Svyturys

SVYTURYS

In the year 1784, Johann Wilhelm Reincke, a member of the respectable German family founded Klaipėda’s first industrial brewery in the suburbs of Friedrich. The Reincke family blazon sported the sea eagle, a symbol of brave seafaring. The same symbol was used in the emblem of the new brewery and it has endured in the coat of arms of Švyturys to this day. The only competition to the perfect taste and quality of the first beer in Klaipėda could have come from Theodor Preuss, another prominent beer-maker of Memel. Once, the two men sat over a mug of beer and decided there was no point in vying with each other and that they could work together. The two companies were merged and the new United Stock Brewery became the unparalleled leader in the coastal region.
The United Stock Brewery of Klaipėda won its first gold medal at the crafts and fisheries expo in Klaipėda back in 1883, and 1925 it reaped an award at the industry, crafts and agriculture expo of Klaipėda region. In between the two wars, the brewery, then under the management of Wiliam Falck, its veteran director and the Dutch consul in Klaipėda, was expanded and a modern yeast factory was built. The stock brewery of Klaipėda became renowned all over Lithuania for its light Caramel beer as well as several brands of Bavarian Bock porter.
Rebuilt after the war, brewery Švyturys started making beer in 1946. First, it would only be barrelled and brought to pubs in the region of Klaipėda. In 1950, the company installed a bottling line, which would be ever upgraded as the demand for Klaipėda’s beer grew. In the year 1965, specialists at Švyturys under the management of chief engineer G.Abramčikas created the recipe for Baltijos beer. This beer became the flagman of the group of beer that Švyturys made. In 1973 Švyturys was among the first to start making pasteurised beer in Lithuania.
Once Lithuania’s Independence was restored, Švyturys was reorganised to become a public limited company. After it was restructured in 1995, the company came up with the brands of beer that underlay the brewery’s success, the light Ekstra premium lager that was created by the brewer Džuljeta Armonienė becoming its foundation. Live Švyturys Ekstra beer was available in 30- and 50-litre kegs and became the most popular beer on tap at the Lithuanian bars and restaurants. In 1996, the company built a filtration system, the most advanced in the beer industry at the time.
In spring 1999, the controlling stock in the company was acquired by the Danish Carlsberg A/S, a major beer producer around the world. Considering the achievements of the Lithuanian company, the Danish investor made no changes to the operations and beer of Švyturys. Carlsberg shared its many years of experience, renovated the company, boosted its output and provided training for its employees. In December 2001, the most highly reputed breweries of Švyturys and Utenos Alus were merged to become Švyturys-Utenos Alus AB, a company that in February 2003 was reorganised to become Švyturys-Utenos Alus UAB.

Beers:

EKSTRA

Švyturys Ekstra (5.2%) is a Dortmunder/European Export lager created by Džuljeta Armonienė, the chief brewer of Švyturys back in 1995. This was the first Lithuanian beer to earn the international recognition and be awarded the gold and the silver at the World Beer Cup and the gold at the Stockholm beer festival.
Ekstra is a beer with a liquid golden colour that is topped by a thick, snowy-white foam. It is made from barley malt, rice, bitter and spicy hops, brewer’s yeast and fresh water. The beer has been widely acclaimed thanks to the intensity and lightness of its well-balanced taste, with just a slight tinge of the bitterness of hops. From day one, Švyturys Ekstra became and still is the most popular beer on tap in restaurants and bars across Lithuania as it is delivered to bars as non-pasteurised, live beer.

BALTIJOS

Švyturys Baltijos (5.8%) is a dark Märzen/ Oktoberfest lager, one of the beers in the traditional Švyturys collection that has been brewed since 1965. Ethnographers believe that the colour and taste of this “March” beer is most similar to the first beer of Švyturys that German merchant Reincke, the founder of the brewery originally offered back in 1784. In its own category, Baltijos beer has won the bronze at the World Beer Cup and was awarded the Grand Golden Medal at the international Siberian Fair.
The deep red amber beer has a sweetish, rich, long-lasting taste of caramel. The qualities of the flavour and taste of Švyturys Baltijos are best revealed when served in a special glass, which has to be wide and shaped like a bauble or a tulip with a sturdy stem. The dark Baltijos beer perfectly complements game and dark meat, oil-rich fish, blue and hard cheese, sweet desserts with caramel and chocolate.

BALTAS

OLD PORT ALE