Cult of craft in Kharkiv. Overview of breweries and pubs of the first capital of Ukraine

It is difficult to say why such a cult of beer developed in Kharkov. Perhaps, the city of students, technicians and programmers was simply the first to catch fashion trends. Or maybe the opening of the "Rogan" brewery was the first impetus. The youngest brewery not only in Ukraine, but also in the CIS began brewing beer in 1992 — and quickly became one of the most successful. Production was raised with the help of specialists from Canada, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Belgium, some varieties became truly iconic. In the memory of the people of Kharkiv, the "rogue 90s" are inextricably linked with the former Rogan beer: "Monastyrskoe tyomnoe", "Jolly Monk", "Knyazhe"... Over time, the taste of factory beer changed, but young Kharkiv residents harbored a dream of revenge. People persistently wanted freshly brewed, unpasteurized beer.

AltBier, founded in 2012, clearly stands out among other Kharkiv restaurants-breweries. Now there are already two restaurants with 300 and 500 seats.

At "Altbire" special attention was paid to beer from the very beginning. Czech masters Lybor and Robert work hard to create new varieties using high-quality equipment and raw materials. The "beer of the month" brewed according to classic and original recipes is regularly offered here. Thanks to this, the AltBier restaurant was the first to introduce the broad masses of Kharkiv residents to craft styles of beer.

Even at the beginning of 2013, it was possible to try such exotics as IPA, red Irish ale and Russian imperial stout - quite worthy samples. Since then, more than 50 varieties have been brewed, among which there was even "El Tutankhamun" - a beer based on an ancient Egyptian recipe restored by European scientists. AltBier's permanent line is distinguished by its high quality, in which it is worth highlighting the dark lager "Kabinetnoe chernoe" and "Golden ale", as well as the very dense (OG 19%) Belgian red ale Kwaknem. AltBier also sells its beer through a network of branded stores, and recently as "craft beer".

Restaurants try not to use this term. Director of AltBier Sergey Kovalenko explains why:

— Our beer is craft beer by all characteristics, in exact accordance with the definition. Both in terms of quality, composition, and cooking technology. But it is important to understand the difference between craft pubs and large restaurants. Much more often, we are dealing not with connoisseurs, but with the general public. For some reason, many Kharkiv residents have developed a stereotype that "craft beer" is necessarily a beer with additives that would not pass the strict test according to the German law on the purity of beer.

Regulars of "Altbir" sometimes even ask: "Why don't you brew some craft beer, for example, with strawberries?" It is because of such associations that we try to do without unnecessary terms. It is enough that we make excellent beer, and it is not so important whether it is "craft" or not.

According to the magazine "Beer. Technology and Innovation » No. 1 (5) 2017