Demand for "Valmiermuižas alus" grows by 64% in the first months of the year "Valmiermuižas alus" opens a new beer cellar

In the first four months of the year the demand for "Valmiermuižas alus", compared with the first four months of the last year, has grown largely – by 64%. Just now the company has finished the construction of the new beer cellar and today – a month away from the summer solstice celebration – the beer matured in the new cellar is put on sale.

Within the period from the beginning of January until the end of April, 195,728 litres of Valmiermuiža beer were sold, compared to 119,114 litres sold last year during the same period. However, by building its new cellar the craft brewery is getting ready for even greater increase in demand. During the time before summer solstice celebration in June, the demand for beer traditionally grows about five times.

"I hope that we will not run out of beer this summer," says Aigars Ruņģis, the landlord "Valmiermuižas alus". "Although we have doubled our capacity with building the new beer cellar I would still invite our beer lovers to stock up for celebration in due time. The expiry date on our beer bottles lets customers to purchase beer for summer solstice right now. As well as the unpasteurized beer reservations can be made in our brewery shops – in Valmiermuiža brewery or in Valdemāra Pasāža, in Rīga."

As said previously, over the past years the demand for "Valmiermuižas alus" during pre-holiday season largely exceeded the supply. That is the main reason why "Valmiermuižas alus" started to build the new beer cellar already in February. With the beer cellar put into operation "Valmiermuižas alus" will double its capacity. Now the company can mature and put on sale up to 110,000 litres beer monthly. Investments made in the beer cellar construction amount to 190,000 lats and consist of the secured loan from Swedbank and the brewery owners' assets. It is planned that the investments will be recovered in 8 years time. 

"With the construction of the new beer cellar we are pursuing all existing brewing traditions of "Valmiermuižas alus". As before the beer is being made slowly – fermented and matured for four weeks, and is not pasteurized. We use the same boiling pots and the same beer maturing and ripening technologies. As the result from both cellars we get beer with identical taste and aroma bouquet. It has also been certified by scrupulous two-week expert tastings," A. Ruņģis expresses satisfaction.

With the construction of the new beer cellar "Valmiermuižas alus" plans to double its market share to approximately 0.8%. So far the maximum capacity of the brewery has been 55,000 litres per month meeting about 0.4% of the Latvian beer market.

"We are and we would like to stay a craft brewery and our aim is not to exceed 1% of the Latvian beer market. The Valmiermuiža beer lovers are beer gourmands who appreciate high quality and rich taste bouquet. That is why we brew small volumes, do it slowly and put every effort into promoting beer culture so that beer could take its seat of honour in festivities and celebrations as it used to be in olden times," says A. Ruņģis. "Therefore when we reach 1% of Latvian beer market share we will develop in other gourmand attractive ways, for example, by producing non-alcoholic refreshing drinks and offering exciting gastronomic tourism routes.

"VALMIERMUIŽAS ALUS" HAS CLOUSED THE YEAR 2010 WITH PROFIT

The audited data show that "Valmiermuižas alus" has closed the year 2010 with a profit. "Valmiermuižas alus" has doubled the volume of sold beer and turnover, compared with the year 2009. The audited data show that the company has closed the year with a turnover of 583,378 lats and a profit of 6155 lats.

Additional Information

Elīna Kuzmina, Valmiermuiža Brewery Spokesperson

Phone +371 26107337, E-mail: elina@valmiermuiza.lv