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74<br />
Valmiermuižas<br />
Dzirnavu iela 2<br />
Valmiermuiža<br />
valmiermuiza.lv<br />
@valmiermuiza<br />
production stats of the brewery in 2010<br />
470<br />
thousand litres<br />
brewed annually<br />
0.3 %<br />
of total<br />
Latvian <strong>beer</strong> volume<br />
In Valmiermuižas web page you will find a story that <strong>beer</strong> has been brewed in<br />
Valmiermuiža area for centuries, trying to convince the consumer that the establishment<br />
of the new brewery was a continuation of a very famous brewing tradition. It is a pity<br />
that makers of Valmiermuiža have made so much effort to surround themselves with<br />
fairy tales and half-fake legends. Pity because their <strong>beer</strong> is good and it does not actually<br />
need any of them.<br />
Although there were several breweries in the beginning of 20th century in Valmiera<br />
area, there is no evidence that one was located where Valmiermuižas brew currently is.<br />
It is one of the most recent of Latvian breweries - its owners invested more than 3 million<br />
euros, one third of this EU funds, to build and equip a completely new brewery. In 2011,<br />
the capacity of the brewery was doubled, by installing new fermentation tanks.<br />
The cap of Valmiermuiža <strong>beer</strong><br />
1764 has nothing to do with the current brewery, however<br />
it is possible to see the remains of the tower shown in the<br />
cap and the gate just accross the road from the brewery<br />
building<br />
The brewery is located just outside Valmiera, in a rather interesting surroundings - historic<br />
premises of Valmiermuiža manor. Not much has been left from the manor as it was<br />
destroyed during the both World Wars - mostly pictureque ruins and fences remain.<br />
Valmiermuižas brewery is one of the few in Latvia that succeeds in attracting customers<br />
by actively encouraging drinkers of their <strong>beer</strong> to visit the brewery - apart from Užavas,<br />
the only in Latvia to do so. There is no doubt that in a short period of time it has become<br />
one of the favourite tourist destinations in Valmiera area. Recently the brewery also<br />
added a shop next to the brewery as well as one in Riga (open up till 22.00) that sell not<br />
only Valmiermuižas <strong>beer</strong>s, but also ‘natural’ sauna essentials and snacks and cheeses to<br />
complement <strong>beer</strong> - most notable being the cookies from spent grain, these are truly a<br />
magnificent treat and a must if visting the brewery.<br />
Valmiermuiža brewery<br />
The brownish building in the centre is the brewery and it has been newly built while the white<br />
building to the left remains from pre-brewery times and houses a shop that sells not only <strong>beer</strong>, but<br />
sauna essentials and snacks and is used also as a storage.<br />
I would also encourage everyone to fall under Valmiermuižas spell and pay the visit. It<br />
is worth noting that also English tours (even during weekends) are possible and you can<br />
kill two birds with one stone, as another interesting brewery - Abula (Brenguļu) is just<br />
some 10-15 km from Valmiermuiža, on the other side of Valmiera. Even more - on the<br />
way to Valmiera even a third brewery visit - to Brālis brewery can be added.<br />
sights and attractions around the brewery<br />
A large park and a lonely ruin is all that remains of a former Valmiermuiža manor today.<br />
However, just a few kilometres away there is a town of Valmiera – the largest town of<br />
Vidzeme region with enough activities to fill at least a day, if not the entire weekend.<br />
• www.valmiera.lv<br />
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