The history of Soviet beer

Beer, like any other drink, has its own history, which is rooted in the distant past. Previously, a hops drink was brewed in breweries in limited quantities; only natural components were used for its production, as a result of which it had a short shelf life. What was beer like in the Soviet Union when its production became widespread?

1920s

Officially, Soviet beer began its existence in 1922, when the corresponding decree on the production of intoxicating drinks was signed. At the same time, the beginning of Soviet brewing coincided with the heyday of the NEP , when the country's authorities allowed private enterprise. At this time, many small breweries appeared, each of which brewed its own varieties of foamy drink.

At the same time, the same brands were popular as before the revolution - “ Bavarian ” , “ Munich Dark ” , strong “ Bok ” , “ Vienna ” , “ Pilsen ” , “ Bohemian ” . The basis was taken German beer, which, as now, is considered one of the best in the world.

In the best English traditions, Ale was brewed with a low alcohol content. The brands " Canteen " and " March " were popular. Originally considered " Black " and " Black Velvet " , the production of which resembled the technology of cooking kvass, when the drink was not completely fermented .

In the late 1920s, GOST of Soviet beer was adopted. This period coincided with the end of the NEP era. GOST significantly reduced beer diversity to several varieties: light No. 1, light No. 2, dark and black , which had 1% alcohol.

1930s

Around the mid-30s of the last century, the party leadership decided to expand the selection of beer for the population. At the same time, they decided not to invent anything new and take as a basis the varieties of beer that were popular during the NEP . Naturally, the beer technology was finalized.

So, for example , they approved the “ Munich ” beer, the malt for which was high roasted, and the water was hard , the “ Vienna ” required medium-roasted malt and soft water, while the “ Pilsenskoe ” was supposed to be made from light malt. The old pre-revolutionary names could not be used, so Anastas Mikoyan, being the People’s Commissar of the food industry, proposed to name a light beer by the name of the manufacturer. So the legendary Soviet " Zhigulevskoe " beer appeared.

In the 30s, an intoxicated drink was produced in almost all the republics of a large country. The Russian (Samara and Rostov) and Ukrainian foamy (Odessa and Kharkov) beer were famous for their special quality.

In 1938, GOST was replenished with new varieties, among which some managed to keep their old names, since the party elite did not see anything bourgeois in them. These were such varieties as porter, March, caramel, which appeared instead of black . Some of these beers lasted until the collapse of the great country.

In 1939, the development of such brands as “ Kievskoe ” and “ Stolichnoe ” began , the fortress of which reached 23%. There were big plans for the industrial production of ale, but the Great Patriotic War did not allow them to materialize.

Post-war period

The mass production of Soviet beer resumed at the end of the war in cities less damaged by hostilities. However, already in 1944, even before the victory, the release of Riga beer began in liberated Riga. The country recovered for a very long time from the horror and devastation of the war, therefore in 1946 the volume of the manufactured product did not reach even half of what it was in 1940.

Gradually, the production of Soviet beer was established, the varieties of which were popular before the war. A large number of drinks began to be sold at the bottling in beer establishments, which opened everywhere . The main amount of foam consumed is in Zhigulevskoye.

Khrushchev thaw

After the death of Stalin in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became the Secretary General. These times were remembered by the country as the " Khrushchev thaw. " At this time, the GOST beer standards diversified the introduction of republican standards, in addition, large factories introduced VTU (temporary technical conditions), which significantly increased the number of varieties of hop drink.

The beer produced in the republics of the country was often named after the city in which it was made. So there were “ Magadan ” , “ Taiga ” , “ Kadaka ” from Estonia, “ Romny holiday ” , “ Pereyaslavskoe ” and many others. In the same years, the recipe for Soviet beer became very diverse - flavorings such as barley, rice, corn, soy, wheat began to be used.

In the early 60s, Uralskoye beer appeared, which had a dark color, as well as a dense rich taste, and Sverdlovskoye , a well- fermented light beer . They are considered the forerunners of a modern foamy drink.

Soviet production technologies did not allow the drink to ferment completely, therefore, along with information about the producer, the maturation period, which could reach 100 days, was indicated on the label of Soviet beer.

In Moscow, the production of the pre-revolutionary Double Gold Label drink, which acquired a new name - Double Gold, was revived. Later, strong varieties of light beer appeared - Our Brand , Moskvoretskoe. In the Ukrainian SSR , the Lviv factory and the Kiev factory stood out , which produced an excellent product.

In the late 60s, the production of bottled foam drinks began to gain momentum, which used to be much smaller than Soviet draft beer. Shelf life in this case was no more than 7 days, which was an indicator of the quality of the drink. This was achieved using natural ingredients. In fact, the drink left the shelves within 3 days. During this period, the standards of " Viennese " malt, which formed the basis of " Zhigulevsky " beer, were removed from GOSTs, after which this type turned into one of many, having lost its uniqueness.

1970s period

In the early 70s of the last century, Soviet beer brands appeared, many of which continue to exist today - Klinskoye, Barley Ear, Petrovskoye, Admiralteyskoye. However, over time, the recipe has undergone significant changes. Therefore, we can assume that the Soviet " Klinskoe " and today are different types of foamy drink.

1980s and early 90s

Despite the fact that in 1985 an active anti-alcohol campaign began under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev , new beers and brands of beer were actively replacing the old ones. Especially rapidly expanding the assortment of Soviet- era beer, which had an alcohol content of up to 5% and belonged to low-alcohol drinks.

In the early 90s, when the country strove for independence, names such as " Chernihiv " , " Tver " , " Bouquet of Chuvashia " appeared . Unfortunately, the quality at the same time was rapidly decreasing, since the Soviet GOSTs, which clearly regulated production, lost their strength. Also in the early 90s, Soviet beer appeared in Samara in cans, which has not been produced since the Olympics. At the same time, the number of small breweries was growing rapidly, as private business was allowed . Over the entire existence of the Soviet Union, about 350 different types of beer were developed and brewed. A photo of Soviet beer shows a wide variety of types and names of a foamy drink.

"Zhigulevskoe"

His taste was familiar to almost every inhabitant of a vast country. Since the technology of preparation of the pre-revolutionary " Vienna " was taken as the basis for the recipe for Soviet " Zhigulevsky " beer, its taste can be called mild. It clearly shows notes of hops and malt without extraneous flavors.

Since 1938, Zhigulevskoye beer has been manufactured strictly according to GOST; therefore, regardless of the manufacturer, the taste has remained unchanged for decades. Soviet beer was made from natural ingredients - water , barley malt, barley. At the same time, the strength of the final drink was about 2.8% alcohol. Initially, this Soviet beer was made in Samara, but soon the name of the drink became a household name and was used everywhere .

Today, the recipe is significantly different from the original, so the taste of the drink varies depending on the manufacturer. At the same time, the shelf life has increased due to the use of preservatives.

Beer on tap

Draft Soviet beer was loved by many citizens of the country, especially during the hot periods of the year. He was valued primarily for freshness, since a bottled, hoppy drink often deteriorated before it even reached the store. Drinking establishments, where it was possible to drink a mug or two of a cold drink near a small round table, were available in every district of any city of the USSR.

Since beer was a perishable product, the mode of operation of the beer tent depended entirely on the delivery of the drink. If there is beer - the institution worked, if there was no delivery , then the plate " No beer" was hung up. Unfortunately, the pubs were not equipped with toilets, so those who wanted to drink used the nearby bushes for these purposes.

In addition, draft fresh beer could be purchased right on the street from a barrel, like kvass. Such barrels often lined up a long line, so sometimes there was not enough drink for everyone. At the same time, a person who wanted to buy a drink should have had a container with him, since there were no plastic cups or baklag during the Soviet Union. There was no limit on the sale of goods in one hand, so often people took home their native Soviet beer in cans of different sizes .

Draft beer could also be found in restaurants where it was served in beautiful crystal decanters, but most of the population still preferred to drink foam on the street. The cost of a decanter of a hoppy drink in a restaurant often reached five rubles, so not everyone could afford such a pleasure. Also, getting into a prestigious weekend destination was also very difficult.

At one time, there were even beer vending machines, which, like automatic machines with mineral water, filled glasses with cold beer. At the same time, the machine poured 435 ml of the drink for 20 cents. But the innovation did not last long, because people still preferred to go to the pub to not only drink a mug of cold foamy drink, but also enjoy the unique atmosphere of the establishment.

Beverage container

Despite the abundance of drinking establishments, some Soviet citizens preferred to drink beer at home. A foamy drink was sold most often in 0.5 L glass containers. All year round, beer was on the shelves of any store, however, in the summer heat, demand increased, so a shortage was born.

According to eyewitnesses, the quality of bottled beer was inferior to draft beer, since transportation and storage conditions, which were most often inappropriate, provoked the fermentation of the drink. As a result, it was possible to purchase sour beer with a normal shelf life or to detect an unpleasant residue at the bottom of the bottle.

Soviet beer in tin cans was not available. An exception can be considered preparation for the Olympics-80, when they decided to conduct an experiment with packaging, which was unsuccessful. The cost of one can was 60 kopecks, despite the fact that the quality of beer did not improve. In addition, the drink was not stored in cans for long either. For these reasons, after the Olympics, it was decided not to produce Soviet beer in cans anymore. In Samara and other cities of the country they returned to the usual glass.

The cost of bottled beer ranged from 40 cents to 60 depending on the variety. At the same time, empty containers could be handed over and 20 kopecks could be gained. That is, having handed over 2 - 3 empty bottles , it was possible to purchase half a liter of beer.

Drinking culture

Since they drank beer almost everywhere and always, over time a certain culture of drinking a foamy drink formed. It was slightly different depending on the place of drinking:

1. In a restaurant, beer was expensive, but it was not a shame to come with a girl there. In this case, various salty snacks were often ordered - crackers , fish, and even boiled crayfish. The restaurant, due to its inaccessibility to many ordinary citizens, was considered a decent place, so they rarely got drunk to unconsciousness.
2. In the drinking shops, which were a level lower than the restaurant, there was no such comfort. There often had to stand in endless lines, and drink - standing, since there were no chairs. People took several glasses at once, because they did not want to stand in line again. The institution did not offer visitors any snacks, except those that they brought with them. At the same time, the level of service was limited only by the fact that they periodically carried away empty containers and wiped tables in the presence of visible impurities. It was in such establishments that the " ruff " drink was born, which is a beer mixed with vodka. Even the saying appeared: " Beer without vodka is money down the drain. "
3. Drinking beer in the morning was not considered shameful, because by evening it could simply not be. Despite the fact that bottled wine was sold in grocery stores, the majority still preferred draft, although only one product was offered - Zhigulevskoye. The names of Soviet beer in bottles were much larger, as well as varieties.
4. Often drank in the porches, if there was no place at the table in the pub.
5. In perestroika times, there was a shortage of glass containers for beer, so the drink began to be poured directly into plastic bags. They drank from them, neatly biting a hole in a convenient place.

Some " rules " for drinking beer have been preserved to this day, such as drinking in the morning or mixing with vodka.

Despite the fact that since the beginning of the Soviet Union there was a huge variety of foam types, the real " beer boom " began in the 70s. Up to this point, the amount of beer drunk by a person per year was approximately 11 to 12 liters. While vodka was drunk about 7 - 8 liters. As a result of the construction of large breweries in the late 60s of the last century, the government wanted to reduce the number of " vodka " alcoholics. And they got the result - there are really fewer fans of strong alcohol, but instead the number of so-called “ beer ” alcoholics has increased.

Interesting facts about beer

There are some amazing facts about beer that are interesting to know:

1. The largest beer festival is held in Germany every year in October and is called Oktoberfest . So much of this foamy drink is drunk there that enterprising Germans made a " beer pipeline " , which is a large pipe running from the brewery to the festival venue.
2. Every year, an average person drinks about 23 liters of hops.
3. The strongest beer that was produced in the USSR had a strength of 23 degrees.
4. The lightest beer in the Soviet Union was called " Caramel " and had about 0.5 - 1% alcohol. It was even recommended to pregnant, nursing mothers and children. In taste and characteristics, it was more like kvass than beer.
5. Beer is rich in calcium and vitamins, however, to replenish the daily intake of these trace elements, you need to drink about 5 liters of drink per day.
6. Zhigulevskoye beer was the most widespread in the USSR and got its name in honor of the Zhiguli Upland, which is located next to the Volga River in Samara, where this variety of drink was first mass-produced.
7. From a large amount of beer consumed in men, the " beer " stomach and chest begin to grow. This phenomenon is caused by the presence of hormones phytoestrogens in the drink , which are similar in properties to female progesterone.
8. Despite the fact that beer is considered a light drink, it is proved that in a standard bottle of 0.5 l contains alcohol as much as 50 g of vodka.
9. Beer addiction in women is not treated.
10. Beer is a very high-calorie product. Despite the low percentage of fat, it contains about 500 calories per 1 liter , which is also the cause of weight gain in both men and women.
11. In women who often drink a foamy drink, the risk of developing breast cancer increases several times. This is due to increased levels of female hormones in the body.
12. Daily consumption of beer in large quantities provokes the development of impotence in men.
13. However, in moderate amounts, natural beer is useful - it improves appetite, stimulates metabolism, and lowers blood pressure.
14. Traditionally, beer bottles have a brown color for better protection against harmful UV rays.

The history of beer in the Soviet Union is not as rich as in Europe. The reason for this was the Great Patriotic War, which significantly slowed down the development of the country. At the same time, in the postwar years, the factories did not give up and continued to produce different types of beer, which undoubtedly pleased Soviet citizens. And yet, despite this diversity, many preferred the good old " Zhigulevskoe " .