John Le Jeune, Marketing Assistant Moscow Office, Bord Bia – Irish Food Board

The craft beer revolution has come late for Russia. In Moscow, there are dozens of craft beer pubs and this number continues to grow. Some of these sell only domestic beer, while others focus on foreign beers, but the majority sell both. In Russia, there are approximately 400 breweries and microbreweries. Volume sales of beer declined by 7% in Moscow, reaching 1.0 billion litres. Sales were supported by increasing popularity of craft beer consumed in on-trade and increased demand for premium beer.

Testimonies from local producers are that “we cannot meet demand, so pubs are importing from abroad”. The USA and the UK are among the largest exporters of craft beer to Russia. One of the biggest domestic producers is the Jaws Brewery, based in Yekaterinburg. Their products can be found in many pubs around Moscow. The average on-trade price of a domestic craft beer in Moscow is €2.75 at the current exchange rate, while the average price of a foreign beer is €4.60. Unlike mainstream brands, craft beer is not price sensitive.

There are currently two Irish craft beers on the market, one of which entered the market recently; Bord Bia, Moscow, established a link between this craft brand and a nationwide Russian distributor. Both signed a contract in December to begin shipment of product to Russia.

There is room for other Irish craft beers. Moscow beer bloggers, who have a large online following, sampled these two Irish craft beer brands and their feedback was very positive, especially for the dark stout and heather ale. In spite of the difficulties the rest of the beer industry is facing, the craft beer sector is forecast to continue growing. In support of Irish companies, Bord Bia, Moscow, will be holding an Irish Drinks expo this coming June with the goal of building ties with Russian distributors and pub owners.

For more information contact john.lejeune@bordbia.ie

https://eatbetter.ru/new-restaurants/na-sretenke-otkrylsya-gastrobar-beer-happens/

http://www.firstbeerclub.ru/bar-na-kranah

https://vk.com/craftrepublic