AB InBev is going to launch Chernigivske, one of the most popular Ukrainian beer brands, in several European countries. The launch has already started in the UK and will soon be followed by other European countries including Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands.
The beer was named after and first brewed in the city of Chernihiv, 150 km northeast of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. After the invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24, the city was completely encircled by Russian forces, but the troops withdrew in early April. Other Ukrainian breweries in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv brewing also Chernigivske beer have also come under attack from Russian forces.
Now, AB InBev that runs a joint venture with Turkish brewer Anadolu Efes in the Ukraine and Russia since 2018 (inside.beer, 30.3.2018) has decided to brew Chernigivske at various of its own breweries in Europe, including Germany and Belgium.
The brewery giant, that has been heavily critized for - unlike other international brewing groups - sticking to its commitment in Russia (inside.beer, 11.04.2022), has announced that it will donate “at least USD 5 million from this initiative” to designated non-governmental organisations including Caritas International, “to support humanitarian relief efforts.”
The launch was led by Anna Rudenko, Marketing Director of Chernigivske, who fled to Belgium with part of her family last month because of the war in her home country. “This initiative is very important to me,” she said. “I hope many people will love this beer as we do and support humanitarian relief efforts.”
Chernigivske has been enjoyed by generations of Ukrainians,” she added. “As a brewer, we can use our daily interactions with consumers to bring this beer to market and enable consumers to support humanitarian relief efforts.”
