By Andrew Starke
Baltika, a market-leading Russian beer, is to be launched in Australia through the introduction of Baltika Classic 3.
Despite not being well-known locally, Baltika claims to have surpassed Heineken as the number one beer brand in Europe.
A traditional European lager, Baltika 3 Classic is the most popular of the Baltika range of which there are ten. Baltika is the largest brewer in Eastern Europe and is headquartered in St Petersburg, Russia.
The decision to launch Baltika in Australia comes at a time when the local market is recording unprecedented interest and subsequent sales growth in the international premium beer sector.
The launch will be supported by an investment of $200,000 in a marketing activity, including print and radio advertising, sponsorship of the Russian Film Festival in major cities, a national public relations campaign, seeding activity as well as trade engagement and point of sale materials.
Baltika 3 Classic is pale straw in colour, has a creamy white head characteristic of lager style of beer and is said to pair well with spicy Asian foods. It is being produced under license by Independent Breweries and has an ABV of 4.8 per cent.