Ukraine, a country with a population approaching 46 million, is located on the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. Once considered the breadbasket of the Soviet Union, this vast territory has a relatively short beer history when compared with its western neighbors. The Lviv Brewery, founded in 1715, is the oldest. Of several dozen domestic brands available today, three big companies share the market with Lvivska: Chernigivske, Pshenychne Etalon (gold medal winners at the 2004 World Beer Cup), and Obolon, the first Ukrainian brewer to export to the United States. Started in 1980, Obolon continues to lead its competitors in volume.

Recently, the world’s largest brewing companies have taken an interest in Ukraine. The Lvivska Pyvovarnia brewery is now part of the Carlsberg Group (previously Baltic Beverages Holding), which also includes the Slavutych brewery in Kyiv (Kiev). SUN In-Bev, the Russian unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev, operates three breweries in Ukraine, and in 2008 SABMiller acquired Donetsk-based CJSC Sarmat in an effort to gain a foothold in this fast-growing beer market. At present, the majority of imported beer comes from Russia, whereas Ukraine exports its own products to surrounding countries—nearly 10 times what it imports.

Lager, typically low-alcohol brands and inexpensive varieties commonly sold in plastic bottles, remains popular, although a law passed by Ukraine’s parliament in 2010 restricts low-alcohol consumption and sales, going so far as to ban the sale of beverages such as fruity “beer mixes” aimed at younger drinkers. In the past decade brewpubs, especially in the capital of Kyiv, have begun to offer a wider variety of styles including amber ales, darker porters, and the occasional stout.