Baltika completed an expedition to the Altai Mountains in search of promising hops

The Baltika Brewing Company, Altai State University and the Magnum hop growing company have completed a scientific expedition to Gorny Altai to search for promising samples of wild hops that can become the basis for unique beers. This was reported in the press service of Baltika on August 28.

The expedition route stretched for more than 1.3 thousand km and covered 17 districts of the Altai Territory and the Altai Republic. The researchers studied about 500 hop specimens, collected a herbarium and samples for genetic analysis. According to the results of the work, the specialists selected 53 promising samples from eight districts. The rhizomes will be planted in the Tula region and in the South Siberian Botanical Garden in Barnaul to explore the potential in different climatic conditions.

"Baltika's efforts are aimed at developing unique hop varieties that will become an important part of Russian brewing. The expedition opens up new prospects for the entire industry, and the joint efforts of business and science are an important step towards creating a high—quality domestic product," said Igor Matveev, the company's leading expert.

Mikhail Khlynovsky, Director of Business Development at Magnum, added that such initiatives help to bring the country's raw material independence closer.

"It is extremely important for Russia to create hop varieties that are resistant to diseases and capable of providing the market with its own planting material," Khlynovsky said.

Olga Mironenko, Director of the Altai Center for Applied Biotechnology at AltGU, stressed that cooperation with business makes it possible to scale developments and obtain high-quality domestic hops capable of replacing foreign raw materials.

"The request of our industrial partner also shapes our need to grow, develop and scale developments," she added.

Since 2017, Baltika has been researching the topic of hop cultivation in Russia. The hop breeding project is part of Baltika's comprehensive agricultural hop growing program, which also includes expanding the area of hop farms in Russia and developing a hop processing system.

Baltika Fest Food Festival: where and when it will be held, how to get there

A large-scale celebration of food, music and emotions will be held for the first time

On September 13, the Baltika Fest gastrofestival will be held at the Igora Drive autodrome in St. Petersburg. The event will be headlined by Russian rock legend Chaif, the cult band of the 1990s and 2000s Avaria Disco and singer Marie Crymbreri.

Guests can enjoy master classes and gastro shows, food and drinks, as well as live performances and interactive entertainment. Tickets for the gastrofestival can be purchased at the online ticket offices and on the website of the Igora Drive complex. The cost is 3 thousand rubles.

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