OREANDA-NEWS. On 04 August 2008 was announced, that in July Baltika-Vena brewery in St. Petersburg began production of the super premium beer Kronenbourg Blanc — a special beer for genuine connoisseurs.

The white wheat beer Kronenbourg Blanc is a refreshing white beer brewed in the best traditions of the medieval brewing art from select varieties of wheat. The faint aromas of citrus fruits and coriander bring out its refined, tempting and refreshing taste. Blanc is intended for those who love to try something original and to get special satisfaction.

Kronenbourg Blanc has genuine European charm, French romance and refinement. We see this not only in the taste of the beer but also in its unique packaging. The French bottle has the colour of cobalt and contains 0.46 litres (the ancient French setier unit of measurement). Its shape brings to mind the Eifel Tower and it is decorated with the number 1664 in high relief. The bottle has a unique label on its neck and an easy to use twist-off cap. You cannot confuse the Blanc bottle with any other.

Vadim Smolenkin, Head of the Department of New Product Development: ‘A cobalt coloured bottle is unique on the Russian market. The technology for producing this type of packaging was developed especially for Baltika. Previously there just was nothing similar in our country.’

Lyudmila Yakushina, Director, Development of Licensed Brands: ‘At present the segment of specialty beers is growing at a very fast rate. Given that there is not much competition to Kronenbourg Blanc, there is high potential to grow sales. The product is in the high price category and it will be the most expensive of our licensed beer varieties.’

The recommended retail price of a 0.46 litre bottle of Kronenbourg Blanc will be 46 rubles.

Launch of the specialty wheat beer Kronenbourg Blanc will further strengthen the leadership position of Baltika in the segment of licensed beer and will become a successful continuation of the strategy of emphasizing premium products in the Company’s portfolio. In Q1 2008, sales of the Kronenbourg 1664 brand grew 75% compared to the same period a year earlier, while the Company’s share in the licensed beer category reached 28.3% (data provided by the agency Business Analytica, February 2008).