Baku: The International Taste Institute has awarded the “Superior Taste Award 2025” to “Xirdalan Draft Premium,” a premium product from Azerbaijan’s leading beer brand.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the International Taste Institute, based in Brussels, collaborates with over 250 chefs and sommeliers from esteemed culinary institutions worldwide. The ‘Superior Taste Award’ is an esteemed mark of excellence within the food and beverage sector, recognizing products that excel in appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and aftertaste. These attributes are evaluated through blind tastings conducted without packaging or branding.

Launched in 2024, Xirdalan Draft Premium is a pasteurized lager beer crafted without preservatives and brewed using cold cooking technology, resulting in a smooth flavor profile. It has quickly become a consumer favorite in Azerbaijan, known for its soft hop aroma and premium taste.

The Chief Brewer of Carlsberg Azerbaijan, Parviz Baghirov, expressed pride in the beer’s international recognition: ‘It is a proud achievement for us that a beer brewed in Azerbaijan, with barley grown in our own fields, has been recognized by one of the world’s most prestigious taste institutes. The main novelty of last year – Xirdalan Draft Premium gained popularity quickly, and we believed in its potential to succeed on the international stage. This award proves that Azerbaijani beer can meet and exceed global expectations.’

Carlsberg Azerbaijan, the producer of Xirdalan beer, has been utilizing local barley in its beer production since 2021. The brewery, located in Xirdalan, 10 kilometers from Baku, has a production capacity of 8 million decaliters per year. It employs over 230 people directly and has generated more than 3,000 jobs in related sectors such as suppliers, retail, and hospitality. The company has invested approximately 75 million manats into the brewery’s development, with a portfolio including brands like ‘Xirdalan’, ‘Carlsberg’, ‘Tuborg’, ‘Kronenbourg Blanc 1664’, and ‘Afsana’.