E-Malt.com News article: Russia & Ukraine: Ukraine’s Obolon brewery to renew sales in Russia

Ukraine’s largest homegrown brewery Obolon has plans to renew sales in Russia, which accounted for up to 45 percent of its exports before sanctions were imposed in September banning the company’s suds, Kyiv Post reported on July 28.

The Kyiv-based beer company signed a licensing agreement with the Moscow Brewing Company in the beginning of summer to make beer inside Russia under its label, Obolon spokeswoman Oksana Pyrozhok said.

MBC is a direct competitor of Obolon in Ukraine through Persha Pryvatna Brovarnya (First Private Brewery), which occupied 4.2 percent of the local market last year, according to brand design company Koloro. It brews the Bochkove and Stare Misto brand beers as well as Zhyhuli Barne and Oettinger at the Radomshyl brewery which it bought in late 2011 via OasisCIS.

Obolon lost the Russian market in September when Rospotrebnadzor, the state-run consumer rights watchdog, said the beer didn’t “comply with energy value requirements and organoleptic characteristics.”

Obolon last year held 21.9 percent of Ukraine’s beer market, behind multi-national companies AB InBev and Carlsberg Ukraine, who had 34.7 and 29.1 percent, respectively.


29 July, 2015