Bulgarian Company, Brewinvest, a joint venture between Greece's Hellenic Bottling Company and Dutch brewing group Heineken NV, which controls Bulgaria's Ariana and Zagorka breweries, registered the largest share on the domestic beer market in the first half of the year and topped the list of sales with 63.7 million litres. It was followed by the Bulgarian brands of Belgian beer company Interbrew - Kamenitza, Astika, Burgasko Pivo and Plevensko Pivo, with 52.4 million litres beer sales.

Beer sales were 172.8 million litres in the first six months of the year, a figure that does not include the sales of the Ledenika and Varnensko Pivo breweries, which have not yet submitted sales reports. The two are owned by Bulbrew, the only fully Bulgarian-owned brewer on the domestic market.

Preliminary forecasts are that beer sales in Bulgaria are to climb further this summer after sales recorded a 6% increase in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year, SofiaEcho.com reported in a statement.

This summer is seeing one of the most aggressively advertised beer sale seasons ever in Bulgaria. An example is the Ledenika promotion - drink 120 Ledenika beers, send the evidence required to prove you have done away with this quantity, and if you are lucky, you might win an S-class Mercedes.

Bulgaria produces exclusively light beers with malt extract content of nine to 13.5 % (which you can find written on the labels) and alcohol content ranging between 1.5 to 5.5 %. Beer is distributed through local outdoor markets, retail shops and food stores. The three largest breweries Zagorka, Astika and Kamenitsa own their own retail shops.

Most beers are sold in 0.5 or 0.33 litre bottles, the former being the most popular. Beer in cans retails at a higher price. Beer in plastic bottles of two litres is the new cheapest possible option. Beer fans say this is a unique Bulgarian invention. All major Bulgarian beer producers have now put two-litre plastic bottles of beer on the market.

22 August, 2003