Russia introduces new brewing standards for beer

The autonomous non-profit organisation “Russian Quality System” (Roskachestvo) has developed a new state standard (GOST) for beer, set to take effect in 2027, which will revise requirements for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.

The standard expands the list of permissible malts: in addition to traditional barley and wheat, producers will be allowed to use rye, buckwheat, millet, and other types, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

It also clarifies the definition of “beer” as “brewed products containing ethanol formed during fermentation of wort using brewing yeast, with or without added flavourings and food additives.”

The new state standard introduces an official category for non-alcoholic beer, defined as products containing no more than 0.5% alcohol. A separate category, “non-alcoholic wheat beer,” is also established.

Earlier reports indicated that over the past year, beer imports from EU countries to Russia fell 3.7 times, reaching €66.5 million (over 6 billion rubles)—the lowest level since 2011, when exports totalled €55.5 million (more than 5 billion rubles).

By Jeyhun Aghazada