Unlike Germany and many European countries where beer drinking is the norm, most Ukrainians still prefer vodka. Figures show Ukrainians still drink more of this hard alcoholic beverage per capita than beer.
However, beer drinking is picking up – especially on hot summer days as more Ukrainians choose to cool off with cold suds over vodka. The variety of home and imported beer is much heartier than it was 10 years ago.
The alcohol content of Ukrainian beer is typically 4.5-5 percent. Beer-mixes and light beers with fruit flavors are also gaining in popularity, particularly with youngsters and women.
Home-brewed beer is one of the most recent trends in beer culture. More and more bars in Kyiv are proudly serving suds of their own produce, with their unique flavor. If brewed and presented well, home-brews have helped to attract clientele to many bars.
The average price of bottled beer in Ukraine is Hr 5 per 0.5 liters. Cheaper brands are Hr 3.5. It’s hard to know where to swim in this sea of beer, so here are some tips about what is out there.
Ukrainian suds 101
The big supermarkets in Kyiv now offer plenty of popular beers from Great Britain, Germany and Belgium. But both Kyivans and expats often favor Ukrainian labels offered in great variety for cheaper prices than their foreign counterparts. If you ask me, the quality of Ukrainian beer is not better, or worse.
Lvivske brewery claims to have the longest history of all modern breweries in Ukraine. A legend has it that the western Ukrainian city of Lviv started brewing in the 15th century. The first industrial brewery in the city opened in 1715, soon establishing itself as one of the main beer producers in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Lviv remained a beer brewing hub in Soviet days. The Lvivske brewery is today owned by the internationally-recognized Carlsberg beer group, which has invested heavily to develop the brand and improve quality.
The Lvivske Premium brand received golden medals at Kyiv Beer Festival in 2007 and 2008, while Lvivske 1715 is considered a historic brew, supposedly still brewed following the original recipe.
Svitle is both light on alcohol (3.7 percent) and lower in calories, thus rather popular with youngsters. Mitsne is strong (7 percent alcohol) and Porter (8 percent) is a dark strong beer. Recently, the Brewery Museum (18 Kleparivska, 8032-294-8065) has opened in Lviv commemorating its great beer history.
Obolon emerged as the most popular beer – at least in Kyiv – in the mid-1990s. Back then it was regarded by many as the only domestic beer of decent quality. Kyiv beer factory No. 3 was later renamed after its famous beer brand into Obolon. It was the first Ukrainian brewery to export beer to Europe and the U.S. With all the foreign competition and new brands available, Obolon has somewhat lost its glitter. What were its most famous brands, Svitle (Light) and Oksamytove (Velvety), are no longer big hits. However, Obolon has managed to retain its market share by introducing new brands and flavors.
They include Soborne, a light beer made with corn grouts; Premium, made with a bit of rice; Magnat premium class beer, Pils (4.5 percent) lager beer and the Zibert collection, including both Bavarske and Light.
The Obolon group also offers the Desant brands, DMB and SpetsNaz. They have a military themed label and are distinguished by their lower price and rougher taste. Light beer Hike and the Hike Energy non-alcoholic beer target younger drinkers. Obolon also offers various non-alcoholic beers and is famous for its “beer mixes” – canned mixtures of light beer (3.2 percent) with a sweet flavor – cherry, raspberry, orange, lemon and cola.
Ukraine’s Chernihivske brewery is owned by SUN InBev. It’s best known beer brand is, of course, called Chernihivske. It received a total of eight grand prix, gold and silver medals at Kyiv Beer Festival 2008. It’s most common and popular flavor is Svitle, closely followed by Bile – Ukraine’s best unfiltered white beer. It is quite foamy and aromatic with a coriander flavor. The group also offers a dark unfiltered beer, Bila Nich (White Night). It has a deeper, sweeter taste. It’s my personal favorite!
Other Chernihivske brands include Premium, a fuller beer, Mitsne (Strong), which has a higher alcohol content (7.5 percent), and Bahryane (Purple), a semi-dark red beer.
Lviv-based Persha Pryvatna Brovarnya (First Private Brewery) is one of the youngest breweries in Ukraine. It was founded in 2004 and its subs are quickly gaining in popularity. Three of its beers received golden medals and a grand prix at Kyiv Beer Festival 2008. This Ukrainian-owned company offers nine kinds of beer, each bringing fresh flavors to the market.
Those include Stare Misto (Old City) and Avtorske Pyvo (Author’s Beer, 6.8 percent alcohol content). The later is semi-dark with a velvety taste. The group also offers these brands: Korona (light), Platinum and Black (dark beer with a 6.8 percent content). Like most Ukrainian breweries, Persha Pryvatna Brovarnya has also jumped on the beer-mix bandwagon, brewing up several sweet beer drinks, such as Beermix Cherry and Beermix Lemon.
The Slavutych brewery, which along with Lvivske is owned by Carlsberg, also offers some top brands in all categories. One of their most recent hits is Slavutych Ice. It has a mild taste and is sold in a bottle that’s easy to open with bare hands.
Since it’s owned by the Carlsberg group, the Slavutych brewery also brews and sells some popular foreign beer brands in Ukraine, including Tuborg – Green, Gold, Twist (lemon-lime flavor) and Black as well as Holsten.
It also makes a budget beer to compete with Desant called Arsenal. Funny, but it is advertised as the beer for “real men.” Another budget brand is Khmilne (Heady). It is sold only in 1-liter plastic bottles. Slavutych also offers beer mixes, including: Ice Mix Lime and Ice Mix Cherry. Both are perfect girly drinks.
Last year, Ukraine’s richest man (Rinat Akhmetov) sold his Donetsk-based Sarmat brewery to beer giant SABMiller. It recently introduced a Czech beer brand to Ukraine, Velkopopovcky Kozel (light and dark).
Kharkiv’s Rogan has four sorts. Traditional Light, with its 5.1 percent alcohol content, is stronger than common light brands. Monastyrske Light has a 5.7 percent alcohol content. Veseliy Monakh Mitsne (Jolly Monk Strong) has 7.1 percent alcohol content.
Since it’s owned by Sun InBev, it also produces several popular foreign brands. They include Staropramen, one of the most famous Czech beers, the Belgian Stella Artois and Brazilian Brahma.
Beer parlors
One of the newest places with home-brewed beer has, incidentally, opened not far from the Kyiv Post’s editorial office (near Poznyaki metro). A two-storeyed pub with a digital signboard and the words – Pivnaya Duma (31G Drahomanova, 575-9494) constantly running across, invites anyone seeking to watch sports games, have a nice meal and sample its suds.
There are four kinds of beer offered: Light, Wheat, Dark and Amber (Hr 20 per 0.5 liter).
Light is pleasantly refreshing. Amber has a light caramel flavor with slight notes of vanilla and cinnamon, and an aftertaste of black bread and cinnamon. Dark is of deep dark-brown color, a bit sour, but well-balanced for fans of dark beer. And if you haven’t figured it out yet, Wheat is a traditional wheat beer.
Pivarium (31 Prospect Peremohy, 391-5285) opened last year and became the first decent bar in Politekhnichniy Institute metro area. Located on the second floor above Domashnya Kukhnya restaurant, it offers live music concerts and six kinds of home-brewed suds (from Hr 12 per 0.33 liters to Hr 36 per liter). Its rice beer is harmonious, with a strong flavor of hops and fruit. Its wheat beer is bitter. Honey is sweet. Light has a fruity taste. Caramel and Coffee brews are rather peculiar.
Shato Slavutych (24 Khreshchatyk, 279-3704) is the only restaurant in Kyiv with a patio right at the city’s central street. Thus, it’s always packed with tourists. Yet, it’s open 24 hours, presenting one of the few options to drink downtown after midnight. Don’t bother asking for a bottled Slavutych. They don’t have it. But they do offer homebrews at Hr 15-55. Golden has a nice golden color, soft taste with a sour touch and spicy hops aftertaste. With Dark, you get a dried fruit flavor and taste of fried malt. As I’m told, it’s similar to a classical British ale.
Arena Beer House (2 Basseyna, 1rst floor, 492-0000) is part of the Arena Entertainment complex, popular among expats for watching sporting events on several screens and sipping on four kinds of its own trademark beer at a cost of Hr 30 for 0.5 liters. You can also sample each of the kinds ordering them by 100 grams for Hr 7. Extra is a perfect lager with a pleasant bitter taste, light fruit flavor and pleasant aftertaste. Weissen is an unfiltered wheat beer. Viennese is semi-dark. Bok is called dark beer on the menu, but is not sufficiently dark in color or taste, though it’s definitely stronger than three others.
Beer restaurant Pivnoy Sommelier (Beer Sommelier, 36-D Saksahanskoho, 490-2020) is designed to resemble traditional beer parlors of various countries and decorated with numerous beer attributes: labels, bottles and corks. It serves a great selection of beer from all over the world, including live beer of its own produce: Beer Club Zwickel and Beer Club Doppelmalz – Hr 12-18. Often, only one is on offer at a time. Zwickel is unfiltered with a clear aroma and easy to drink.
Paparazzi eatery (14-A Esplanadna, 235-3065) is located by Palats Sportu metro and spreads over two floors. It’s decorated with paparazzi-style photographs of various legendary celebrities. It has a reasonably-priced menu and two home-brews: a classical Light and a pleasantly mild unfiltered brew.
