The Russian Beer Guide

Beer is a sensible alternative to vodka in Russia nowadays especially if you like walking straight at the end of the night. In the last ten years Russian breweries have spent a lot of money upgrading their brewing processes and promoting brands. You can buy Russian beer in cans, bottles or draught at about half the price of western brands. But which one?

Baltika is the market leader and it is heavily advertised on TV. There is a range of beers going from 1, a pale ale, to 9, a porter. You definitely cannot work your way through the whole range in one evening. The most popular is Baltika 3, a strong full-flavoured lager that is ideal for the shashlik party or banya. Baltika 7, the draught version, is widely-available but the condition varies a lot from bar to bar. I've had some great pints from grotty cafes by the side of the metro and some awful stuff from up-market bars in central Moscow.

The advertising campaign for Klinskaye has run into some controversy because it has been accused of targeting the teenage market. Klinskaye is actually not at all sweet and fizzy, it has rather a sour flavour, but it is still a very refreshing walk-round-the-park-with-friends beer.

Bochka (meaning barrel) is a full-flavoured beer similar to Baltika but a bit mellower. If you find most Russian beers too heavy this is a good one to try, especially draught.

Starie Melnik (old windmill) has a distinctive harsh and flat taste. I've drunk a fair bit of Starie Melnik recently because you get a free souvenir World Cup pint glass if you collect enough bottle tops.

Bochkarev has a likeable flavour but it is a bit heavy on the stomach. You're better off sticking to Starie Melnik if you like that kind of tart taste.

Peet (an acronym for something I don't understand) is a smooth, light lager similar to Bochka. It goes down well.

Ochakovo has a strong, clean taste but it doesn't particularly stand out from the crowd.

Nevskoye, a very popular drink in St Petersburg, is sharp and piquant if a bit characterless. The 'small bar' near Borovitskaya serves a nice draught pint of Nevskoye.

You can buy non-alcoholic Russian beers too. Baltika 0, predictably, is the most widely available and it has a genuine beer taste if a little gassy. Sokol bezalkogolniy is drinkable too but some will find it has a bit of an aftertaste.

Anyway, don't trust my word, go out and try them for yourself. By the way, there is a Moscow beer festival in July which is worth going to. It's hardly Oktoberfest but you can sample an impressive number of Russian draught beers, many from small Russian breweries. Last year was the inaugural beer festival and this one, in Luzhniky stadium again, promises to be even better. See you there!

Wayne