Alcohol, Estonia, Legislation, Markets and Companies

The definition proposed by the brewers says kvass – kali to Estonian language purists – is a beverage derived from fermentation of rye bread and/or malted rye, sugar and water and containing no more than 1.2% alcohol, informs LETA/news.err.ee. 

The definition was proposed a year ago when the two big brewers Saku and A. le Coq introduced their versions of the traditional beverage. 

Kali – all but about five brands – is currently also being produced from kali extract or concentrate. "These can certainly not be called kali," said Tarmo Noop, chairman of the board of A. le Coq.

On June 16, the five largest soft drink manufacturers wrote a letter to the Minister of Agriculture, in which Ants Kotkas, head of the supervisory board of Tallinna Karastusoogid AS said he felt it was wrong to distinguish based on production method. He said the fermentation method can be used only at large breweries, and soft drink manufacturers do not have the equipment. Valtu Vein, Coca-Cola Eesti, Värska Vesi and Gutta's distributor in Estonia, NP Foods, were the co-signers.

Last year nine million liters of kali was sold, with unfermented kali holding a 55% market share. 

Minister of Agriculture Helir-Valdor Seeder appears to side with the brewers, saying: "Kali is a naturally fermented beverage that also contains a certain amount of alcohol."