Hoppy revolution brewing in Russia

Craft beer boom hits vodka capital

Pint by frothy pint, a hoppy revolution is brewing in Russia.

This new generation of craft brewers began sprouting in the vodka capital of the world as foreign beers became too expensive and beer fans sought alternatives to mass-produced lagers. From juicy IPAs to velvety stouts and lip-smacking sours, beers served at breweries that opened in recent years in cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg offer visitors and locals alike the styles popularized in the last two decades by the craft beer boom in the U.S. and Europe.

Many breweries started after the currency collapse of 2014, when imported beer prices skyrocketed and supply fell.

“There was almost nothing being brought from outside,’’ said Alex Korobkov, co-owner of the Zagovor brewery and the RULE Taproom in central Moscow. “So people decided to brew something they had tried outside of Russia.’’ Korobkov and a group of friends started Zagovor — “Conspiracy’’ in Russian — in 2014.

Today, there are over 100 craft breweries in Russia, said Nikita Filippov, co-founder of AF Brew in St. Petersburg, founded in 2012 and one of the craft beer pioneers in Russia. But Filippov said that only around two dozen breweries have their own production capacities or long-term contractual base.

“If nothing dramatic happens in the Russian economics, hops and malt import policies, or beer restriction legislation, the future for craft beer in Russia is promising,’’ said Filippov.