JSC “Latvijas balzams’’ has used over 130 tons of various natural and herbal origin ingredients for production in 2016 besides the wine and ethanol. The amount of natural ingredients has grown by 30% in last two years. The largest category is natural juices that amounted into 95 tons last year.
Already a long-term
cooperation has been established with local producers – last year we
purchased 4.5 tons of dried apple, 0.6 tons of honey, 6 tons of dried
blueberries locally. The geopgraphy of raw materials is very broad, the
most exotic ones are delivered even from Cameroon and Indonesia.
Consumers
around the world are increasingly focused on the health issues. No
matter how strange it may sound, consumers are looking for healthy
alcoholic beverages on the shelf as well. It has created demand for
natural ingredients; people pay attention to calories, alcohol and sugar
in drinks. That is why our drink recipes are based on natural juice
concentrates and self made extracts of natural origin.
Last year we have purchased over 40 tons of natural blackcurrant juice concentrate; 7.2 tons of Arabica coffee beans; 2.3 tons of ginger root; 160 kg of Linden blossom and other natural ingredients.