OREANDA-NEWS  On 26 November was announced, that at the 5th BRAU Beviale exhibition in Nuremberg, an international jury announced the results of the European Beer Star Awards-2008. Among those participating in the competition were 688 varieties of beer from the whole world, even from such exotic countries as Paraguay and Mongolia.

Baltika №4 Original received the Gold Medal in the ‘Red and Amber Beer’ category. This is the highest award of one of the most prestigious competitions in the worldwide brewing industry.

Baltika Breweries long ago became a regular participant in authoritative international competitions: various beer varieties produced at the Company’s breweries have received well-earned awards, and specialists from the Company are invited to be honorary members of the jury. Thus, in September 2007 Baltika №4 was listed among the 50 best beer varieties in the world at the conclusion of the annual International Beer Challenge. Two times in a row, in 2007 and 2008, Original was awarded silver medals at the Australian International Beer Awards in the Lager Packaged category. Due to the European Beer Star Awards-2008, Baltika №4 brought to the Company’s awards portfolio the most prestigious "Gold Medal."

The European Beer Star Awards were held in a suburb of Munich at the world’s first beer brewing institute, the Doemens Technikum. The organisers of the competition were the Association of Private Beer Brewers of Germany and the Association of Independent Breweries of Europe. One of the conditions of the competition is strict observance of the traditional laws of European beer brewing. The jury, which consisted of 65 judges who are experts in the field of brewing and came from 16 countries, evaluated the beer varieties presented to them in 40 categories. The tasting of samples followed tradition and was conducted ‘blind,’ which is a guarantee of impartial findings.

Alexander Dedegkaev, Vice President of Operations at Baltika Breweries: ‘By a happy coincidence, beer which is produced in St. Petersburg received the highest award in the room with the same name — ‘St. Petersburg.’ However, the victory itself was not a surprise. Baltika №4 Original is one of the oldest varieties at Baltika Breweries. It was launched in April 1994. The very name underscores the uniqueness and originality of this variety. There is nothing similar to the recipe for Number 4 not only among Russian beer, but also among worldwide beer varieties.’

Baltika №4 is a dark beverage, one of the few varieties made using rye malt, which gives a hint of bread to the taste and a slight bitterness. Original enjoys steady popularity and has devoted fans not only in Russia but also in many countries around the world: Baltika №4 is exported to 27 countries worldwide, including the USA, China, Portugal, Australia and Japan.