Belarus: Syabar Brewery launches ice beer

Bobruisk-based Syabar Brewing Company has launched a new kind of beer called Bobrov Ice, a company representative told Interfax, November 26.

Bobrov Ice in 0.5-litre glass bottles will soon be available in all regions of Belarus. In the long run, it will be also available in 1-litre plastic bottles, the source informed.

According to the source, ice beer is a brand new product on the Belarusian beer market. At the end of the brewing process beer gets frozen to add a delicate taste and bigger-than-regular alcohol content to the beverage.

Ice beer enjoys a growing demand in the CIS, the source added.

Syabar offers beer under Bobrov brand, which comes in three kinds: Bobrov Light, Bobrov Heavy, Bobrov Classical. The beers are available in glass and PAT bottles with ranging capacity 0.5-2 litres. Besides, the company makes two kinds of beer under Syabar brand: Original and Light.

The company exports part of the output to the Russian Federation. The brewery may soon conclude export contracts with other CIS states and Israel, the source reported.

Today Syabar is Belarus’ second largest brewery with a market share of 15%. In January-October 2007 the company produced 4.789 million deciliters of beer, or 60.2% up on the year.

Syabar Brewery CJSC JV (previously known as Belarusian Brewery CJSC JV) was registered in February 2004. The company was set up by Detroit-Belarus Brewing Company LLC (DBB Company), whose founders are American investment group Detroit Investment Ltd. and the International Finance Corporation, and Dednovo OJSC (Bobruisk, Mogilev Region).

As formerly reported by Interfax, in June 2005 the IFC agreed to contribute $3 million to Detroit-Belarus Brewing Company’s authorised stock and grant a $7 million loan to Belarusian Brewery CJSC. Detroit-Belarus Brewing Company and Belarusian Brewery CJSC participated in the privatisation of Dednovo OJSC.

The company has $8.2 million in statutory capital and over $23 million in assets.

28 November, 2007