Heineken to brew Gösser domestically

Russian beer is getting crushed. The Russian beer market plunged by an estimated 9 percent in the first three months of 2015, compared to the same period last year, according to reports. Moreover, imported beers are becoming almost prohibitively expensive due to the ruble’s continuing weakness. Consumers are feeling the pinch.

To prevent its volumes from dropping much further, Dutch brewer Heineken in Russia first resorted to start brewing kvas, a slightly alcoholic drink earlier this year.

In June it announced that it will locally brew its Austrian lager brand Gösser to make it available at a lower price. According to Russian media, Russian produced Gösser is to retail at 50 rubles (EUR 0.80) for a bottle or can, which makes it an “affordable premium” brand, while the imported variety will cost between 140 and 200 rubles.

Optimistic forecast: Beer in Russia to decline only 6 percent in 2015