What is craft beer?
THE BREWING TRADITION IN THE CIUC BASIN GOES BACK HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
So, if we talk about tradition, our brewery is the best place to find the answer to the question: what makes a beer craft?
The craft nature of a beer is determined by the raw materials from which it is made. Craft beer is brewed from natural ingredients in strict accordance with the Bavarian Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) of 1516: barley malt, water and hops. No other additives, preservatives, enzymes or even pasteurisation
operations are added to the beer.
In selecting the basic ingredients for our beer, the main consideration is quality, so we buy our ingredients from local Szekler producers. Another key element in the production of our products is the crystal clear water typical of the region.
WHAT MAKES US A SMALL CRAFT BREWERY?
Temperature and weather are also very important factors in the production of Csíki Sör /Ciuc Beer/. Unlike most large-scale producers, we spend more time on the natural maturation process of the beer. Among other things, our most famous beer, Tiltott Csíki Sör /Ciuc Forbidden Beer/, is left unstirred for 30 days in the fermentation tank, during which time the natural carbon
dioxide and the alcohol content is formed. After that follows the filtering and bottling process.
The preservation is carried out using fine filters instead of pasteurisation, just like for quality wines. In contrast, given these considerations, most large-scale producers store beer juice for only 5 days and speed up the process by using artificial substances and enzymes.
CHANGES IN THE BEER MARKETING REGULATION FOR 2021 AND 2022
Under the 2020 amendment to the CLXIV Trade Law of 2005, which is still in force, all food service establishments selling beverages must sell at least 20% of the beer produced by small (craft) breweries. From 1 August 2021, the Competition and Economic Authority will monitor compliance with the law, which means that all existing and new contracts will have to be concluded or re-concluded on this basis.