charcoal, the foam has a brown tint, and is very dense.
2. “Shaggy Bumblebee”
Author's, with a sweetish floral, caramel aroma with herbal notes. The taste is soft, sweet, caramel. The aftertaste reveals toffee and fruit. The color is brown and red. Production - Russia.
1. “Athanasius” Porter
Dense, rich, filtered, pasteurized, dark in color with hop bitterness and the aftertaste of classic varieties, produced in Russia.
To summarize, we can say that only the ability to distinguish a high-quality beer drink from a counterfeit based on its main characteristics will help the consumer get true pleasure from drinking first-class real beer.
No. 50 Papaya Rye
Nómada Brewing, Sabadell (Barcelona), Spain
Alcohol: 9%
This deep golden beer is an explosion of fruit, hops and rye. Malty with notes of tropical fruit and caramel, it is both intense and extremely drinkable. Nómada Papaya Rye has earned a spot in RateBeer's Top 100 and Top Imperial IPAs.
No. 49 Viaemilia
Birrifico del Ducato, Parma, Italy
Alcohol: 5%
A perennial favorite, it has consistently won medals at the World Beer Cup and European Beer Star competitions. Birrifico del Ducato was Italian Brewery of the Year in 2010 and 2011 and has won numerous other prizes. This malty beer with herbaceous, floral and honeyed notes pairs well with prosciutto, another staple of the region.
UnaBirraAlGiorno
No. 48 Brio
Olgerdin Egill Skallagrimsson, Reykjavik, Iceland
Alcohol: 4.5%
You can expect something extraordinary from a brewery named after the skald Egil Skallagrimsson. Brio features notes of herbaceous and spicy hops and cracker-like malt. Brewed with Icelandic mountain water, this beer brought home World Beer Cup and World Beer Awards medals.
Knightbefore_99@Flickr
No. 47 Galaxy IPA
Other Half Brewing, Brooklyn
Alcohol: 6.5%
Cloudy peachy, resinous, herbaceous and yet surprisingly floral, with notes of tropical fruits. Other Half is a rising star in the craft beer firmament, and this IPA is considered one of the best in New York.
No. 46 Nøgne Ø Porter
Nøgne Ø, Grimstad, Norway
Alcohol: 7%
An outstanding full-bodied porter brewed in Norway - jet black with aromas of dark chocolate and espresso followed by caramel. It is the winner of the bronze medal in the Export Extra Stout category of the 2016 Barcelona Beer Challenge.
No. 45 ManBearPig
Voodoo Brewing Co., Meadville, Pennsylvania
Alcohol: 14.1%
Made with maple syrup and local honey, this powerful beer is aged in bourbon barrels. It is strong, pitch black and very complex, with a pronounced and long finish. It is one of the world's best beers according to Beer Advocate in 2016.
No. 44 Black Eyed King Imp Vietnamese Coffee Edition
BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Alcohol: 12.7%
Included in the world top 100 according to RateBeer. This is the world's strongest canned ale - black, intense, with powerful aromas of coffee and cocoa.
No. 43 Breakside IPA
Breakside Brewery, Portland, Oregon
Alcohol: 6.4%
This is a tasty, hoppy IPA with notes of grapefruit, pine, resin and tangerines. It has four varieties of hops plus dry hopping. Breakside IPA won a gold medal in the American IPA category at the 2016 Best of Craft Beer Awards.
No. 42 Lambo Door
Grimm Artisanal Ales, Brooklyn
Alcohol: 8%
Grimm calls it "pure hoppy candy." This double IPA, with Citra, El Dorado and Simcoe hops, took first place out of 115 double IPAs in Paste magazine's blind tasting. Grimm is one of the pioneers of contract brewing.
No. 41 Samiec Alfa
Browar Artezan, Blonie, Poland
Alcohol: 11%
This barrel-aged wonder is one of RateBeer's top 50 imperial stouts. It has a sweet aroma, low bitterness, pronounced notes of vanilla and toffee, and a creamy body.
Chmielokracja.pl
No. 40 St. Feuillien Triple
Brasserie St-Feuillien / Friart, Le Reux, Belgium
Alcohol: 8.5%
Light amber color, with pronounced maltiness. Secondary fermentation in the bottle produces a recognizable aroma created by the yeast, and the long maturation results in a long aftertaste. Gold medalist of the Barcelona Beer Challenge 2016 in the Belgian Tripel category.
No. 39 Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel
Lervig Aktiebryggeri, Copenhagen, Denmark
Alcohol: 10.9%
This top 50 imperial stout is brewed with some of the world's most expensive coffee—yes, the same coffee that has passed through the digestive tract of the civet, a picky South Asian mammal that eats only the finest, freshest coffee cherries. This is a rather rare variety of coffee with a strong aroma. It gives the beer an intense smoky profile with notes of toasted bread and toasted vanilla.
No. 38 Avec Les Bons Voeux
Brasserie Dupont, Tourpe-Leuze, Belgium
Alcohol: 9.5%
A top-fermented light beer with a copper color, light body, dry and sour. This delicious Belgian farmhouse ale ranks among the world's finest Abbey Tripels. Ideal to drink at cellar temperature, or chilled as an aperitif.
No. 37 Julius
Tree House Brewing Company, Monson, Massachusetts
Alcohol: 6.8%
This is an intimidatingly drinkable IPA, with notes of mango and sweet citrus and a rounded bitterness. Beerishealthy.com calls it "The World's Best IPA."
No. 36 Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier
Braueri Heller, Bamberg, Germany
Alcohol: 5.5%
With a reddish-brown body and large white head, this unfiltered beer has an unmistakable smoked meat aroma balanced by the flavors of cinnamon toast and caramel. Fastenbier means "beer for Lent" and this beer is only sold during Lent - from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
No. 35 Orval
Brasserie d'Orval, Florentville, Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium
Alcohol: 6.2%
An orange-copper beer with a giant white head and aroma of yeast, lemons and a light, non-overpowering aroma. A floral, citrusy and complex dry beer with a medium body. It is also the only beer that the Trappist brewery Orval produces for the general public.
No. 34 Double Barrel Jesus
Evil Twin Brewing, Westbrook Brewing Co., Brooklyn
Alcohol: 12%
Included in the top 100 best beers in the world according to RateBeer. This is a matte black stout with notes of bourbon and vanilla and a toffee-like body.
Ian Mewhinney@Flickr
No. 33 Duck Duck Gooze
The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, California
Alcohol: 7%
With a sour taste and aroma, hints of citrus, a crisp acidic finish and a hint of sweetness for balance, this ale has been one of the brewery's best-selling beers since its release in 2009. It is very difficult to find, as it is brewed only once every three years, and in limited quantities.
dontdrinkbeer
No. 32 Oude Geuze
Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Beersel, Belgium
Alcohol: 6%
A classic Belgian ale, hazy, honey-colored, with a winey taste, citric acidity, a hint of spice, tiny bubbles and strong carbonation. It is considered the sparkling wine of the beer world and won the title of Best Sour Beer at the 2016 World Beer Awards.
The Perfectly Happy Man
No. 31 Kormoran Imperium Prunum
Browar Kormoran, Olsztyn, Poland
Alcohol: 11 percent
One of the top 100 according to RateBeer and the best Baltic porter in the world. Explosive notes of prunes, smoked fruit, chocolate and malt.
No. 30 Zombie Dust
Alcohol: 6.2%
This powerful pale ale is worth buying just for the label alone. But those who are attracted by the unusual design are also fascinated by the beer itself. Powerful aroma of pine and citrus, taste - notes of grapefruit and honey. Ranked in the top 50 by Men’s Fitness and thefiftybest.com.
Cocktail Enthusiast
No. 29 Péché Mortel
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!, Quebec, Canada
Alcohol: 6.5%
Coffee is added during the brewing process, resulting in an intense, dense imperial stout with the aroma of roasted coffee beans and a slightly tart finish. It was named one of the best imperial stouts by Craft Beer & Brewing magazine.
No. 28 Two Hearted Ale
Bell's Brewery, Galesburg, Michigan
Alcohol: 7%
Named after the Two Harted River in Michigan. This is a crisp IPA with explosive pine and citrus notes. According to Beer Advocate, this is one of those beers that will outlive its time.
No. 27 Darkness
Surly Brewing Company, Minneapolis
Alcohol: 9.6%
This is a complex, heavy Russian imperial stout with dark chocolate, fruit and toffee aromas, moderate carbonation and unconventional aromatic hops. He has about 10 thousand almost perfect reviews on Untappd.
№26 Oude Geuze Vintage
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Bercel, Belgium
Alcohol: 6%
This vintage edition gueuze is only sold in Belgium. It is released after several years of storage in the cellars of Drie Fonteinen - unlike regular Oude Geuze, which takes six months to mature. Which gueuze becomes vintage depends on the brewer's decision - he evaluates its taste and aging potential. Oude Geuze Vintage is number 18 on Beer Advocate's list of 250 great beers, based on over 10 years of reviews.
AdamChandler86@Flickr
No. 25 Dinner
Maine Beer Company, Freeport, Maine
Alcohol: 8.2%
Double dry-hopped with over 6 pounds of hops per barrel (230 grams per deciliter), this hazy golden-colored Double IPA has a dry, crisp character. Craft Beer & Brewing magazine rates it 100 points.
Beer Chatter
No. 24 Hopslam
Bell's Brewery, Galesburg, Michigan
Alcohol: 10%
This Double IPA with Northwest hops might not be something you'll be writing a postcard home about. However, fans of this beer call all the beer stores in the city as soon as they hear a rumor that they have a couple of packs. Each sip is filled with notes of honey, and the complex hopping scheme creates an aromatic, citrusy, bitter yet refreshing beer.
No. 23 Application
Alcohol: 7%
This brown ale is aged for 12 months with sour cherries in Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir barrels. The result is a bright, acidic, fruity and slightly aromatic beer with a noticeable wine cask character.
The Perfectly Happy Man
No. 22 Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier
Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany
Alcohol: 5.4%
Hefeweizen in the traditional style - with an earthy forest aroma, well balanced, fruity and dry. Winner of the World Beer Cup gold medal in the “South German style Hefeweizen” category.
No. 21 The Abyss
Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon
Alcohol: 11.1%
Notes of licorice in the aroma come from the addition of cherry bark and vanilla and aging in oak barrels. This is the winner of the 2016 World Beer Awards for Best Imperial Stout.
No. 20 Speedway Stout - Bourbon Barrel Aged
AleSmith Brewing Company, San Diego, California
Alcohol: 12%
Matte black with brownish foam. Aromas of chocolate and licorice combined with the smoky flavor of roasted coffee. Creamy and sweet, this beer is great for aging. It earned 100 points from Craft Beer & Brewing magazine.
No. 19 La Fin du Monde
Unibroue, Quebec, Canada
Alcohol: 9%
A hazy, yeasty, floral triple golden ale with a medium body and rich flavor. The brewers of Unibroue say that this beer was brewed in honor of the brave European explorers who believed that they had reached the ends of the world, discovering North America - the New World. World's End has won more awards than any other Canadian beer.
No. 18 Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout
Three Floyds Brewing Company, Munster, Indiana
Alcohol: 15%
Thick and caramel-like, with notes of chocolate and coffee on the aroma, dried fruits and brown sugar on the palate. You can only buy it at the brewery on one day a year - Dark Lord Day (in 2017 it took place on May 13).
365beers
No. 17 Parabola
Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, California
Alcohol: 13.1%
This is an imperial stout that is described as a fine wine. Don't be surprised when you hear someone mention notes of tobacco and oak or black coffee and vanilla. This is a truly complex Russian Imperial Stout, both sweet and bitter, and incredibly hard to find. It is aged in bourbon barrels (Pappy Van Winkle, Woodford Reserve, Elijah Craig and others) and then blended.
No. 16 Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock
Schneider Weisse G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH, Kelheim, Germany
Alcohol: 12%
Legend has it that one winter the barrels of Aventinus froze while being transported. The brewers tasted the remaining unfrozen liquid and were amazed. And you can understand why. This is a legendary beer with the aroma of banana and the taste of dried fruits, cocoa and cloves.
No. 15 Mornin' Delight
Alcohol: 12%
With a strong espresso aroma and a thick, rich body, this imperial stout is ranked third in RateBeer's top 50 best beers in the world. Beer Advocate founder Jason Elstrom believes Toppling Goliath will remain a favorite for years to come.
No. 14 Hunahpu's Imperial Stout - Double Barrel Aged
Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, Florida
Alcohol: 11%
Every December, Hunahpu's Day tickets go on sale ($200-$400). This festival takes place in March and fans can be the first to try the new incarnation of their perennial favorite. Ticket price includes 4-12 bottles of this spicy, rich imperial stout, which is aged half-and-half rum and apple brandy barrels.
No. 13 Pliny the Elder
Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, California
Alcohol: 8%
The ancient Roman polymath writer and philosopher Pliny the Elder called hops Lupus salictarius - “the wolf in the willows” - although it is not known for certain whether he had hops in mind. Either way, the double IPA named after him is hazy, coppery-gold, and pine-like. It's fresh, with perfectly balanced hops and a fresh grapefruit flavor. The beer has won gold in the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, and is considered one of the best West Coast IPAs in history.
No. 12 Westvleteren Extra 8
Alcohol: 8%
Only six Belgian brands can claim to be made in Trappist abbeys, and the monks of St. Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren produce the least amount of beer, so their dark ale is in extreme short supply. With notes of tea, raisins and brown bread, this dubbel is highly carbonated and has a large head of foam.
No. 11 Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Alcohol: 11.2%
Bringing out the incredibly popular Breakfast Stout might have seemed like a daunting task for Founders, but they did it. Cellar-aged in oak bourbon barrels, this imperial stout is second to none. KBS, brewed with chocolate and coffee, is for those who like a hint of bourbon in their breakfast beer.
No. 10 Ann
Hill Farmstead Brewery, Greensboro Bend, Vermont
Alcohol: 6.5%
Hill Farmstead has been named the World's Best Brewery by RateBeer. The Anna honey saison is aged for many months in French oak wine barrels and only then becomes Ann. The naturally carbonated beer exhibits complex citric acidity with hints of green apple.
AdamChandler86@Flickr
No. 9 Lou Pepe Kriek
Brasserie Cantillon, Brussels, Belgium
Alcohol: 5%
Every year Cantillon manages to get a ton or two of delicate and rare sour cherries from Schaerbeek, the harvest of which is unpredictable. These cherries, used exclusively for blending, are infused in the beer for two to three months to create that acidic and juicy scream. Production is limited to a couple thousand bottles per year due to the limited supply of berries. Lou Pepe Kriek was named one of Thrillist's Best Strains of 2016.
No. 8 Celebrator
Brauerei Aying, Aying, Germany
Alcohol: 6.7%
Doppelbock stands apart from other German styles. This strong but not overpowering beer with a lush foam is aged for six months. A great beer to celebrate with friends and family.
No. 7 St. Bernardus Abt 12
St. Bernardus Brouwerij, Watau, Belgium
Alcohol: 10%
Powerful, rich, spicy, malty, strong - like drinking an alcoholic fruit cake with chocolate and caramel. This is an abbey ale brewed in the classic Belgian quadrupelle style using an old Trappist recipe. St. Bernardus is considered by the beer community to be one of the best beers in the world.
No. 6 Bourbon County Brand Stout
Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago
Alcohol: 13.8%
This limited edition stout is no joke. It has a distinct black hue with a slight caramel-colored head and strong aromas of bourbon, vanilla and fig, followed by notes of chocolate and molasses.
No. 5 Heady Topper
The Alchemist, Waterbury, Vermont
Alcohol: 8%
This Vermont Double IPA is incredibly hard to get your hands on—unless you live within 30 miles of the brewery—but it's beloved by beer enthusiasts around the world. This award-winning, elusive beer sells out as soon as it hits shelves.
No. 4 Rochefort Trappistes 10
Brasserie Rochefort, Rochefort, Belgium
Alcohol: 11.3%
The traditional Belgian quadrupel Rochefort "blue cap" is one of the few true Trappist varieties. This malty, strong beer produces notes of plum and apricot when cold, and when heated, the beer's true character is revealed. It is suitable for sipping slowly, like a good scotch or wine. Last October, the beer won the Belgian Beer Journal's blind tasting of quadruples.
No. 3 Pliny the Younger
Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, California
Alcohol: 10.25%
Named after the nephew and adopted son of the above-mentioned Pliny the Elder. Pliny the Younger documented the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, during which his uncle died. This is a true triple IPA (it has three times the usual amount of hops) and is very difficult, time consuming and expensive to make. It has moderate bitterness and a beautiful copper color. Available on tap only and released for two weeks only at the beginning of February.
No. 2 Westvleteren 12 (XII)
Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus, Westvleteren, Belgium
Alcohol: 10.2%
This beer is definitely one of the best of the best, and some experts believe that it deserves first place. This is a real Trappist beer, brewed by the monks in the Abbey of St. Sixtus. A dark chestnut brown beer with dark fruit and brown sugar aroma. This is a complex and spicy quad with lively carbonation. Ranked No. 1 in the Abbey Beer/Quad category by RateBeer and awarded 100 points by Craft Beer & Brewing magazine.
#1 Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company, Decorah, Iowa
Alcohol: 12%
This barrel-aged coffee-infused imperial stout is extremely hard to find. It has a powerful maple aroma with notes of chocolate and hazelnut. In 2015, Esquire magazine named it one of the "10 Great Beers You'll Never Try," and Beer Advocate ranked it #1 in the global top 250.
MyBeerCollectibles.com
Attempts to determine best beer in Russia, as indeed in other countries, are constantly being undertaken, but true beer lovers are skeptical about such ratings. And there are several reasons for this:
- firstly, there is never stagnation in the production of a foamy drink, and therefore strict judges will not have time to name the best beer (based on market research and consumer surveys ), how he is replaced in the new ranking by another leader;
- secondly, any survey covers a relatively narrow circle of beer lovers, and therefore it simply cannot reflect all the tastes and preferences of a multi-million army of consumers. That’s why in the comments to any rating you can find angry statements like “Your best lager is just rubbish”;
- thirdly, in Russia such ratings are completely empty, since it is simply impossible to objectively determine the best beer for such a huge country. Most often, beer ratings focus on the main metropolises of the European part of Russia, or even simply do not go further than Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Rating of the best Russian beer
Still, it’s worth checking out the latest ratings of the best Russian beer. At least for the purpose of obtaining information that may be useful to many. So, according to them, several varieties of light lager from the Moscow Brewing Company are considered the best. These are Khamovniki: Munich, Pilsen and Vienskoe. “Munichskoye” on tap is especially famous, which can be tasted in the best bars and restaurants in Moscow. It is worth paying attention to the brand of the same manufacturer “Cervena Selka”.
The second place is confidently occupied by a number of varieties of the Anapa brewery “Bogerhof”, among which “Rye semi-dark” and “Bannoe dark” stand out (although many prefer the light lager of this brand).
In third place were two varieties of Tomsk beer (light and dark) from the Siberian company of the same name. Although lovers of strong beer would probably prefer to move the Afanasy porter of the Tver brewery of the same name from fifth to one of the leading positions, and lovers of light lager would give preference to the Sibirskaya Korona varieties of SUN Inbev OJSC. And it’s hard to say which beer is actually better, but it’s not without reason that they say: there are no comrades for the taste and color...
For example, beer lovers from the Ulyanovsk region claim that there is no better drink than the Zlata Podkova mini-brewery in Dimitrovgrad in all of Russia, and perhaps even in Europe. It is no coincidence that even Muscovites and St. Petersburg residents come here to try it, and rare foreign guests are surprised to discover that in the Russian outback you can drink simply amazing ale!..
The best foreign beer in Russia
Many people remember that thirty years ago, any foreign beer was the best of the best for the Russian consumer. Fortunately, this state of affairs is a thing of the past. Today, the domestic foamy drink is no worse, if not an order of magnitude better, than the “foreign” one, and this is the first thing. And secondly, an imported product is always more expensive than a similar domestic one. For this reason, by the way, foreign beers are considered in a separate rating category as the most expensive.
The first place among such drinks in many Russian ratings is occupied by the Bavarian beer Spaten (full name - Spaten Munchen Hell) of the German brewery Spaten-Franziskaner-Brau GmbH, which has been producing it in Munich since 1397. The Spaten logo even became a symbol of Germany's main annual beer festival, Oktoberfest.
In second place, most Russian beer drinkers place the Belgian ale Blanche de Namur with its spicy fruity aroma (curacao and coriander). In 2009, at the international exhibition World Beer Awards, this drink was recognized as the best white blanche in the world.
Well, third place was awarded by our consumer to the German unfiltered wheat drink Franziskaner, which has been produced by the Munich brewery of the same name since 1363. Its undoubted advantages are a special culture of brewer's yeast, unique wheat malt and strict use of three main ingredients in production: water, hops and malt.
As you can see, it is quite difficult to unequivocally answer the question of which beer is better than all others in Russia. Probably, for this reason, the First Beer Club was created at one time, which helps its members keep the right course in the modern “sea of beer”. Although, to be honest, many who come to this wonderful association are no less interested in discounts, which bars and restaurants - partners of the club - provide to its members.
And since such cooperation is very mutually beneficial, there are more and more similar benefits, as well as the institutions providing them, in Russia (and not only). Therefore, trying the best beer, including foreign beer, becomes no problem for club members. If you want to drink only the best beers at affordable prices, then we are waiting for you at the First Beer Club! To get discounts at popular establishments, you need to get a special one.
Today, the choice of beer on store shelves is so large that the inexperienced buyer is faced with the difficult question of what kind of beer in Russia is real, natural, and of high quality? It is easy to get confused in the variety of varieties, brands and brands offered. Moreover, manufacturers indicate standard information on the labels, from which it is quite difficult to glean anything useful.
Priority – natural beer
What should the buyer focus on? How to choose products that will please you with taste, will not disappoint in terms of quality, and will not harm your health? First of all, you should make sure that the beer does not contain any additional artificial ingredients. However, unfortunately, the situation is such that manufacturers are not always honest in this matter and information about any additives is not always present on the label. Therefore, the end consumer can be easily misled about the naturalness of the drink.
In addition, even when using exclusively natural ingredients, many other factors influence the final result and quality of the finished beer. The taste of the drink, in addition to the quality of water and the type of yeast, depends, among other things, on the proportions in which they are used, adherence to brewing technology, the skill of the brewers and much more. It is very important to comply with the preparation conditions according to brewing technology, when the slightest deviation can provoke undesirable consequences, which will result in a poor-quality drink.
Signs of beer quality
Considering the above, the best solution would be not to trust too much information on labels and official websites of manufacturers. The right decision is to focus on your own feelings. You can determine which beer in Russia is real, natural and of high quality, based on some signs, for example:
- High-quality beer should not seem watery, even light varieties should have a pronounced body;
- Alcohol should not stick out in the taste the way it is realized, for example, in “Baltika No. 9” or in “Strong Hunting”. The brewer's skill in this case lies in skillfully masking the repulsive alcohol taste;
Also You can conduct the following experiments in order to identify substitutes in beer:
You need to add some amount of acetic acid to the beer. The vinegar will instantly react with, which will fall to the bottom of the container in the form of sediment. Vinegar should be added until the reaction stops. After this, you will have to taste the liquid and if there is bitterness in it, it means the composition of the beer has been enriched with some kind of natural substitute.
The second method allows you to detect trinitrophenol or picric acid in beer, which can also be added there instead by an unscrupulous manufacturer. Picric acid, even in small quantities, can cause kidney damage and also provoke skin diseases. To determine it in the composition of the drink, you need to place a piece of white cloth in a pan and boil it in the selected beer for 10 minutes. After boiling, the fabric should be rinsed under cold water, and then pay attention to its color. If the color has changed and turned yellow, the specified chemical is present in the beer, and the brighter the color, the higher the concentration of picric acid in the beer. However, it should be noted that such a reaction today is difficult to observe even in the case of fairly inexpensive drinks.
There is a widespread belief among beer lovers that you can choose real, natural and high-quality beer in Russia based on price. The logic in this case is this: good things cannot be cheap. But the problem is that the opposite statement is also false and expensive beer does not necessarily meet quality standards. Today, in the cost of the final product, manufacturers can include items that have nothing to do with quality: advertising campaign, external packaging design, branding, and so on.
Beer market experts point to another sign by which the quality of beer is determined. This is the scale of its production. Lately, attention has been focused on, which, as a rule, is produced by small breweries. Such beer is in many cases considered an example of a truly natural, high-quality drink. It is no coincidence that in 2015 in the rating of the very competent beer portal Ratebeer, it was the varieties that won and craft breweries among all representatives of the domestic brewing industry.
The literal translation of the phrase “Craft Beer” means “craft beer.” From this we can conclude that this is a product of small breweries with not a very large volume of output. In Europe and the USA, the development and entry of craft breweries into the market has almost reached its apogee, but in Russia this trend is only gaining strength. Although in Russia there are already dozens of production facilities that specialize in craft brewing.
Thus, in 2015, the Russian version of Ratebeer took the lead with the bright name “ Ivan Kozhedub"presented by the Moscow brewery Victory Art Brew, which had previously won several victories in other significant competitions. According to the results of the past year, the craft brewery Zagovor Brewery was also recognized as the best production.
The top ten leaders in this area today are as follows:
- AF Brew– stands among the pioneers in the Russian craft brewing market;
- Bakunin– the brewery, located in St. Petersburg, became famous for its “Laughing Sam” ale;
- Brickstone– specializes in lagers, located in Moscow;
- Drakkar– located in St. Petersburg;
- Jaws- the progenitor of the new beer movement in the Urals. Located in the Sverdlovsk region;
- La Beerint- a contract brewery from Obninsk specializes in original recipes. How much does “Champagne beer Berezka” cost?
- Victory Art Brew– the manufacturer already mentioned above from the Moscow region;
- “One Ton” from the town of Zhukovsky near Moscow presents a wide range of products, which include lagers and ales;
- Vasileostrovskaya Brewery– specializes in beer, original recipes. We have already brewed in an article about dubbel “,” brewed by this brewery;
- Salden's– Tula private brewery – the best new brewery according to Ratebeer;
These brands are worth paying attention to for those who are looking for an answer to the question of what kind of beer in Russia is real, natural, and of high quality. And be sure to write about your thoughts and preferences on this topic.
