Tolstiak is a Russian beer of high quality. It has a characteristic rich taste and pronounced hop flavour. Today Tolstiak is one of the best recognized brands in Russia and Ukraine (think of a dialogue from a TV commercial: "Where have you been?" - "Out, drinking beer!", that has already turned into a catchphrase).
Tolstiak is brewed from the choicest malt and hops. Owing to its distinctive taste this beer has become a genuine men's drink that can be enjoyed endlessly.
Tolstiak has several varieties:
- Tolstiak Dobroye - classic pale beer with rich taste and pleasant hop bitterness (gravity - 12%, alc. - 5%);
- Tolstiak Svetloye - excellent light beer, refreshing and thirst quenching (gravity - 11%, alc. - 4,5%);
- Tolstiak Zaboristoye - pale sort with more body and higher alcohol content (gravity - 14%, alc. - 5,8);
- Tolstiak Krepkoye - strong type with unique taste - for strong men (gravity - 16%, alc. - 8,2%);
- Tolstiak Pshenichnoye - a pale unfiltered variety made with addition of wheat and coriander, with a natural cloudy look (gravity 12%, alc. - 4.5%)
Seven SUN InBev breweries make Tolstiak: Saransk, Klin, Povolzhie, Ivanovo, Kursk, Omsk and Perm.
Tolstiak is bottled in 0.5 l glass bottles, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 l PET-bottles, 0.5 l cans, 50 l kegs. Shelflife - 180 days for bottles, cans and PET; 120 days for kegs.
History
Tolstiak made its debut in the Russian market in May 1996. It was "Tolstiak-nashe dobroye pivo" variety. Consumers and experts liked it at once.
Tolstiak found consumers in many parts of Russia: the brand rapidly overgrew Volgo-Vyatsky region. The product mix expanded quickly: now there are already 4 varieties of the brand.
By the middle of 2000, after a new advertising campaign was launched, Tolstiak turned into the second most recognized beer brand in the country. New commercials helped Tolstiak win the Audience Award and "Brand of the year - 2000" title.