Chuvash beer. Beer "Buket Chuvashia": what sets it apart from other beer producers

We continue our series of tests of breweries and beer, which our readers liked, this time the place of our pilgrimage was Chuvashia, famous for its hop-growing traditions - not even the emblem of the republic depicts stylized leaves and hop cones. You can read more about the coat of arms of Chuvashia.

We will not talk in detail about the Republic of Chuvashia and Cheboksary, since there is plenty of information on the Internet ( Chuvashia , Cheboksary). We got to Cheboksary by car from the Kirov region. The roads, I must say, are very good in the republic, all the signs are duplicated in Chuvash and Russian, and in some places also in English. There is also a railway in Cheboksary, as well as a direct train from Moscow - it is night. But the line is a dead end, so there are very few incoming trains.

Brewery "Yantar"

There are two large breweries in Cheboksary: ​​Yantar and Buket Chuvashii. We first decided to visit the Yantar plant; it is located within the city, but without a map it was not easy for us to find the right place by address. Thanks to the local residents: they helped.

The appearance of the brewery's branded store made us cry with nostalgia: a slightly open window in the bars, a bowl for change and "Baba Lyuba" behind the counter, which appears after a loud knock - a typical view of a beer bottling point from the times of the Soviet Union.

Beer "Firmennye" is filtered, it has a fairly high density for light beer - 15%, strength is 4.7%. We noted that this beer had good foam, but everyone was unanimous - the smell of the beer was inexpressive, in addition, the drink had weak carbonation (in other words, it was not carbonated enough).

Three out of four experts tried this beer after returning home. The beer was fresh, but, alas, in the end we could not finish it and gave it to our friends, who accepted the gift with joy. In addition, this beer gave me a headache in the morning. In general, we do not recommend buying products from the Yantar brewery. Although, of course, someone will probably disagree with us. But we do not pretend to give an absolute assessment - try it and decide for yourself.

What's the result? Maybe the reason we weren’t allowed into the plant was because not everything was in order in its “kitchen”? We think that in this form it simply will not withstand the competition and will close; there are many examples of this in Russia. The plant's management needs to change its strategy, modernize equipment (and taste!), build marketing and distribution schemes - this is the only way to save production. The Soviet approach “ours is cheaper” today does not stand up to criticism; following it, a disastrous ending will be inevitable, which means the most valuable resource of the enterprise - its personnel - may be irretrievably lost. Let us note that we do not know exactly the situation at the plant, our conclusions were based only on subjective assessments, but these conclusions are a logical consequence of what we saw “on this side of the plant.”

Cheboksary Distillery

Heading to the cultural center of the city, and having driven some 500 meters from the Yantar plant, we noticed an interesting old building. It interested us so much that we decided to find out what it was.

The building is more than a hundred years old; before the revolution, a wine warehouse was built here, as stated on the memorial plaque. We tried to arrange an excursion to this plant, but, unfortunately, the management was not ready to receive us on this day, Monday, as you know, is a hard day, and we did not call in advance because we did not know about the existence of this enterprise.

But we managed to talk with a factory employee, who said that the most famous products produced there are the “Akatuy” aperitif (just like the well-known Sabantuy, this is the name of the national holiday in Chuvashia), the “Parne” balm and, of course, vodka. We visited a company store with the same name (“Akatuy”), which is located in the city next to the Gagarin monument (in fact, there are several company stores), where you can buy the entire range of drinks produced at the plant. Having tried the aperitif upon returning home, I found its taste definitely more interesting than the taste of the well-known Martini, and the herbal balm added to the tea makes the drink very aromatic and invigorating.

Cheboksary - the pearl of Russia

At the second, largest plant "Buket Chuvashia" they were waiting for us in the afternoon, so we decided to take a walk around the cultural center of the city of Cheboksary. According to local residents, there is only one such center here - Cheboksary Bay.

Having risen close to the stele, we discovered an interesting effect: if you look up, it seems that this huge structure is rapidly falling. Everything was explained simply - the rapidly moving clouds created this effect, and the massiveness and height of the stele did their job: you understand that this cannot be, but it is scary to the point of dizziness.

We had a good lunch and quenched our thirst with cold and fresh beer “Bouquet of Chuvashia”. I must say that the prices in this restaurant pleasantly surprised us: the dishes are quite “budget”, although the restaurant is clearly one of the most prestigious by local standards.

Brewery "Buket Chuvashia"

The time has come to go to the Buket Chuvashia plant; we have been waiting for this event for a long time, because Moscow beer festival We’ve already tried the “Foamy Gold” beer, and, as you remember, we thought it was quite good. And some of our experts have been appreciating and loving Chuvash beer for many years.

First, a little about the history of the Buket Chuvashia plant (). " Chuvashia has had a special attitude towards beer and hops since ancient times. Beer is the national drink of the Chuvash people. In the old days, almost every Chuvash family grew hops and brewed beer according to their own recipes, passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, Chuvashia has all the prerequisites for the development of brewing. The construction of the Cheboksary brewery began in 1969 on the outskirts of the republic. At this time, two breweries were already operating - this is the first brewery in Cheboksary, which was located in the area of ​​Petrov Street (later it was closed) and the second brewery, the currently operating Yantar brewery.

The first products were released on November 17, 1974 - beer in barrels. In January 1975, the first products were produced in the soft drinks and kvass workshop. In February 1975, beer began to be bottled. Production of barley malt began in December 1976. The number of employees was 496 people.

In the first years of the plant’s operation, the production of six types of beer was mastered - “Zhigulevskoe”, “Martovskoe”, “Slavyanskoe”, “Moskovskoe”, “Rizhskoe” and “Velkhatnoe”. In 1987, the production of mineral water was mastered - first imported, and then its own, obtained from a 200-meter well drilled on the territory of the enterprise. According to its chemical composition, the water is low-mineralized. Natural mineral water "Cheboksary-1" chloride-sulfate-sodium in its main ion-salt composition is a medicinal-table water.

In 1992, the Cheboksary Brewery was privatized and reorganized into the Cheboksary Brewery OJSC, and later into the Buket Chuvashii Private Enterprise OJSC. In December 1996, a tunnel pasteurizer was put into operation and the production of pasteurized beer was mastered. In 1997, a line for bottling beer into kegs was installed, and in the same year the production of soft drinks in PET bottles was launched. In August 1998, a new German line with a capacity of 24 thousand bottles per hour was launched.

Since 1997, the company has operated the only museum of the history of brewing in Russia with a pub and a store. At the beginning of 2002, the re-equipment of the brewhouse was completed, the reconstruction of which took place without stopping the main process. In the brewing shop, imported technological equipment was assembled and installed, which was supplied by the German company Steinecker, part of the Krones AG concern. In July 2003, a new filter press with a capacity of 200 hectoliters per hour was put into operation.

In August 2005, a new PET line was launched with a capacity of 12 thousand PET bottles per hour. And in October of the same year, a carbon dioxide station with a liquefied gas capacity of 500 kg/hour began operating.

In 2006, beer began to be bottled in PET bottles with a capacity of 1.0 and 2.0 liters. The bottle design has changed and the labels have been restyled.

In the same year, the company began producing a new type of product - naturally fermented kvass "Bouquet of Chuvashia" in PET packaging and beer "Foam Collection "Foamy Strong", and by the end of the year - kvass "Litovsky" and a new type of beer "Foam Collection "Foamy" wheat." The production of beer “Forward, Spartak!” has also been resumed.

In 2007, the kvass line expanded. New varieties of kvass under the “Buket of Chuvashia” trademark have appeared - “Domashniy”, “Khlebny” and “Okroshechny”, as well as the “Slaven” trademark. A new children's kvass "Kinder" based on natural apple juice has been released. The direction of soft drinks and mineral and drinking waters began to actively develop. Drinking water "Bouquet of Chuvashia" and mineral water "Russian Spring" began to be bottled in PET bottles with a capacity of 0.5, one and a half and five liters, as well as 18.9 liters.

By February 23, 2007, the brewers of Buket Chuvashii OJSC gave a gift to the guests and residents of the republic by releasing Cheboksary beer in an aluminum can with a capacity of 5 liters.

In April 2007, a new Italian line for bottling canned beer was launched.

Currently, the reconstruction of the brewhouse has been completed. The entire process of preparing the wort now takes place in a closed mode, without access to oxygen. New imported equipment was put into operation in the yeast department and compressor shop, as well as a CIP system. The fermentation tanks were inspected and transferred to automatic cooling. All processes are reflected on the computer screen. New Dutch equipment collects and purifies carbon dioxide, and automated control over malting.

Today, OJSC "Buket of Chuvashia" is a fully integrated enterprise with a malt house, brewing, fermentation, lager, refrigeration and compressor departments and a bottling shop."

The plant is located on the outskirts of the city, its appearance is quite “industrial”, although the surrounding area is landscaped with flower beds, and the surrounding area is very clean.

There is strict discipline at the plant; suffice it to say that without security escorts we were not allowed into the territory even with two plant employees. But they didn’t bother us at all; moreover, we were allowed to photograph whatever we wanted.

In the first hall we found familiar brewing vats, and the equipment turned out to be very modern - the brewhouse was modernized in 2002.

With the help of such a cone-shaped structure, through which the wort is “poured”, it is possible to achieve the required temperature very accurately and quickly. The brewing process is fully automated, the technology is set depending on the type of beer that is currently being brewed.

It is cold in the fermentation shop, as it should be. The plant has its own refrigerator, the beer is cooled directly in the fermentation tanks with refrigerant, it flows through pipes passing directly through the tanks. The hall is quite large, there are many vats.

In a centrifuge, the finished beer is clarified - large particles of yeast and protein are deposited.

PET bottles are already used for bottling finished beer. familiar to us from "Ochakov" cone blanks.

The cold beer is then bottled. This happens quite quickly. We observed the bottling of the Bouquet of Chuvashia “Zhivoe” variety. This beer is unpasteurized, so the shelf life is only 30 days, and it only needs to be stored in the refrigerator.

Pasteurized beer can be stored at room temperature, although it was still cool in the warehouse. By the way, the plant began producing beer in five-liter kegs only this year. So far, only one type of beer is bottled in such containers - “Cheboksary”.

The plant’s warehouse also has a specially fenced room in which samples of all the beer produced at the plant in recent months are stored. Moreover, this includes not so much samples released every day, but batches (there can be several of them per day, and the beer in each batch can be bottled from different tanks). A constant storage temperature is maintained that meets specifications. Thus, when a complaint is received about the quality of beer, inspectors can always provide for research a sample from the same batch, which was stored according to the rules for the entire shelf life. It is no secret that many stores do not comply with storage conditions, displaying, for example, live beer on the shelves at room temperature or skimping on indoor air conditioning. There is nothing to even say about the fact that beer at a temperature of 20-30 degrees Celsius is impossible to drink. In such cases, thanks to such a special warehouse, it is possible to identify the source of the problem and find out whether there really was a deterioration in the quality of the beer or whether it was due to improper storage, transportation, etc.

Next, and so long-awaited, was our visit to the company’s tasting room. There we were offered several types of fresh beer. We simply would not have had time to try all the varieties of “Bouquet of Chuvashia” due to their large number, but we unanimously gave high marks for the taste and quality of the drinks that we were able to taste. Let us note the harmonious, lively taste of the beer "Bouquet of Chuvashia "Zhivoe", which was served to us, as they say, straight from the tap, the soft and very light taste of the beer "Foamy Silver". Lovers of strong beer will like "Foamy Strong" - it is made through natural fermentation, and although it has an increased strength of 7%, it does not have a strong alcoholic aftertaste. The light varieties “Foamy Gold” and “Cheboksary” turned out to be good; we tried the latter upon arrival, since tasting beer in the five-liter barrels we were given was hardly promising. returning home that day.

Conclusion

Definitely our trip was a success. While the Buket Chuvashii brewery produces such high-quality and original beer, the traditions of brewing in the republic are preserved. It’s just a pity that hop cultivation, the republic’s traditional trade, is now in decline. We were not pleased with the Yantar brewery - we expected better quality of the beer brewed there. As for the availability of Buket Chuvashia beer, it can be bought in Auchan supermarkets. The author saw “Bouquet of Chuvashia “Live” in a regular store in Odintsovo, but there it was stored outside the refrigerator and, in addition, was overdue for a week, so the taste of the beer was slightly spoiled (slight acidity was felt).

In continuation of the report, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the photo gallery, where we have collected the best photographs taken during the trip.

If you haven’t tried Chuvash beer yet, be sure to catch up, and be sure to leave your impressions on our forum (link below). We will continue the series of testing beer and breweries on the pages of our website. From Moscow you can take the train to Cheboksary in the evening, which goes at night, arrive in this wonderful city in the morning, and go back in the evening. We assure you, there is something to see and something to try.

If you want readers of our resource (about a million people per month) to know about your brewery and beer. Don't forget that our audience consists, for the most part, of information technology industry professionals for whom beer is a cult drink.

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Photo gallery

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The Buket Chuvashia brewing company produces many types of beer designed to suit different tastes. Although the brand is considered regional, 30–35% of the company’s products are sold outside the republic: from Nizhny Novgorod to Moscow.

Historical reference. Just 150 years ago, almost every Chuvash family brewed beer. Progress has not in any way diminished the love of the local population for this drink. Therefore, when a new brewery was opened in Cheboksary in 1974, it became the third in the city.

At first, the company produced only standard types of beer: “Martovskoe”, “Zhigulevskoe”, “Moskovskoe”, “Slavyanskoe”, “Rizhskoe” and “Velkhatnoe”. But already at that time, connoisseurs noted the excellent taste of local drinks. The fact is that the medicinal table water, extracted from a 200-meter well on the territory of the plant, is not inferior in quality to the famous French Vichy water.

In 1992, the enterprise was privatized, and subsequently received the name “Bouquet of Chuvashia”. At the beginning of the 21st century, new German and Dutch equipment was installed at the plant. The personnel of OJSC Private Production Firm “Buket Chuvashii” undergo training at foreign breweries, in particular, at the Dutch company Bavaria.

The company's technologists are constantly experimenting, combining ancient recipes and the latest production methods. One thing remains unchanged: natural fermentation. Even light beers ferment for at least 3-4 weeks.

Modern filtration methods allow beer to be purified to such an extent that it can be bottled without pasteurization. However, intensive cleaning depletes the taste of beer. Therefore, the plant chose the golden mean: gentle filtration with pasteurization. An exception is made only for the variety “Bouquet of Chuvashia Alive”.

The 2008 crisis caused serious damage to the brewing industry. For example, a competitor of Buket Chuvashia, the Cheboksary Yantar plant, went bankrupt and closed.

Due to changing demand, Buket Chuvashia technologists had to reduce the assortment, primarily due to dark varieties. “Unlucky” for the semi-dark beer “Gusarskaya Udal” with rice malt. We managed to defend “Lady Night” with difficulty. But as part of the “Foamy” collection, an unusual beer “Foamy Pshenichnoe” was created with wheat and barley malt: the wort is prepared according to the recipe of Western European light beer, and it ferments using bottom-fermentation technology, like a lager.

The company values ​​its reputation. Several bottles of beer from each batch are left in a special room and stored until the expiration date. If complaints are received about the quality of the drink, the company can always provide control samples.

At the Buket Chuvashia plant there is a Beer Museum, where visitors are offered not only to view interesting exhibits, but also to taste various types of drink. In 2002, the Beer Theater was opened.

Awards

“Foam Velvet” - a gold medal in the category “Best Product of the Year” at Prodexpo 2015;

“Bouquet of Chuvashia” - gold medals at “Prodexpo-2016” and “Prodexpo-2017”;

“Ker Sari Light” - a gold medal in the category “Best Product of 2018” at the exhibition “Prodexpo-2018”.

Types of beer "Bouquet of Chuvashia"

“Bouquet of Chuvashia” is a light beer with a strength of 6.8% and a density of 16%. The drink is fragrant with malt, the light hop bitterness in the taste is balanced by sweet wine notes.

“Bouquet of Chuvashia Cheboksary” is a light beer with a strength of 5.1% and a density of 13%. The drink has a pronounced hop flavor with a barely noticeable malt sweetness.

“Festive Bouquet of Chuvashia” is a light beer with a strength of 5% and a gravity of 13%.

“Bouquet of Chuvashia Visiting” is a light beer with a strength of 5.1% and a density of 13%.

“Bouquet of Chuvashia Zhivoe” is a light unpasteurized beer with a strength of 4.7% and a density of 12%.

“Bouquet of Chuvashia Lady-Night” is a dark beer with a strength of 5.7% and a density of 14%. The taste is velvety, caramel-malt, with a pleasant candy aftertaste.

“Bouquet of Chuvashia Non-Alcoholic” is a light beer with a strength of 0.5% and a density of 6%.

“Ker Sari Light” - beer with a strength of 5.3% and a density of 13%. The drink is prepared according to a traditional Chuvash recipe. In the old days, such beer was brewed for the autumn harvest festival - Ker Sari.

"Ker Sari Dark" - beer with a strength of 4.3% and a density of 12%.

“Prazhskoe” is a light beer with a strength of 4.8% and a density of 12%. Barley malt gives the drink fullness, and rice softens it.

“Volzhskie Zori” is a light beer with a strength of 4.5% and a gravity of 11%.

“Zhigulevskoye” is a light beer with a strength of 4.5% and a density of 11%.

Pilstone Dark is a dark unfiltered beer with an alcohol content of 4.8% and a gravity of 12%.

Pilstone Light is a light beer with an alcohol content of 3.6% and a gravity of 10%.

Radler Graipfruit is a beer drink with grapefruit flavor with an alcohol content of 3.2% and a gravity of 3%.

Radler Charry is a cherry-flavored beer drink with an alcohol content of 3.2% and a gravity of 3%.

Foam collection (features particularly resistant foam)

“Foamy Gold” is a light beer with a strength of 5.2% and a density of 13%.

“Foamy Silver” is a light beer with a strength of 4.7% and a density of 12%. The drink is prepared using German technology.

“Foamy Cool” is a light beer with a strength of 4.6% and a density of 11%.

“Foamy Velvet” is a dark beer with a red tint, strength – 5.8%, density – 14%. The combination of light and caramelized malt gives the drink a velvety taste with a candy undertone.

“Foamy Wheat” is a light beer with a strength of 5% and a density of 12%. Fruity tones are felt in the taste.

“Foamy Strong” - beer with a strength of 7.1% and a density of 16%. The drink ferments twice as long as other varieties. As a result, it acquires a rich malt-wine flavor with hop bitterness.

“Foamy Non-Alcoholic” is a light beer with a strength of 0.5% and a density of 6%.

Even in ancient times, the Chuvash grew hops and brewed beer from it according to a special recipe, passing it on to their descendants. It’s not for nothing that beer is considered the national drink of the Chuvash people. That's why these people have a solid foundation for the development of brewing. In the province of the republics, in 1969, the first brick of the Cheboksary brewery was laid. Even earlier, two breweries opened their doors in the city of Cheboksary. On Petrov Street, the enterprise was eventually closed, but Yantar still pleases us with drinks.

One of the main tasks of our company is to preserve and develop the long-standing customs of Chuvash and Russian brewing with the introduction of the latest technologies in the production of this drink and its distribution.

The Cheboksary brewery employed 496 people. On November 17, 1974, the first mug of draft beer was brewed, and a year later, in January 1975, the first batch of kvass was brewed. After a little time, we started preparing the malt. In February of the same year, beer began to be produced for the first time in a regular glass bottle.

With the opening of the plant, we began to produce well-known types of beer, such as “Zhigulevskoe”, “Martovskoe”, “Slavyanskoe”, “Moskovskoe”, “Rizhskoe” and “Velkhatnoe”. After 18 years, the company launched a line of mineral waters, which were imported for this purpose, but in the process of development, they drilled their own 200-meter well, and began bottling their own water with a low mineral content. Mineral water "Cheboksary-1" is a medicinal table water containing chloride-sulfate-sodium ions.

The path to the formation of OJSC Private Production Firm "Buket of Chuvashia" began with the Cheboksary Brewery, which existed in this form until 1992, and after privatization it was reorganized into an open joint-stock company "Cheboksary Brewery". Beer “Buket of Chuvashia” has become a product of the highest European quality, brewed using a special ancient technology, thanks to the management who developed the first investment program for the technical re-equipment and development of the plant.

Through the efforts of workers and funds from shareholders, a modern brewery was created. After the implementation of this program, “Buket Chuvashia” became one of the first breweries in Russia equipped with the highest quality European equipment.

The development of the plant did not stand still; it was constantly improved and modified. A modern tunnel pasteurizer was installed at the enterprise, which made it possible to produce pasteurized beer. A line for bottling beer into kegs was purchased and set up, and a line for bottling soft drinks in popular plastic containers began operating. In August 1998, with the help of this German technology, they were able to produce 24 thousand bottles. at one o'clock.

The workshop where beer was brewed was also reconstructed in 2002. Modern equipment for this was purchased from the German company Steinecker from the Krones AG concern. Despite the modification of the workshop, beer production did not stop. Also, in 2003, a new filter press with a capacity of 200 hectoliters per hour was installed at the plant. In 2005, a new PET line came into operation, which increased productivity to 12 thousand PET bottles per hour, and a carbon dioxide section was put into operation to produce liquefied carbon dioxide.

In 2006, consumers were presented with their favorite beer in a bottle of a new design and with a new label, and the container volume was diversified to one and two liters.

In 2006, consumers were able to enjoy naturally fermented kvass “Bouquet of Chuvashia” and “Litovsky” kvass, which were produced in plastic containers. At the end of the year, we brewed a new beer called “Foamy Collection “Foamy Wheat”. In the same year, they began brewing beer “Forward, Spartak!” again.

Over the years, the plant accelerated its development, and already in 2007 it began producing new types of kvass under the brands “Buket Chuvashii” (“Domashny”, “Khlebny” and “Okroshechny”) and “Slaven”. For children, they launched the production of children's kvass "Kinder", which was brewed from apple juice. We diversified the volume of bottling of drinking water “Bouquet of Chuvashia” and mineral water “Russian Spring” into 0.5 l, 1.5 l, 5 l, and also 18.9 liters.

In April 2007, a modern Italian production line for bottling beer into aluminum cans was put into operation. The first can of beer went on sale in February of the same year under the name “Cheboksary”.

OJSC "Buket Chuvashia" in our time is one of the first in Russia to produce beer, kvass, soft drinks, drinking and mineral waters, barley and rye malt. The brewery's products are of high quality and meet all the requirements of international standards ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 22000:2005.

The latest imported equipment began operating in the yeast department and compressor shop. A non-removable washing system has been installed. We replaced the brewhouse equipment with imported modern equipment, and fully automated production was established. A significant share of the profits was allocated to further technical re-equipment and modernization of production.

The foamy drink, which is now called beer, is an ancient drink of mankind. It is not known for certain where beer first appeared, but the fact that it was noticed among many civilizations of the ancient world is a fact. Over time, the recipe for the drink changed, as did the attitude towards it. Today we will talk about a wonderful representative of the foamy elixir, which is called “Bouquet of Chuvashia” beer.

Cheboksary beer producer

The Chuvash brewery began its production activities in 1974. In 2024, the plant will celebrate its half-century anniversary in the production of high-quality malt and yeast drinks: a wide range of beer, kvass, as well as soft drinks (drinking and mineral waters).

Chuvashia", like the rest of the manufacturer’s drinks, are produced in accordance with all international standards, preserving their traditions of family brewing, which were carefully preserved and passed on from generation to generation.

Brewing Standards

When making beer, only water, fermented rye malt, sugar and hops are used. The composition is simple, but the taste speaks for itself! It is enough to try it at least once to understand the taste of real traditional beer. Chuvashia" is prepared in compliance with the strictest brewing standards. All processes of wort preparation take place in a closed mode, without air penetration. Workers monitor all stages of fermentation and maturation of the drink in an automated mode: all information is displayed on the computer screen. The stage of collecting and removing carbonic acid is carried out on a high-precision Dutch equipment.

Draft beer "Bouquet of Chuvashia"

The first products of the Chuvash plant were presented to the consumer in the form of draft beer (November 1974), and starting from February 1975, it became available in bottle form.

If you manage to visit the capital or another city of Chuvashia, you should definitely try the beer “Bouquet of Chuvashia”, this is the calling card of the republic. Its taste differs from other representatives of the foamy drink in that every sip will give you a unique pleasure. Since the drink has a pronounced hop aroma with a wine aftertaste. Below is a photo of the beer "Bouquet of Chuvashia", which is the hallmark of the plant.

Achievements of the brewery OJSC "Buket Chuvashia"

The Cheboksary manufacturer annually takes part in various competitions and tastings, where it regularly takes honorable positions and receives awards for its high-quality products. For example, in the period from February 6 to 10, 2017, OJSC "Bouquet of Chuvashia" took part in the exhibition "Prodexpo-2017" among European countries and Russians. It should be noted that the Chuvash brewery returned with several gold medals from this exhibition. But many foreign and Russian companies took part; among the breweries, 58 organizations provided their products! The competition was serious.

OJSC "Buket Chuvashia" received awards for the following products:

• Beer "Bouquet of Chuvashia".
• Kvass "Winter".
• Lemonade "Give 5".

It is unthinkable to list all the brand’s products, since its range is so rich and varied! In order to get a closer look at the brewery’s products, you can visit the “Beer Museum,” which was opened by the Cheboksary manufacturer, on the initiative of the President of the Republic, in 1997.

Reviews of beer "Bouquet of Chuvashia"

Consumer opinions about the Cheboksary beer drink are largely similar: they characterize it as a strong drink with a rich beer taste at an affordable price: around 45-60 rubles for a 0.5 liter bottle. For example, “Ker Sari” (light) beer is characterized as a drink with a pronounced taste of yeast, bread spices and caramel. Although the beer is a light beer, it has a rich copper color.

This beer is new from the brewery. It differs from other varieties not only of Buket Chuvashia OJSC, but also from other producers in that the combination of its components leaves an unforgettable impression. The Chuvash people inherited the recipe for the drink from their distant ancestors, who brewed beer from barley malt and hops after sowing. The ancient recipe for "Ker Sar" additionally includes rice. Maybe it’s this uniqueness of the recipe that arouses such interest among beer connoisseurs?

Another interesting recipe from the Chuvash manufacturer is “Lady Night” beer (dark). This beer causes mixed opinions about the taste of the drink. This is due to the fact that among the usual hoppy malt and velvety taste, there are chocolate and caramel notes. Thus, we can conclude that the brewery OJSC "Buket of Chuvashia" provided consumers with a variety of beer from classic to original composition.

Finally

As we said earlier, the Cheboksary plant has a huge range of products, especially for beer production. Visitors to a beer restaurant in Cheboksary or a museum note the excellent taste of fresh draft beer "Bouquet of Chuvashia" and bottled products.

What’s also nice to note is the composition of the beer. It always consists of natural ingredients, without unnecessary chemical flavor enhancers. The short shelf life is proof of this.

According to the Chuvash themselves, their ancestors had a special attitude towards hops, without which it is impossible to make beer (săra). Each community or even family had its own brewing customs. To this day, this foamy drink is of great importance for the Chuvash, just as kumys is for the peoples of the steppes.

Peculiarities

Beer is considered the national drink in the region and a mandatory treat at all celebrations. Even the emblem of the republic bears the image of a vine with cones, since the majority (up to 90%) of Russian hops are grown in this territory.

In the region, homemade foam preparation was developed, on the eve of which the wife of the owner of the house said prayers, during which her body and face had to be turned to the east. Up to 300 liters of intoxicating drink could be brewed at one time, but a family of 10-11 people drank this amount in a month.

Unfortunately, most of the brewing traditions have not been preserved, but in the small village of Komsomolskoye, located 100-120 km from Cheboksary, foamy beer is still prepared according to ancient recipes.

In the production of Chuvash beer (10 liters) they use:

• From 40 to 100 grams of hops;
• 200-300 grams of special yeast for beer;
• 10-15 grams of pressed yeast;
• 100 grams of sugar.

In the old days, malt was made using millet; now rye, oats and barley are used, the grains of which are thoroughly washed. The clean buds are then soaked to germinate, dry and grind. Depending on the color of the resulting malt, beer of certain shades is obtained - if the grains were dried in an oven, the final drink will be darker; if the grains were dried naturally (under the sun), the beer will turn out light.

The grains for future malt are dried for 9 to 12 days so that they do not lose soluble carbohydrates during further cooking.

Hops are harvested twice in the region - in August or September, depending on its variety. Unblown cones must be green and contain yellow dust inside. Because hops contain a lot of water (~80%), they are dried to give the hops their characteristic flavor, body, and foam. Water for Chuvash beer in winter is collected from artesian wells or special wells.

Particular attention was previously paid to the production of brewer's yeast. To obtain them, warm wort, flour and honey (or sugar), as well as sediment from the previous beer were added to the container to avoid the appearance of lumps. The resulting liquid was left for several hours until foam formed. The malt was then placed in pots made of clay or cast iron and poured with boiling water. After this, the pots were closed and placed in a hot oven. While the malt was simmering, the hops were brewing. After a while, boiling water was poured into it to dilute it and filtered (previously, the Chuvash used rye straw for this). And the malt was placed in a tub with many holes in order to keep it in boiling water and then drain it. Then the malt was again placed in a tub, filled with water from the spring, sealed and left for several days. Later it was opened and the wort was removed, boiled and cooled. Then they took malt and water in a ratio of 1 to 6 and poured it into the barrel. In this state, the beer fermented for 1 day.

According to this recipe, local residents still brew traditional local foam, but the technological process at the factories is not radically different, including the following steps:

1. Malt growing and preparation;
2. Malt grinding;
3. Water preparation;
4. Mashing (a process necessary in making wort);
5. Separation of the product into liquid and solid phases (mash filtration);
6. The process of boiling wort;
7. Precipitation of protein sediments of the wort to clarify it;
8. Cooling the wort;
9. Fermentation and maturation;
10. Beer filtration and bottling.

If the starter for a hop-based drink is left in a warm place, it will sour faster (the usual fermentation time is 24 hours), but the beer will turn out tasteless. And if you put the wort in a cool room, the ripening time will increase. The optimal temperature is considered to be 16-18 0 C.

Varieties

In the Republic of Chuvashia they produce light and dark lagers, filtered and not. In general, the beer varieties of this region can be divided into:

Traditional

Made from selected local malt and hops using German technology. They have a pleasant smell and velvety taste.

Foam collection

They include beer with a distinct taste and thick foam, so each intoxicating drink from this group has its own personality.

Stamps

Until 2013, there were three breweries in Chuvashia: Bulgar-Khmel CJSC, Yantar Brewing Company and Buket Chuvashia Brewing Company. But only the latter continues to operate today, offering a wide range of foam, kvass and mineral water.

Beer “Bouquet of Chuvashia” is the hallmark of the republic, the taste of which is distinguished by pleasant notes of hops and a slight bitterness. Only local malt and hops, as well as pure artesian waters, are used in brewing.

The said plant has many types of beer:

Foamy wheat (5.0% strength)

It has fruity and hop notes in the aroma. As the producers themselves write, this beer is suitable for lovers of intoxicating drinks with a “delicate taste.”

Cheboksary (5.1%)

Light beer with a specific taste, made according to all the traditions of Chuvash brewing.

Bouquet of Chuvashia (6.8%)

It is the main representative of this brand, has a pleasant hop taste and a slight pronounced bitterness.

Festive (5.0%)

It has plenty of foam when pouring and a mild hop bitterness.

Chuvash gold (5.2%)

It was this beer that was repeatedly awarded various awards at an exhibition in Russia and released for the anniversary of the plant (on its 35th anniversary). Rice cereal is involved in the preparation.

Gold (5.2%)

Light beer with a beautiful golden color and thick foam. Has a refreshing effect.

Silver (4.7%)

Brewed using German technology, it also contains rice grains.

Visiting (5.1%)

Contains corn grits. The beer itself has an unusual hop taste and aroma.

Live (4.7%)

Manufacturers claim that this type of beer is healthy due to the content of living microorganisms and special brewer's yeast.

Cool (4.6%)

It quenches thirst well and combines all the strengths of light beer.

Strong (7.1%)

This foam takes twice as long to mature as traditional foam, which is what makes it so strong.

Lady Night (5.7%)

“Lady Night” is a beer with a rich amber color. The drink contains caramel malt, which gives the foamy characteristic taste and bitterness of hops.

Velvet (5.8%)

Dark beer with a gravity of 14%, brewed from light and caramel malt, giving the drink a pleasant aroma.

Martovskoe (3.9%)

A dark lager that came into production only in 2009 and has a rich aroma.

Non-alcoholic (0.4%)

The taste is similar to traditional beer, but with less alcohol content.

Light (3.6%)

The foamy taste can be described as the taste of fermented malt with a mild hop flavor.

Ker sari light (5.3%)

Light beer with spicy bitterness of hops and taste of malt.

Ker sari dark (4.3%)

Ruby beer brewed with the addition of two types of malt (light and caramel).

Prague (4.8%)

This is a light, pasteurized, filtered beer made with rice.

Volga Dawns (4.5%)

An intoxicating drink with a pronounced grain flavor and abundant foam, the color of light amber.

Zhigulevskoe (4.5%)

A light lager whose history began in Soviet times and to which Vysotsky’s famous lines were dedicated: “I will not allow our Soviet town to be discredited, where the golden Zhiguli beer is brewed.” This is a traditional foamy drink with a characteristic taste from the times of “stagnation”. Manufacturers recommend drinking the drink with dried roach or boiled crayfish.

Pilstone dark (4.8%)

Unfiltered beer with high viscosity and rich caramel aroma.

Radler with grapefruit flavor (3.2%)

A beer drink with a fresh fruit aroma.

Radler with cherry flavor (3.2%)

It has a sweet taste with a pronounced cherry aroma.

What can you buy in Russia

In October 2010, the Buket Chuvashii brewery was awarded a number of gold awards at the All-Russian exhibition “Golden Autumn”, thanks to the natural composition of the drinks without the use of preservatives.

“Bouquet of Chuvashia” can be found throughout Russia, but not every store can find it.

Making beer is in the blood of the local people, because even in ancient times, every family brewed foamy beer. Chuvash beer leaves a pleasant impression, since its production involves locally grown malt and hops, as well as clean artesian waters. Rich and light taste, deep color will not leave you indifferent.