At the beginning of 2014, improving beer brewing technology, Cēsu alus brewery started using barley grown in Latvia in the brewing process. Currently, the use of Latvian barley in beer production is being expanded, producing already five products of the Miezītis brand.
Until 2014, in the production of beer, Latvian breweries used only barley malt, which is one of the main raw materials for beer, along with hops, yeast and water. Cēsu alus started using Latvian barley in beer brewing this year, which means that barley is added to the mentioned basic ingredients of beer – purified, raw and unfrozen barley grains. Therefore, Cēsu alus is currently the only known brewery in Latvia that uses barley grown in Latvia in brewing beer, thus also contributing to the development of Latvian agriculture and grain farming. Cēsu alus concluded a barley purchase contract with AS “Dobeles Dzirnavnieks”, which buys barley grown in Latvia from local farmers.
Adding barley to beer enriches its taste, making it more distinct and aromatic. “During the beer brewing process, we supplement the classic beer raw material – barley malt – with barley grown in Latvia. The addition of barley provides a fuller, stronger taste to the beer, highlights the base notes of the beer, gives the beer a golden glow and gives a firmer foam”, says Cēsu alus chief brewer Māris Grambergs.
The first type of beer, which is brewed with barley grown in Latvia, is a beer brand created in January 2014 with the Latvian name “Miezītis”. The bitterness of hops and the strong character of real, natural barley create a deep Latvian beer taste and rich foam. Produced in Latvia and brewed with barley grown in Latvia – this is how the new beer brand Miezītis can be described, which initially includes two beer varieties, Miezītis Gaišais and Miezītis Stiprais. Currently, the brand line is expanded – it also includes Miezītis Tumšais, Miezītis Nefiltrētais, and the sales results are remarkably good – 6 million liters have been sold this year by October. At the request of beer connoisseurs, in October the brand is supplemented with a new product beer, Miezītis Senču, which is packed in a pint can (0.568 l).
In general, the development of the market of cans in Latvia has a growing trend – currently, beer in cans occupies 28% of the total beer market, which is 4% more than in 2013; more than a third of them, or 35%, are exactly pint cans (AC Nielsen data).Cēsu alus maintains a stable leadership position in the general market of Latvian beer cans with a market share of 37%.
Cēsu alus, the largest brewery in Latvia, has received the permission of the Latvian Heraldic Commission to use colors and symbols similar to the colors of the Latvian flag on the packaging of the beer brand Miezītis – on labels and on cans, in order to ensure complete and true information to consumers, as well as to facilitate the product selection process by placing easily distinguishable and noticeable information about the product’s place of origin – Latvia.
The total investment in the creation of the brand and the implementation of the new technology, which allows the use of barley grown in Latvia in the beer brewing process, is 100,000 euros.
