Fermenting a Russian Revival

If, as the ad campaigns would have us believe, Russia's new generation is choosing Pepsi and other Western soft-drinks, at least one Russian firm is banking that the next generation will choose kvas.

What is kvas? Some people call it “Russian beer." True enough. it comes both dark and light, contains some alcohol and is brewed in a similar way. The main difference is in the grain (rye instead oi barley).

Kvas has every right to be called a traditional Russian drink. It appeared even before the ancient state of Rus', the forerunner of modem Russia. Several varieties of kvas were around as early as the 9th century. It was popular both with nobles and ordinary people, who believed it possessed magical qualities: with certain herbs added, it could protect you from curses, give you courage, and bring you success in trade.

Kvas was usually produced with flavorings like apples, beetroot, or honey. Before the 1917 Bolshevik revolution, there were over 1,000 varieties of kvas in Russia. Virtually every village had its own recipe, passed on through generations and kept a closely guarded secret.

It wasn't just enjoyed in bottled form, either. Kvas was also mixed with herbs, vegetables, ham, and croutons to make okroshka, the most popular variety of cold soup in Russia. Okroshka has now become something of a delicacy, often found on the menus of Moscow's top restaurants. And why not? Rarity is a necessary element for delicacy status, and these days, kvas is so hard to find that many Russians are forgetting what it tastes like.

Up until five years ago. it was possible to buy and drink kvas on every street corner. it was cheap: a quarter-liter mug cost only 3 kopeks (then about 5 cents). Its vast popularity, especially in summertime, made it a gold‐mine for dishonest traders who watered down their barrels. In those years, around 1,000 tons of kvas were produced daily in Moscow alone.

In many Russian cities today, it is much easier to find imported soft drinks than kvas. The problem is that kvas has a shelf life of just three days, and many Moscow traders avoid it. Even if they sell out, profit margins are small. Besides, kvas doesn’t have the allure or the marketing budget of imported Western drinks.

But now, a joint-stock company called International Economic Cooperation (MES), more widely known as an oil exporter, is coming to the rescue. The company, a major investor on the Russian market, has a reputation as a thinker on a nationwide scale.

“Kvas is liquid gold, too,” joke MES representatives, as they compare the fermented beverage to their other major product. “Kvas should become the pride of our nation,” adds Vladimir Davydov, the company’s investment department manager.

Company experts have drafted an investment project, with the involvement of the Association of Russian Soft Drink Producers, to revive the production of Russian kvas. The Company's mission: to create a bottled kvas with a long enough shelf‐life to compete with other carbonated drinks. According to project manager Andrei Zhemchugov, the large and unhygienic Soviet-era metal storage drums will become obsolete. To this end, his company has invested $78,000 into new technology and experimental production methods.

The first fruits of production appeared on the eve of the 50^th anniversary of VE Day. Russians were offered a new style kvas, symbolically called Pobeditel (Victor), sold in half-liter glass bottles for 2,000 rubles (40 cents) each.

There are now three plants producing Pobeditel – at Lakinsk and Vyazniki in the Vladimir Region, and at Ostankino, in Moscow. Their current total daily output is about 20,000 liters. In the future, MES plans to produce over 40 varieties of kvas, with honey, caraway, hops, and other traditional flavorings. At present, company experts are working to bottle the drink in two and five‐liter plastic bottles (the so-called “dacha pack” designed for family weekends). In autumn, kvas will take back to the streets in new 30-50 liter metal drums.

Considerable research has been necessary to develop the new kvas. But as chief project engineer Valeriya Stolhova put it, "We're not looking for shortcuts, so we’re resisting the temptation to use chemicals. Our kvas is still a natural product, we're just making it more consumer‐friendly."

According to doctors. kvas is nutritious and can complement a healthy diet. Rye extract, from which kvas is made, contains 17 amino acids necessary to the human organism, while the yeast used to brew kvas is rich in vitamins B and D.

In Europe and the United States, kvas is little known outside of Russophile circles. It is produced only in areas with high concentrations of Russian emigres like Israel. Even so, MES recently received an offer from Los Angeles to discuss the possibility of launching kvas production there.

The MES leadership says that while current production does not promise major profits, the kvas revival project has opened up broad possibilities. Considerable further investment is necessary to reconstruct kvas‐producing enterprises and launch a proper sales network. Still, Davydov hopes kvas will regain its popularity soon, as well as its former dominant position on the Russian market.