In any country (and in this case we are interested in Finland) there will always be beer lovers. Someone just uses it for pleasure, and some amateurs, being true patriots of the producing country, are proud of the unique taste of Finnish beer.
A well-known fact - in this country they produce a quality drink. According to annual statistics, each person living in the territory of this state consumes about 80 liters of this unusually tasty alcoholic product. The Finns consider the drink almost national pride. And the story of this beer is quite interesting.
Historical reference
Finland and Russia are neighboring countries. This arrangement of the two states made a huge contribution to the development of both countries. Arriving in Finland in 1819 from Russia, the Russian businessman Nikolay Sinebryukhov, together with his colleagues, built here the first brewery in the country. Now Finnish beer has a history not only of local production, but also represents a brand that is very popular and in demand outside Finland.
You can try this unusual foamy drink at the beer festival in Helsinki, which takes place in April each year, as well as at the forecourt in late July. There you can enjoy almost all types of this alcoholic product. At the festival, Finnish beer is represented by both large factories for its production and intermediary small breweries.
Extraordinary drinks
What new can you try there, in addition to standard production? Beer with garlic flavor, as well as the traditional homemade sahti drink, which is prepared only for the holidays. It can be compared with homemade kvass in Russia. It is made on the basis of coarse grinding of rye, juniper berries and barley. As an appetizer, beer is homemade sausage, salted crackers, various sandwiches.
Also in the country there is a “Beer Museum” (the city of Irisami). The whole history of the varieties of this famous drink is exhibited here. Having visited the mini-version of Oktoberfest, you can get acquainted with various brands of Finnish beer. A wider assortment will be waiting for you than you can imagine!
And at an event such as "Days of the Middle Ages", which also does not pass without a glass of high-quality beer potion, theater performances are also organized. They give the viewer a lot of positive emotions and leave no one indifferent.
Finnish beer producers
The largest brewery in Finland is Hartwall. He produces such world-famous brands as Lapin Kulta, Karjala, Legenda, Karjala Terva, Urho, Koff, Sinebrychoff Porter.
It is worth noting that Finnish beer meets all environmental standards. It includes only high-quality varieties of barley, as well as other crops, which contain the minimum allowable amount of chemicals.
"Lapland Gold"
One of the most common brands of this manufacturer is Finnish beer Lapin Kulta, which is translated into Russian as “Lapland Gold”. It contains 5.2 percent of the volume of alcohol, light, does not give bitterness. The bottom fermented drink has a wonderful taste and aromatic aroma. The color of the beer resembles an amber hue.
Lapin Kulta leaves a pleasant aftertaste and is refreshingly cool in hot weather. Light beer is made from a standard set of components: water, malt and hops. The drink ranks fourth in sales since 2009.
Since 2010, the brewery of the city of Lahti has been engaged in its production, since the plant in Lapland was closed. The brewing tradition and the name of the beer have been preserved. It can be purchased at any supermarket in the country, as well as try the analogue of Russian-made beer "Stepan Razin." The cost of a bottle is 4 euros per liter of drink.
Karjala
The drink has a pronounced aroma and astringent taste. Also in this category is Karjala Terva beer, which has a resinous aroma and contains 6.3% of the volume of alcohol. The beer called Karjala IVB, which has 8 percent strength, also belongs here. This series is presented as the strongest lager.
Koff
Finnish beer of this brand is distinguished by categories of fortress, which are indicated in numbers. One of the most popular is the lager number three (or three). Beer is simple, bright. It notes the absence of various artificial flavors - it has a light and pleasant taste. The fortress content of this famous brand is 6.3 percent of the packaging. Its taste is somewhat similar to the Karhu drink from the manufacturer Sinebrychoff.
Sinebrychoff
The next producer is the company of the founder of the first brewery N. Sinebryukhov. Since 1999, is the property of the global manufacturer Carlsberg. Sinebrychoff produces branded Finnish beer Karhu and Koff. To date, the popular "troika" is recognized as one of the most famous drinks. No less famous is the strong beer Tosi Vahva.
Olvi tuplapukki
The next no less well-known beer company in the world market belongs to Finland and manufactures its products under the brands Sandels, Olvi and Olvi Tuplapukki, Finkbräu. ”In 1920, it was allowed to make beer in Finland with a strength of over 4 percent of alcohol.
Olvi Tuplapukki is the most popular drink with a taste of the usual traditional product. Fairly large fortress - 4.7%. Locals prefer this beer the most, as it belongs to the “live beer” class.
Sandels
Beer, released in cans, has a fine-grained foam and a standard pleasant taste, gives a light bitterness and a peculiar aftertaste. It belongs to the variety of lagers. His color is light. The filtered drink has a density of 11%. Cooking technology does not include pasteurization and lightening. The strength of the drink is 4.7 percent of the container. The composition includes: hops, malt, water.
Finkbräu
For those who are not enthusiastic about expensive spirits, it is recommended to pay attention to Finkbräu. Cheap and quite popular beer won the heart of more than one lover of light beer. It is of two types (alcohol - 2.5 percent, and non-alcohol). It is boiled for sale in the famous Lidl supermarket chain. Such a beer costs a little more than 10 rubles for 0.33 liters. This is a kind of analogue of Russian beer in the "one and a half".
Olvi
Ordinary Finnish beer brewed according to a simple recipe: malt, water, hops. In the preparation, the main emphasis is on malt, and the taste of hops is practically absent. This beer is not particularly distinguished by its taste - it is simply one hundred percent Finnish beer. The analogs of the drink in Russia are Baltika and Nevskoye.
Nikolai
“Nikolay” is Finnish beer from the “above average” class. They named him in honor of Nikolai Sinebryukhov. If you look closely, then on one side of the bottle you can see the double-headed eagle, which symbolizes the Russian Empire. It has a greater strength than a regular lager, and has a sweet taste. Leaves a pleasant aftertaste. Available in three types: dark, light and non-alcoholic.
Karhu
The name of the beer translates as "bear". It is the most popular brand of the country. In 2010, beer ranked second in sales. The drink is distinguished by the presence of a large fortress. Cereals are grown using special technologies, and malt is supplied by the Finnish company Lahden Polttimo.
The products of this line are Karhu III beer brands, in which the alcohol content is 4.6 percent of the container volume, as well as Tosi Vahva Karhu with 8 percent strength (light and very strong lager), Karhu Tumma I beer contains 2.8 degrees (light the drink is considered low alcohol).
Lager is very common in Russia. Buy Finnish beer in St. Petersburg is easy. It is enough to make an order on the famous sites of the city for the sale of branded drink. Finnish beer in St. Petersburg can also be found at events dedicated to beer day or at other beer festivals.