What is the best beer in Russia? The best beer in Russia: rating. First results of beer quality study published Which beer is better filtered or unfiltered

Beer has been one of the favorite drinks of men since ancient times. Today, this product is consumed with the same pleasure by the fair sex.

Such popularity of beer provoked the expansion of its range. On the shelves of modern supermarkets or in beer bars, pubs, you can find dozens or even hundreds of types of this malt drink. That is why it is very difficult to decide which beer to choose and which one will taste better. This article will try to form a rating of the most popular and best beer in Russia by color and how it is stored.

What is the best beer in Russia: rating

Rating of the best Russian beer

If we do not take into account the types of beer, its price category and storage method, then we can derive one overall rating of beer in 2017:

1. Porter from the private brewing company "Afanasy" - 8% alcohol, 20% density.
2. Ale "Shaggy Bumblebee" from the Moscow Brewing Company - 5% alcohol, 12% density.
3. "Russian imperial status" from Stamm Beer - 9% alcohol, 25% extract of the initial wort.
4. "Baltika 3" from the company "Baltika" - 4.8% strength, 12% density.
5. "Yuzberg Weissbier" from LLC "Suzdal Brewing Company" - 4.9% alcohol, 13.1% extract of the initial wort.
6. "Ochakovo" from CJSC MPBK "Ochakovo" - 4.6% alcohol, 12% density.
7. "Three Bears" from "Heineken" - 5% alcohol, 11% density.
8. "Baltika No. 6" from the company "Baltika" - 7% alcohol, 16-17% density.
9. "Afanasy Domashnee" from the Tver Brewery "Afanasy" - 4.5% fortress, 11% density.
10. "Velkopopovicky Kozel" from the EFES RUS brewing company - 4% strength, 9.8% extract of the initial wort.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the above rating is not generally accepted - it was compiled only on the basis of surveys of some respondents and the rating of beer sales in Russia.

The best Czech beer: varieties

The Czech Republic is home to the most delicious varieties and popular brands of beer. In this country, an intoxicating drink is treated with great respect and from a young age they understand all the intricacies of its choice. That is why it is very difficult to make a hit parade of the best beer in the Czech Republic, since its gourmets have completely different preferences. But we will still try to build a certain gradation of this Czech drink:

• Pilsner Urquell Pilsen
• Velkopopovicky Kozel settlement Velké Popovice
• Staropramen Prague
• Budweiser Budvar České Budějovice
• Krušovice Krušovice
• Bernard Gumpolec
• Velvet brand from Staropramen
• Kelt stamp from Staropramen

Best German Beer: Brands

As for Germany, the mere presence of Octoberfest, held annually in this country, makes it an integral part of the history of brewing. In this European state, beer has a special relationship - the Germans idolize it and consider it a divine drink. No German will ever confuse the taste of a Bavarian beer with another kind of beer brewed on the other side of the country.

If you start listing the varieties and varieties of German beer, then it can drag on for a long time. Therefore, we will try to recall only the most famous producers of this intoxicating drink in Germany:

• Oettinger Oettinger
• Spaten Spaten
• Paulaner Paulaner
• Krombacher Krombacher
• Franziskaner
• Bitburger Bitburger
• Beck`s Becks
• Warsteiner
• Hasseröder Hasseröder
• Veltins Veltins
• Radeberger Radeberger
• Erdinger Erdinger

The best craft beer in Russia

The best craft beer in Russia

Before making a rating of the best craft beer in Russia, it is necessary to understand the very concept of craft beer. Craft beer or craft beer is a beer produced by a small, small business based on traditional recipes.

Today in Russia there are quite a few private, small breweries, which, unlike large producers, brew exclusive beers according to old, proven recipes.

If you make a hit parade of craft beer in Russia, then most likely it would look like this:

• AF Brew St. Petersburg
• Bakunin St. Petersburg
• Brickstone Moscow
• Drakkar St. Petersburg
• La Beerint Obninsk, Kaluga region
• 1 ton Zhukovsky, Moscow region
• Vasileostrovskaya brewery, St. Petersburg
• Petr Petrovich, Tula

The best light beer in Russia

The best lager beer in Russia

• Hamovniki "Pilzenskoe" from "Moscow Brewing Company" - 4.8% fortress
• Khamovniki "Venskoe" from the "Moscow Brewing Company" - 4.5% fortress
• Beach light from the Bogerhof Brewery, Anapa - 3.7% fortress
• Lager light from the Bogerhof Brewery, Anapa - 4.7% fortress
• Kruger Premium Pils from OAO Tomsk Pivo - 5% ABV
• Capital Double Gold from MPBK "Ochakovo" - 5.5% fortress
• Karachaevskoe Zhivoe from CJSC "Karachaevsky Pivzavod", Karachaevsk - 4% fortress
• Cervena Selka from Moscow Brewing Company - 5% ABV
• Samara from OJSC Zhigulevskoe Pivo - 4.5% fortress
• Zhiguli Bar "Mospivkom" - 5% fortress
• Siberian crown "Golden" from JSC "SUN Inbev" - 4% fortress
• Siberian crown "Classic" from JSC "SUN Inbev" - 5% fortress

Best dark beer

The best dark beer in Russia

• Semi-dark rye from the Bogerhof Brewery, Anapa (semi-dark) - 5.2% strength
• Sauna dark from the Bogerhof Brewery, Anapa - 5.5% fortress
• Kruger Dunkel from JSC "Tomsk Pivo" - 3.9% fortress
• Afanasy Porter from the Tver brewery "Afanasy" - 8% fortress
• Velkopopovetsky Kozel dark - 3.2-4% fortress
• Velkopopvetsky Kozel black - 3.5-5% fortress
• "Baltika No. 6" from the company "Baltika" - 7% alcohol
• "Russian imperial status" from Stamm Beer - 9% alcohol
• Ale "Shaggy Bumblebee" from the Moscow Brewing Company - 5% alcohol
• "Afanasy Porter" from the Tver Brewery "Afanasy" - 8% fortress

• Edelweiss by Heineken
• Oettinger from Moscow Brewing Company
• Guinness from Heineken
• Velkopopovicky Kozel from EFES
• Khamovniki from Moscow Brewing Company
• Zatecky Gus by Carlsberg
• Gold Mine Beer by EFES
• Three bears from "Heineken"
• Zhigulevskoe from Zhigulevskoe Pivo, Samara
• Old miller from EFES

• AF Brew St. Petersburg
• Bottle Share Moscow
• Victory Art Brew St. Petersburg
• Salden`s Brewery, Tula
• STAMM BEER Moscow
• Paradox Brewery St. Petersburg
• Bakunin St. Petersburg
• Jaws Zarechye, Sverdlovsk region
• 1516 Pub & Brewery Moscow
• Green Street Brewery Moscow

As for canned beer, almost all beer producers produce their product both in glass containers and in cans. Therefore, the rating of the best canned beer will be identical to the rating of bottled beer given earlier in the article.

The most popular bottled and draft beer in Russia: the best varieties

The best sorts of bottled and draft beer in Russia

Summing up the results of the article, we can conclude that in our country the culture of brewing and drinking beer is finally reaching a new level. People stopped simply absorbing a cheap, tasteless product. They are increasingly trying to taste as many different brands and types of beer as possible in order to choose one or two of their favorites.

This trend has provoked the development in Russia of an increasing number of craft, small breweries that create exclusive, unique beer tastes. Apparently, therefore, products of such small enterprises are more and more often priced, and not mass-produced beer, which has become boring for everyone for a long time, and, moreover, is brewed from incomprehensible ingredients.

The best German beer: Video

Best Czech Beer: Video

Attempts to define the best beer in Russia, as, indeed, in other countries, are constantly being undertaken, however, true beer lovers are skeptical about such ratings. And there are several reasons for this:

• firstly, there is never a 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 a consumer survey ), how another leader comes to replace him in the new rating;

• secondly, any survey covers a relatively narrow circle of beer admirers, and therefore it simply cannot reflect all the tastes and preferences of a multimillion-strong army of consumers. That is 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 are guided by the main metropolitan areas of the European part of Russia, and sometimes they simply do not go further than Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Rating of the best Russian beer

Still, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the latest ratings of the best Russian beer. At least for the purpose of obtaining information that can 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 "Vienna". “Munich” is especially famous in bottling, which can be tasted in the best bars and restaurants of 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 Bogerhof brewery, among which Rye semi-dark and Bannoe dark stand out (although many people prefer the light lager of this brand).

The third place was occupied by two varieties of "Tomsk beer" (light and dark) of the Siberian company of the same name. Although lovers of strong beer would certainly prefer to move from fifth to one of the leading positions the porter "Afanasy" of the Tver brewery of the same name, and lovers of light lager would prefer the varieties "Sibirskaya Korona" of OJSC "SUN Inbev". And it’s hard to say which beer is actually better, it’s not for nothing that they say: there are no comrades for the taste and color ...

For example, brewers from the Ulyanovsk region assure that there is no better drink than the one produced in the Zlata Podkova mini-brewery in Dimitrovgrad in all of Russia, and maybe even in Europe. It is no coincidence that even Muscovites and Petersburgers come here to try it, and rare foreign guests are surprised to find that you can drink simply amazing ale in the Russian outback!..

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, or even an order of magnitude better than the "foreign" one, and this is firstly. And secondly, an imported product is always more expensive than a similar domestic product. 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 has even become the symbol of Germany's main annual beer festival, the Oktoberfest.

In second place, most Russian brewers put 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, our consumer by a majority of votes awarded the third place 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 in the production of three main ingredients: 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 in due time, which helps its members to 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 such benefits, as well as institutions that provide them, in Russia (and not only). Therefore, trying the best beer, including foreign production, is not a 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 receive discounts at popular establishments, you need to get a special one.

As part of a rolling study of alcoholic beverages, an examination of light filtered pasteurized beer of 40 brands was carried out. Products with a volume fraction of ethyl alcohol of 4.0–7.5% were studied in terms of 35 quality and safety parameters. Most of the goods are Russian-made, including from Moscow and the Moscow region (12), St. Petersburg (6), Nizhny Novgorod (2), Yaroslavl (6), Tula (3), Samara (2), Kaluga (4), Ivanovo regions (1), Bashkortostan (1), Tatarstan (2). But there is also foreign beer - from the Czech Republic (1). The cost of production ranged from 67 to 260 rubles per liter. Drinks of 11 brands meet all quality and safety requirements, as well as the provisions of the advanced Roskachestvo standard. Basically, these are drinks produced in Russia, one - in the Czech Republic. Russian-made goods can qualify for the Russian Quality Mark.

RUSSIAN QUALITY SYSTEM STANDARD

The standard of the Russian quality system for light beer and the beer testing program were developed by the basic branch academic institute - the All-Russian Research Institute of the Brewing, Non-Alcoholic and Wine Industry (VNII PB and VP - the leading research institute of the brewing industry in Russia) - and considered by the working group Technical Committee TC 702, which includes the most authoritative representatives of scientific, expert organizations, federal executive authorities, associations of manufacturers, sellers and consumers of goods.

The standard combined the requirements of Federal Law No. 171-FZ, the current GOST for beer, the requirements of TR TS 021/2011 and 029/2012, as well as the results of research and development conducted by research institutes commissioned by Rosalkogolregulirovanie, and established for potential recipients of the Russian Mark quality additional requirements for acidity, mass concentration of volatile components, organic acids, mass fraction of total nitrogen, aluminum content, absence of phthalates in beer. The required level of localization of production to be awarded the Russian Quality Mark is at least 70% of the cost of goods.

What is beer?

There are myths among consumers that beer, especially cheap beer, is a kind of artificially carbonated surrogate of powder, alcohol, water and various additives (for example, dyes, flavor enhancers), which is made literally in a day.

However, if such beer existed, it would not meet the requirements of the current legislation. According to clause 13.1 of Federal Law No. 171-FZ, beer is an alcoholic product containing ethyl alcohol formed during the fermentation of beer wort, which is made from brewing malt, hops and (or) products obtained as a result of processing hops (hop products), water, using brewer's yeast, without the addition of ethyl alcohol, aromatic and flavoring additives. It is allowed to partially replace brewing malt with grain, and (or) products of its processing (grain products), and (or) sugar-containing products, provided that their total mass does not exceed 20% of the mass of the replaced brewing malt, and the mass of sugar-containing products does not exceed 2% of the mass of the replaced malt. brewing malt.
Beer is produced using brewing malt (barley and wheat), hops, specially prepared water and yeast. If there is less malt than required by FZ-171, such a product cannot be called beer.

For reference

Malt is specially germinated and dried grains of barley or wheat. Grains are germinated in order for the processes of biochemical transformations of grain reserve substances to take place.

The production of brewing malt is carried out at specialized enterprises and includes cleaning, sorting and soaking of grain, germination and drying of freshly germinated malt. The basic technical characteristics of the finished brewing malt (barley and wheat) are determined by GOST 29294-2014 “Bringing malt. Specifications".

Another component of beer is hops. The variety and quality of hops used in the production of beer is responsible for the taste and aroma of the drink.

To maintain the quality of hop cones after harvesting, certain conditions must be created in the hop stores, such as low temperature and a certain humidity. Otherwise, it quickly loses all its quality indicators. How did they not experiment with it! And dried, and packaged in cellophane, and in a vacuum, hop extracts were produced and hops were granulated. Granulated hops can be stored much longer.

For reference

Hop pellets are of two types.

Type 90 are hop pellets with the actual content of bitter substances in the original bud, formed in the current year's harvest, depending on the variety and soil and climatic conditions.

Type 45 - granules with a standardized content of bitter substances. The manufacturer, using such granules, can accurately calculate how much bitterness a certain amount of these granules will add to the drink. This is very handy for standardizing bitterness.

But let's get back to the main beer - grain raw materials. For the preparation of beer, according to federal law, at least 80% of brewing malt must be used, up to 20% can be unmalted raw materials: these are grain products that have not passed the technological stages of malt production. They are added to create a certain taste and aroma of the finished beer.

Different countries have different requirements for the composition of beer. In the US, for example, there are beers with more unmalted ingredients. But the requirements of Russian legislation apply to beer sold in our country. And according to them, a drink that, according to some criteria, does not meet the requirements prescribed in Federal Law No. 171-FZ, is not beer. And even if the beer is made according to TU, and not according to GOST, it must comply with the requirements of the law.

The difference between beer and beer drink is the amount of malt. Beer is 80% malt, any value below this is an attempt at falsification.

Currently, changes to the requirements for beer are being prepared at the EAEU level: the share of malted raw materials in beer must be at least 50%. After they are put into effect, the Russian Federation will have a year and a half to bring internal norms into line. However, until amendments to the federal law are made, they are binding.

Historical digression

The first law, which stated that only three ingredients - water, barley (barley malt) and hops - should be used in the production of beer, appeared in 1516. The law was issued by the Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV of Wittelsbach in Ingolstadt and was called "reinheitsgebot", which in German means "requirement for cleanliness." Since 1918, the Reinheitsgebot has been extended to the entire territory of the German Empire and enshrined in the beer tax law. It continues to be used (in a modified version) at the present time.

The tradition of adding unmalted grain raw materials to malt appeared in Soviet times, when malt was scarce. Then they even awarded technologists who developed such technologies. Now there is a lot of malt, the manufacturer can make beer from pure malt. However, the addition of unmalted grain products is currently happening for a different reason: it allows you to create a variety of flavors and reduce the cost of beer. But the percentage of such addition is established by law: no more than 20%.

– The use of raw materials not included in the standardized list is not dangerous for the consumer, but the resulting product, in accordance with the requirements of Federal Law No. 171-FZ, cannot be called beer, but must be called a beer drink. If a beer drink is called beer on the label, then such products are interpreted as counterfeit,- says Sergey Khurshudyan, deputy head of the testing center of the All-Russian Research Institute of the brewing, non-alcoholic and wine industry.

Is beer really made from grain?

To find out, specialists from accredited laboratories of the VNII PB and VP tested the drinks for the content of total nitrogen. As indicated in the scientific developments of the institute, carried out in 2012-2013 under the state order, the content of total nitrogen can indicate the quality of grain raw materials (including malt), the extractivity of the initial wort and how the technological processes proceeded.

According to the results of scientific research by the branch institute, the content of total nitrogen in light beer (in finished products) in the amount of at least 600 mg / dm3 indicates the authenticity of beer, that is, the correspondence of the amount of grain raw materials (including malt) and sugar-containing products.

Alla Danilovtseva, Deputy General Director for Research at Rosspirtprom JSC, Candidate of Technical Sciences, comments:

–Nitrogenous substances are a very important component of beer, although their content usually does not exceed 8–10% of the total extract. It depends on the nitrogen content of the malt, on the amount of nitrogen-poor malt substitutes used, and on further reduction of the nitrogen content by processing. A 12% wort made with only malt contains about 1,000 mg of nitrogen per litre. A decrease in the nitrogen content causes unmalted raw materials (rice, corn, molasses) and fermentation. During normal fermentation, beer typically still has between 680 and 750 mg/L of nitrogen remaining.

Thus, after a comprehensive discussion with interested organizations, the indicator “Mass fraction of total nitrogen is not less than 600 mg/dm3” was included in the draft Roskachestvo standard “Light beer” after a comprehensive discussion with interested organizations.

In accordance with this standard and accepted methods, comments on the nitrogen content of the experts arose for beer "Arsenal", "Okskoye", "Gorky", "Sverdlovsk" and "Samara". It can be assumed that the proportions of the ratio of raw materials were violated during the production of this beer. Probably, little malt was used in the manufacture, or it was of poor quality. By the way, there were comments about these products during the organoleptic evaluation. Experts noted that the taste of these drinks is unsatisfactory.

So, the results of studies of light beer on this indicator correlate with the results of organoleptic assessments. This additionally confirms the objectivity of the method used.

– Comparing foreign practice and the results of Russian scientific research, this indicator, proposed by Rosalkogolregulirovanie and Roskachestvo, can be taken as an indicator of malt content. The difference between beer and beer drink is the amount of malt. Beer is 80% malt, any value below this is an attempt at falsification. We welcome the developments aimed at the instrumental possibility of detecting falsification of beer. This will help bona fide producers,- noted Alexander Mordovin, President of the Union "Barley, Malt, Hops and Beer of Russia".

Important! Since there are legal requirements for the composition of the product (malt content), and the methods for determining the composition (identification) of beer have not yet been established, manufacturers have literally “hands untied” so far. Roughly speaking, they can brew beer from anything.

Roskachestvo submitted a proposal to the Government of the Russian Federation to include in the requirements for beer indicators characterizing the composition of beer (methods for identifying beer and beer drinks, which are necessary to control compliance with mandatory legal requirements, including Federal Law No. 171-FZ).

Elena Saratseva, Deputy Head of Roskachestvo emphasizes:
– The changes will help rid the market of legal falsification and unfair competition, as well as provide the consumer with a transparent market with a clear understanding of what exactly is a beer drink and what is beer. At the same time, it is obvious that not all corporations and industry unions will support the need to strengthen control over the quality of brewing products. After all, these changes will bring to light those enterprises that have been successfully using legal gaps for a long time..

Market changes welcome chapterResearch Center for Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets Vadim Drobiz:

- GOST for beer was adopted back in the Soviet period, almost 30 years ago, even if it had hundreds of amendments during this time. A whole era has passed since then. The beer market has changed by 100%. Practically today there is not a single manufacturer left that would work in the Soviet period. Everything has changed: factories, owners, employees, equipment, etc. The market of beer and beer drinks has grown dramatically - it has become the face of the Russian alcohol market. The consumption of beer and drinks has grown from 24 liters per capita per year during the Soviet period to 60 liters in 2017. The range of beer has grown hundreds and hundreds of times. Time requires new approaches to the market and product. Perhaps the time has come to update GOST, verification methods, etc.

Beer quality: wort and alcohol

Almost everyone knows what a wort is. Experts also operate with such a concept as the extractivity of the initial wort: this is the content of extractive substances in the wort from which various types of beer are produced. In the process of beer wort hopping, its fermentation and maturation, color, formation of alcohol, volatile components and organic acids are formed, which determine the taste and aroma of the finished beer, foam formation and foam resistance.

What should be the extract content of the initial wort is indicated in GOST 31711-2012. Each beer has its own - from 8 to 22%, depending on the type of beer. The most massive - 11-12%.

With this indicator, all the studied samples are in full order.

Another important indicator is the volume fraction of alcohol.
The study involved samples of beer with a volume fraction of alcohol from 4.0 to 7.5%. According to the content of the volume fraction of ethyl alcohol, all the studied samples of beer corresponded to the information indicated on the label. And therefore, we can conclude that there is no diluted beer among the samples, because when beer is diluted, the content of the volume fraction of alcohol and the actual extract decreases. This is confirmed by the results of studies on other physical and chemical indicators, including the extractivity of the initial wort, to which the experts also have no complaints.

Wander but not ferment

How correctly and efficiently the fermentation process went - this can be judged not only by the level of increase in the volume fraction of alcohol, but also by the accumulation of secondary fermentation products, such as the mass concentration of volatile components, esters, vicinal diketones and acetaldehyde, as well as organic acids.

• Drinks of five brands had a low content of acetic acid esters. This may indicate that during the fermentation, measures were taken aimed at the intensive development of yeast.

These are beer brands Efes, Khamovniki, Zhiguli Barnoe (manufactured by the Moscow Brewing Company), Sibirskaya Korona and Sverdlovskoye.

However, consumers, including even professional tasters, may not notice these nuances when drinking beer. Thus, four samples of beer with a low content of esters, such as Sibirskaya Korona, Khamovniki, Zhiguli Barnoe and Sverdlovskoye, received low scores for taste and aroma during the tasting. Efes beer, on the other hand, was highly appreciated, despite the lack of esters.

• The beer "Zhigulevskoe" (branch of LLC "Brewing Company" Baltika "in Russia" Brewery "Yarpivo") examination revealed a lower acidity than other studied samples. This affected the taste of the drink: the beer is too bland. The lack of acidity in Zhigulevsky also affected the low tasting score.

No preservatives

Beer of excellent quality, according to the increased requirements of the Roskachestvo standard, should not contain preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, sweeteners.

Tests have shown that the samples do not contain red and yellow dyes, components of artificial flavors, sweeteners aspartame (E-951), Na saccharinate (E-954), acesulfame K (E-950), Na cyclamate (E-952).

No preservatives (benzoic and sorbic acids) were found in any of the studied beer samples. The addition of preservatives to beer is not allowed in accordance with GOST and the Roskachestvo standard, since the number of microorganisms in pasteurized beer during the declared shelf life must comply with mandatory requirements.

The study showed that this is indeed the case: problems with "microbiology" were found in only one brand out of 40 studied. This is Bud beer (manufactured by SUN InBev JSC), in which mold was found.
According to the results of the examination, the control and supervisory body - Rosalkogolregulirovanie was notified. A notification was also sent to the manufacturer. The company reacted promptly, conducted its own tests of its products. The manufacturer did not reveal any deviations from the state standard, however, in order to guarantee the quality and safety of products, the company is in close contact with Roskachestvo.

Other microorganisms (bacteria of the Escherichia coli group, pathogenic, including Salmonella) were not detected in any of the samples. However, brewer's yeast (inactive, non-living) was found, which is not pathogenic.

Drink foamy beer!

Beautiful persistent foam in a glass depends, among other things, on temperature, carbon dioxide content, surfactants. It is carbon dioxide that gives the very “feeling of freshness” when drinking beer, promotes the absorption of fluid in the body.

One of the consumer woes associated with beer is artificial gassing, carbonation. Carbonization of beer is not prohibited. Why do manufacturers do this?

At large breweries, beer wort ferments in large containers - tanks. There, with the presence of carbon dioxide, everything is in order. When pumping beer from a tank over long distances for bottling into consumer containers, part of the carbon dioxide is lost in any case, and it is added (carbonized) artificially, and the same carbon dioxide that was previously collected from the fermentation tanks is used. This in no way means that the beer is not fermented. Making drinks such as beer involves additional artificial aeration. This is normal and harmless.

The height of the foam according to GOST with a certain standardized filling must be at least 40 mm and have a foam resistance of at least three minutes. Three beer samples were withdrawn from further tasting after it was found out during pouring that the foam height and foam resistance in it did not meet the requirements of mandatory state standards (including FZ-171). These are Arsenalnoye and Samara produced by Baltika Brewing Company LLC and Sibirskaya Korona produced by SUN InBev JSC.

Pouring beer according to GOST

Pouring beer and measuring foaminess and foam resistance in accordance with the requirements of GOST is not an easy task. It is almost impossible to do this at home or in a bar. How do the experts do it?

• To determine the height of the foam and foam resistance, the beer is pre-thermostated (heated or cooled) to the temperature set by the standard.
• A glass with a diameter of 70–75 mm and a height of 105–110 mm is placed on a tripod platform with a ring mounted horizontally on the tripod stand at such a height that the distance from the upper plane of the ring to the edge of the glass is 25 mm.
• When pouring beer into a glass, the neck of the bottle should lie on the tripod ring so that the poured beer falls into the center of the glass.
• Beer is poured into the receiver calmly, without tilting the bottle, until the foam reaches the edge of the glass (full coincidence of the foam plane with the plane of the glass edge).
• At the moment of formation of a sharp boundary between the foam layer and the beer (beer drink), immediately measure the height of the foam layer in millimeters with a ruler, simultaneously turn on the stopwatch and monitor the foam settling.
• The stopwatch is stopped when a rarefaction (clearance) appears in the foam layer to the surface of the beer (beer drink) or the foam layer falls over the entire surface until a film forms.
• Head retention is expressed as a whole number of minutes or rounded to the nearest 30 seconds.
• The result of measuring the height of the foam is expressed in millimeters, rounding the obtained value to the last significant figure - 0 or 5.

What does beer taste like?

So, the lack of foam established by GOST eliminated three contenders for high scores in the Roskachestvo rating. The other 37 samples were evaluated by ten tasters - representatives of beer associations and breweries, experts in the field of taste and aroma of foamy drink, experts from international corporations with international diplomas.

At present, in the Russian Federation and the member countries of the Customs Union, a 25-point assessment of the organoleptic indicators of beer has been adopted, including transparency, color, taste, hop bitterness, aroma and foam formation (foam height and head retention). The organoleptic indicators of beer are influenced not only by the content of total nitrogen, but also by a wide range of aromatic and flavor components, the types of malt and unmalted grain raw materials used, hops, yeast races, as well as technological modes of production and stabilization of beer.

Also read about the principles of beer tasting.

The tasters evaluated the beer in accordance with the 25-point mark adopted in the countries of the Customs Union.

• 22-25 points - "excellent";
• 19–21.9 points - “good”;
• 13–18.9 points - "satisfactory";
• less than 12.9 points - "unsatisfactory".

Then these ratings were brought into line with the rating system of Roskachestvo. For the taste “excellent”, the samples received from 5 to 5.5 points;
"good" - 4–4.9 points; "satisfactory" - 3-3.9 points;
"unsatisfactory" - less than 3 points.

• None of the products received the highest rating - 5.5 points.
• The maximum is for Amstel beer (5.167 points). It was followed in descending order by Khalzan, Heineken, Stella Artois, Three Bears, Krušovice Imperial (Czech-made), Efes, Bavaria, Krušovice (Russian-made), Faxe. The beer of these brands during the tasting received more than 5 points!

Attention

The high rating of the tasting committee for Bud beer was subsequently reset to zero due to microbiological indicators.

• The Anti-Five, which received the lowest scores for the tasting (except for Arsenalny, Sibirskaya Korona and Samara, who were not admitted to the main tasting), were:

5) "Zhigulevskoye Bochkovoe" (manufactured by the branch of JSC "Brewery Moscow-Efes" in Kazan) - 3.85 points.

4) "Gorky" - 3.7 points.

3) "Okskoye" - 3.5 points.

2) Baltika No. 3 - 3.46 points.

1) "Sverdlovsk" - 3.3 points.

President of the Union "Barley, Malt, Hops and Beer of Russia" Alexander Mordovin, who is also a certified expert in the brewing industry of the Research Center for Quality of Food and Brewing Products "Weinstephan" of the Technical University in Munich, emphasized that the format of the organoleptic tasting conducted by Roskachestvo fully complies with the world and Russian practices of tasting beer products, including one of the largest tasting competitions in the world "Beer - the Star of Europe", in which more than 2 thousand samples participate and the results of which are recognized by consumers in many countries.

– The “blind” tasting method, the complete lack of access for experts to information about the manufacturer, the high expert level of independent tasters allow us to conclude that the final ratings correspond to the studied samples of brewing products. The level of experts emphasizes professional education, many years of professional activity, experience in tastings and, of course, international recognition,” Mordovin emphasized.

Beer in Russia is loved and appreciated, despite the numerous statements by doctors about its dangers. An intoxicating drink, akin to kvass, has been brewed in some regions since ancient times, so it is almost impossible to drive the population away from this drink. Asking the question what is the best beer in Russia, it is difficult to answer unambiguously. There are many manufacturers, their products are supplied to various regions, and consumers are not always familiar with the entire assortment in the country. Therefore, starting a conversation about what is the best beer in Russia, let's remember the elementary indicators that appear on the label of each bottle of beer in accordance with the requirements of GOST.

Signs of quality

In our time in stores you can find all sorts of surrogate, called the "product". Beer is also no exception. It should contain 80% water and 20% natural raw materials; additives as substitutes are unacceptable. Pay attention to the shelf life, they should not be too long, this will be an indicator of the presence of chemistry in the composition. When choosing a bottle of a cold drink, do not get confused by the strength designations, because the percentage of alcohol content and degrees are completely different things. These are the basic parameters for delineating the circle of the "correct" beer. The volume of the container and its material - plastic, glass or tin - does not affect the taste, thanks to the use of special production technologies.

Assortment in stores

To decide what is the best beer in Russia, everyone is probably trying when standing at the rack in the supermarket. And here it is very difficult to find out the answer, because according to the indicators on the label, you can’t feel the aroma of the drink, you can’t follow the formation of foam, you can’t look at it into the light. Therefore, relying on economic considerations, we choose what is cheaper, or, on the contrary, we trust elite foreign bottles. To prove that the best is in Russia, you need to find out what the citizens of the country drink and what breweries supply to competitions.

Beer and society

According to statistics, the level of beer consumption in Russia is very high. Millions of turnovers make this area profitable and win-win for investors. But the share of consumption of domestic beer sounds like a mute reproach - only about 16%. Most likely, this is the result of globalization, because large European factories have expanded, opened representative offices and flooded the market. Competent advertising and completed the job, making imported beer the most in demand. However, there are many factories, albeit small ones, that produce a high-quality product that can compete on the world market, not to mention the local one. Many brands (and there are about 450 of them on the Russian market) people have never heard of. They simply do not know what is the best beer in Russia, since the process of supplying the product to the supermarket chain is not well-established.

Top Producers

We have something to answer a foreigner's question, what is the best beer in Russia, since there are many varieties of it, and they are all brewed and bottled in cities and towns
our homeland. Geographically, the production of the drink is concentrated in the Moscow region, the Volga region and Siberia. According to various ratings, the best of the best in this area stood out, and we'll talk about them.

Consumers unanimously speak about the quality of the product. Beer "Munich", "Vienna" and "Pilsen" took pride of place in the hearts of gourmets. These are brands of light of various strengths. The brewery of the city of Anapa is also famous; vacationers can try the drink here. The variability of choice - light, dark, semi-dark - allows you to discover new shades of taste. Among the most popular names are "Beach", "Rye", "Bath", "Camp". Quality beer is produced in Tomsk, these are Kruger Premium Pils and Kruger Dunkel. The percentage of alcohol reaches 5% here. In addition to these types, the "Barley Beer" of this company is known, which is praised for the lightness and aroma of fresh bread. It is available in containers of various sizes.

popular product

The Russians also fell in love with Ochakovo, a company that has been developing its production for about 30 years. The beer here is of high quality, according to classical technology.

In addition to the brand name, "Barley Ear" is known. The most advertised product of the company at the moment is "Capital Double Gold". Beer company "Baltika" is constantly improving and pleases its customers, which should be noted.

Oddly enough, the city of Karachaevsk also excelled in this area, producing live beer, experimenting with recipes and consistently delivering high quality goods to the buyer. The Tver factory is also not far behind, having made its beer "Afanasy" quite famous in the country. Sibirskaya Korona also deserves attention, which, while not becoming a leader, nevertheless actively increases the level of sales.

Where does the rating come from?

It is very difficult to determine the best beer in Russia. The rating of beer in Russia is made by both consumers and specialists at special competitions. Surveys are also conducted by journalists and manufacturers themselves. Gathering together all the opinions is very difficult, and not necessary, because beer is such a rich drink that it is difficult to choose one option for its ideal condition.

The question "what is the best beer in Russia" is answered annually by the competition "100 Best Goods of Russia". A specialized professional competition is also held annually. So, in 2013, the winners were light beer "Khamovniki Munich", "Assir Lager" pasteurized, beer drink "Triple Wheat Ale", light "German" from "BrauMaster", "Port-Petrovskoye 2" from Makhachkala, "Ipatovskoe" , "Yerevan", "Maikop". Many companies presented their products, about a hundred varieties that meet the highest requirements.

What is "live" beer?

The most valuable beer is "live", it does not undergo pasteurization. Thanks to this, in
it retains natural aromas and flavors, maybe even a slight sediment. It is this beer that requires compliance with storage conditions, because otherwise it will quickly deteriorate, the fermentation processes will get out of control and the properties of the product will deteriorate. It is from those who work with beer, supplying it to warehouses, shops, on the shelves, that a large percentage of the success of the product depends.

Wishes to the taster

When determining what is the best beer in Russia, the rating is powerless. Many brands have received "gold" at exhibitions more than once and have been highly appreciated by tasters. It is only possible to name the best of the best and entrust the final decision to the buyer.

Summing up, I would like to wish everyone to try the best beer in Russia. To do this, you can go to a specialized bar or on an excursion to - to the brewery. There, they will surely pour you the best sort of drink and tell you how it differs from others. The largest manufacturers adopted the best from European colleagues - high-quality equipment, precision technology. Our country has huge resources of raw materials - malt, barley, wheat, which make it possible to obtain a product with a rich taste and aroma. It is the tradition of drinking this drink - the distinction between shades, aftertaste, midtones, aromas - that should be cultivated in our society. Thinking about what is the best beer in Russia, go to a local brewery, try live beer. Only knowing and comparing, it is possible to choose the best of the best in this area.

Beer has long been considered one of the most favorite drinks of men. As a result, the range of presented products has significantly increased and it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine the best beer in Russia. The problem of choice arises not only for Russian-made products, but also for those imported from other countries.

Before assigning the title of the best beer to a certain brand, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic rules for choosing a quality drink:

1. It is better to purchase a drink on tap, as there is a greater chance that the products were stored in accordance with all requirements. Such alcohol is in most cases stored in kegs, which are made of chrome-plated steel that is not susceptible to corrosion. They save beer from the negative effects of the sun's rays, as well as extraneous odors.
2. Much more benefit will bring the purchase of "live" beer. This is the name of a fresh unfiltered drink, which contains a large number of microelements useful for the body (calcium, iron, manganese, potassium) and brewer's yeast, which have therapeutic properties and contain all B vitamins. But, choosing this type of beer, keep in mind that the shelf life is only a few days.

If you are going on a trip, then the best option would be to buy bottled or canned beer, here you also need to pay attention to a number of points:

1. When choosing a drink, opt for one that has a shorter shelf life, it is likely to contain fewer different preservatives. It is noted that for the storage of the presented drink in bottles, a preservative such as ascorbic acid is added to it, which increases the shelf life of the product.
2. Pay attention to the date of the spill, it is advisable to choose the nearest one. Recently spilled alcohol, most likely, was less influenced by negative factors. The presented drink is strongly influenced by storage features (temperature conditions, sunlight), which are treated rather irresponsibly in Russia.
3. In order to purchase good bottled alcohol, it is recommended to take it from the refrigerator - beer likes to be cool. Even imported alcohol, being on display, can deteriorate in the shortest possible time.
4. When choosing between a drink in a can and a glass bottle, it is better to opt for the latter, since it is not able to absorb various aromas, thereby giving the beer an unpleasant aftertaste. And you should immediately refuse to purchase an intoxicating drink in plastic bottles, since this material allows oxygen to pass through and alcohol becomes unsuitable for consumption.
5. It is recommended to buy beer in dark or green bottles, as they let the sun's rays through them much less. Even more useful could be considered products in an aluminum can, if it did not have a metallic aftertaste.
6. Regardless of which brand of beer you choose, you should choose bottles placed at the back of the display case, as they are less exposed to the sun and are probably fresher.

Rating of Russian beer

• Pilzenskoye - produced in Moscow.
• Vienna - produced in a brewery located within Moscow.
• Beach - produced in Anapa.
• Lagernoye - manufacturer "Bogerhof", the amount of alcohol - 4.7%.
• Samara - produced by the company "Zhigulevskoe Pivo", the amount of alcohol - 4.5%.

Moving on to the TOP-5 of the best dark beer, we can distinguish the following producers:

1. Rye - produced on the territory of Anapa, by the Bogerhof organization, fortress - 5.2%.
2. Bannoe is produced by Bogerhof, the share of alcohol is 5.5%.
3. Afanasy Porter - produced in the city of Tver, by the Afanasy plant, 8%.
4. Velkopopovskiy goat - from 3.2 to 4%.
5. Baltika No. 6 - produced by the manufacturer Baltika, 7%.

• AF Brew - produced in St. Petersburg.
• Bottle Share is a Moscow intoxicating drink.
• Salden`s Brewery is an intoxicating drink produced in Tula.
• Jaws - produced on the territory of the Sverdlovsk region, namely in the city of Zarechye.
• Green Street Brewery is a drink produced in Moscow.

Turning to the most popular and highest quality craft beer in Russia, the following picture can be noted:

• Bakunin - produced in St. Petersburg.
• Brickstone - produced in Moscow.
• 1 ton - produced in the city of Zhukovsky, located in the Moscow region.
• Petr Petrovich is a drink produced in Tula.
• La Beerint - alcohol produced in the city of Obninsk, Kaluga region.

List of the best beer in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is recognized as the birthplace of numerous types of rather tasty beer. Representatives of this country have special respect for the production of intoxicating drink and pass on the secrets of making high-quality beer to their children from an early age.

There is no exact rating for the quality of Czech beer, since each fan of this drink has his own preferences. But after analyzing the frequency of use of various brands of this country, we can distinguish the following rating:

1. Velkopopovicky Kozel - produced on the territory of the village of Velke Popovice;
2. Staropramen - Produced in Prague, this Prague drink is known worldwide for its unusual recipe and relatively low price.
3. Bernard - produced in the city of Humpolec.
4. Budweiser Budvar.
5. Pilsner Urquell.

The best intoxicating drink in Germany

Germany is a country that is considered the birthplace of the intoxicating drink, as evidenced by the annual “Beer Day”. The inhabitants of this country treat the presented alcoholic drink with special reverence, so every German can distinguish in which part of the country this or that drink is prepared.

The types of German beer and places of their production can be found in the table below.
Inexpensive and high-quality German beer:

Beer types such as lager and stout are especially popular in Germany, and they are also widely popular in Belgium.

Features of drinking beer correctly

Regardless of whether your beer is strong or non-alcoholic, cheap or expensive, you need to be able to drink it correctly, and for this you need to follow a number of rules:

1. The drink should be consumed at the recommended temperature. For the main part of beer varieties, the optimal temperature conditions are + 6-6.5 C. But it is best to observe the temperature indicated by the manufacturer on the label.
2. Brewers may advise you not to expose your beer to extreme temperature changes. This is explained by the fact that the intoxicating drink quickly precipitates, and its taste and aroma properties simply disappear.
3. You should not shake the beer (especially budget products or hangover if you wish), because it is oxidized by oxygen in a short time. And, as you know, an oxidized intoxicating drink acquires a cloudy color and a specific taste.
4. Whether you're drinking filtered or unfiltered beer, it's best to use glass, porcelain, or ceramic. This is due to the fact that if you drink a drink from a can, this also provokes its unwanted shaking and mixing. That is why they create special beer glasses, and if they are also rinsed under water, and then, without wiping, pour beer into them, then it will be softer filled.
5. An intoxicating drink should be poured along the edge of the glass. As you know, no one likes when half a glass of foam is poured instead of a tasty and thirst-quenching drink, so to avoid such situations, you need to hold the glass at an angle of 45 degrees and at a distance of about 2 centimeters from the bottle, and then slowly fill it up edge.

In order for the presented drink to bring pleasure, it is recommended to drink it in the company of friends with fried meat, and most importantly, in the right glass.

Among the popular glasses for drinking intoxicating are the following:

• Wheat - has the shape of a cone and a narrowed top, ideal for wheat beers;
• Pilsner - has a cone shape and a straight top, perfect for lager drinks;
• A pint is great for drinking lagers and ales.

But even if you do not have a special glass, you can always enjoy the presented drink, the main thing is to choose a really high-quality one.

Remember that if you do not have enough money for expensive beer, then you can always choose a high-quality budget option, both from Russian alcohol and among imported products.