Ochakovo is a Russian beverage company producing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Focused mainly on the production of beer and kvas, Ochakovo ranks among the leaders in the latter category within the Russian Federation, being the second largest brand by market share in 2018.[1] In addition to its own brands, Ochakovo produces drinks wholesale for Russian retailers such as X5 Retail Group.
 | |
| Company type | Joint-stock company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Alexei Kochetov (president, majority stakeholder) |
| Products | Beer, kvas, juice, cocktails, soda, mineral water, wine, medovukha, energy drinks, vodka |
| Website | www.ochakovo.ru |
History edit
Ochakovo was originally founded in 1978 as the Московский пиво-безалкогольный комбинат (Moscow beer and non-alcoholic [beverages] plant), a state-owned company, with a view to producing beverages for participants and spectators in the upcoming 1980 Moscow Olympics. In 1993 the plant was privatised, becoming a joint-stock company.[2] While the firm maintains a respectable position within Russia, and has managed to open up foreign markets since the dissolution of the USSR, Ochakovo has slowly been losing market share in both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage segments under pressure from multinational competitors such as Carlsberg, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo as well as from newer Russian firms such as Deka,[2] going from holding a 39% of the market share for kvas production in 2009[3] to 18% in 2018.[1]
In the aftermath of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the company announced it was introducing a new line of soft drinks, allegedly intended as a substitute, or at least as competition, for Western brands that are expected to either withdraw from the Russian market or progressively reduce their production. In May 2022 Ochakovo launched Cool Cola (cola-flavoured), Fancy (orange-flavoured) and Street (lemon and lime-flavoured) as substitutes for Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Fanta and Mirinda, and Sprite and 7 Up, respectively.[4] In June of the same year the company announced plans to launch apple cider production in the territory of Krasnodar Krai under the brand name Will's, with a view to replacing the main cider producers in the country, Heineken and Carlsberg, who announced their withdrawal from the Russian market.[5]
Museum of Traditional Beverages edit
The company also operates the Museum of Traditional Russian Beverages. Opened in 2005, the museum claims to be the only one of its kind in Russia, exhibiting kvas- and beer-making tools and equipment, different brewing procedures and offering a degustation of the company's products.[6]
Brands edit
Excluding production for retail chains, Ochakovo sells their products under the following brands, according to the company's website (in Russian):
Beer:
- Zhigulyovskoe
- 456
- L.E.P.
- Sekret Pivovara
- Yachmenny Kolos
- Khalzan (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
- Steppenwolf
- Altstein
- Zlatovice
- Ledokol (strong beers)
- Ochakovo
- Pugach
Bottled water:
- Gorny khrustal'
Carbonated drinks:
- Reddot (Cola with no refined sugars)
Cocktails:
- BlackMix
- Mokhito
- Ochakovo
- RedRay
Energy drinks:
- Fitoenerdzhi (kvas with guarana)
- Powran
Hard seltzers:
- Street
Juice:
- Sochnaya komanda
- Goodini
- Akh! (traditional Russian flavours such as tarkhun)
- Mokhito
- Street
- CoolCola
- Fancy
Kvas:
- Kvasyonok (alcohol-free kvas for children)
- Ochakovsky
- Semeyny sekret
Medovukha:
- Medovukha polusladkaya
- Medovukha traditsionnaya
Vodka:
- Ochakovskaya
- Zapal
Wines:
- Avtokhtonnoe
- Butterfly
- Kuban
- Tamani
- Yubileynoe
References edit
- ^ a b "Kvas is defrosting (in Russian)". Kommersant. 24 June 2018. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ a b "A stubborn brewer: how the owner of Ochakovo fights against the big corporations (in Russian)". RBK Group. Archived from the original on 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- ^ "Ochakovo presents its new premium kvas "Veranda" (in Russian)". Economic Information Agency PRIME. 25 May 2010. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "Russia unveils domestic rivals to Coca Cola, Fanta and Sprite". The Moscow Times. 16 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- ^ ""Ochakovo" plans to launch production of apple cider (in Russian)". Kommersant. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
- ^ "Museum of Traditional Russian Beverages". Privatemuseums.ru. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2022-05-22.