OREANDA-NEWS. April 28, 2010. The World Beer Cup is the largest professional competition of its kind, which has been held every two years since 1996 by the American Association of Brewers. To win a medal at this competition is essentially the same as receiving an international mark of quality and recognition from the world's best brewers.

The winners of the World Beer Cup were announced on 10 April in Chicago. A formidable task faced the 179 judges: from 3 330 beers brewed in 44 countries and 47 USA states, to choose the best — the winners of gold, silver and bronze medals.

In the ‘Unfiltered Wheat Beer’ category the silver medal was awarded to Baltika No. 8 Wheat. The judges appreciated its rich, creamy head and its soft fruity aroma with overtones of spices and hint of sweetness — characteristics of this variety of beer. This beer is not filtered and so it retains more protein and other biologically active substances, which are good for the health. It is worth noting that the traditional favourites for this category are German brewers. But this year they were not among the winners, which underlines the high professional level of Baltika's brewers, who have shown they are capable of competing with the world’s best.

It is not the first time that the Baltika brand has been a winner of this prestigious international competition. In 2006 Baltika №0 Non-alcoholic was awarded silver, and in 2008 Baltika №6 Porter took the bronze.

Baltika №8 Wheat Beer was developed and introduced into production in 2001. The basis of its original recipe is wheat malt. Wheat Beer is one of two Russian beer styles that have received ‘Oscars of Brewing’ at the Brewing Industry International Awards, which has taken place in the USA every year since 1886. In 2004, taking part for the first time in the competition, Baltika was the only Russian brewer to receive a bronze medal, for its Baltika №8 Wheat Beer in the ‘Special Beer’ category. Apart from the quality and the taste of the drink, leading brewers also appreciate the ‘commercial significance of the beer quality’. In 2008 Baltika №8 was awarded the bronze medal in the ‘Wheat Beer Packaged’ category in the Australian International Beer Awards and also Gold Osiris in the ‘Best Wheat Beer’ category at the professional tasting competition during the X Great Moscow Beer Festival.