Despite its fame as a vodka brewer, beer held a special place in the USSR. Since 1936, GOST 3473-36 had been in effect, strictly defining four main varieties: Svetloe, Zhigulevskoe,...
Despite its fame as a vodka brewer, beer held a special place in the USSR. Since 1936, GOST 3473-36 had been in effect, strictly defining four main varieties: Svetloe, Zhigulevskoe, Moskovskoe, and Porter. This ensured a uniform taste and quality throughout the country. The flagship, of course, was Zhigulevskoe. Its recipe, originally "Vienna Beer," was renamed in 1934 at the Samara brewery in honor of the Zhiguli River. This variety became the most widely produced, accounting for up to 80% of all beer produced. Besides Zhigulevskoe, Moskovskoe, with its rich flavor, and the dark, strong Porter, containing 6% alcohol, were also prized. Leningradskoe, however, was distinguished by its exceptional density—18%, while Ukrainskoe was brewed with the addition of corn grits. Beer bars like "Zhiguli" in Moscow and "Saigon" in Leningrad became hubs of cultural life. In 1985, during Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign, beer production fell by 10%, but the shortage only increased its popularity. Draft beer from yellow barrels or three-liter glass jars was a part of everyday life. By the late 1980s, the USSR was producing 670 million decaliters of beer annually, leaving behind a nostalgia for that distinctive, recognizable taste.
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