OREANDA-NEWS. On 07 May 2008 was announced, that Baltika Breweries started production of a new premium brand Baltika LITE, included in the Baltika line-up. This is a light beer with a lower strength (not more than 4.0%) compared to classical lagers. Baltika LITE brand has a good prospect of taking a significant share of the light beer segment at the stage of its active growth, which will produce a generally positive impact on the positions of the company’s title brand. On the results of 2007, the share of the light beer segment on the Russia’s beer market is 38.3%.

Marcho Kuyumdzhiev, Vice President of Baltika Breweries: "Baltika LITE will become one of the most premium brands in the company’s portfolio and a worthy rival in terms of style, package and receipt characteristics. This innovation perfectly corresponds to the company’s strategic purpose of the brands portfolio premiumisation."

Production of the new brand uses a new yeast strain. A specific feature of Baltika LITE receipt is newly germinated ("green") malt, which due to the high activity of its ferments gives light taste to the beer.

The new beer is produced into a 0.5 l can and a green glass embossed bottle with the stylish NLL label (No Label Look) and a ring-pull cap. The Baltika LITE bottle is convenient to handle due to its unique shape with a fine "waist". The large branding — the vertical LITE letters — successfully distinguishes the bottle on the shelf and draws consumers’ attention. The design of the bottle was elaborated by a London agency SiebertHeadLtd.

Production of the new brand started in the end of April 2008 at Baltika breweries in St. Petersburg and Tula. Within the next months production will start at three more sites. At present the brand becomes available in Moscow and St. Petersburg shops. By the mid-summer the product is supposed to be available throughout the country. The recommended retail price of the product is about 27 rubles.

The first export deliveries of Baltika LITE will start shortly and will be made to the CIS countries (Kazakhstan, Transcaucasia, and Tadjikistan) and Baltic countries (Latvia and Lithuania). In future the geography is expected to be expanded.

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Baltika LITE beer is intended for young people of 20-25 who are just starting their career and are success-oriented. They are open to new friends, impressions and events, know how to rest and know the value of time striving to find a reasonable balance between work and entertainment. A Baltika LITE consumer likes beer because it gives him a good mood and relaxation.

Ingredients: water, light barley malt, newly germinated malt, hops. Alcohol: not less than 4.0% by volume. Extract of the primary wart: 10.0%. Energy value: 37.0 kcal per 100g. Nutritional value: not more than 3.5 g carbohydrates per 100 g.