Early in the 50’s, on the 17th of May 1951, KEO plc launches its beer brand. A locally produced lager, that became Cyprus’ local beer ever since. More than half a century later, KEO Beer is closely linked with the island where both locals and visitors declared it as the taste of Cyprus.
KEO Beer has been designed by Czech brew masters based on famous Czech traditional beer recipes well-adjusted to local climatic temperatures with great emphasis on strict hygiene during production. So much importance is given to total sanitation, that the beer needs no pasteurization. KEO is the only beer produced on the island, which is bottled unpasteurised. This same recipe and brewing process is strictly followed to date, preserving KEO Beer’s utmost quality.
KEO Beer is the cornerstone in the growth of Cyprus beer market, which was further developed by the increase of tourism on the island. The Brewery has been constantly upgrading its equipment utilizing state-of-the-art technology. The bottling machinery has a capacity of 36,000 bottles per hour.
KEO is brewed from the finest malt and the choicest hops, traditionally matured, bottled fresh and unpasteurised, gold in colour and unique in taste. In March 1987, KEO Beer was awarded the Gold Medal by the Brewing Industry International Awards, at the World’s Bottled Lager Competition, held at Burton-on-Trent, UK.
 | KEO Beer is available in the following packages: Bottles 330ml and 630ml, in crates of 24 and 12 respectively Cans 330ml and 500ml in multipacks of 6 and 8 Draught Keg 10litres and 25 litres |
The Ingredients
Malt:
Malt is barley specially treated for the brewing. KEO uses selected varieties of barley and imports malt of the finest grade
Hops:
The hop is a climbing plant cultivated for brewing purposes. Its bitter resins and essential oils, give beer its characteristic taste. KEO uses a special blend of superior hop varieties, the quality of which is of great importance to the beer.
Maize:
Maize (corn) is used as a compliment to malt, and gives the beer a lighter colour.
The Process
Milling:
The malted barley is lightly crushed into a coarse powder to allow it to absorb water.
Mashing:
Starch and proteins, are broken down and converted to fermentable sugars. Dissolved in water they give rise to a liquor called “wort” which is then filtered through the bed of husks, allowing it to settle down. It then passes through the perforated bottom of the mash tun to the wort kettle.
Boiling:
The clear wort in the kettle is boiled in stages with hops in order to extract the essential oils and bitter resins.
Mashing and boiling processes are completed in eight hours.
Trub separation and cooling:
Boiled wort is pumped at high velocity to a tank called “whirlpool”. This action creates a centrifugal effect by which all protein; trub and spent hops are collected in the centre of the whirlpool, in the form of a compact “cake”. The clear wort is collected from the edge of the Whirlpool and pumped through a chiller to the fermenting tanks.
Fermentation:
A process by which about 80% of the fermentable sugars of wort are converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide by the natural action of yeast added to the wort.
Fermentation takes about a week and is carried out under strict temperature controled tanks.
Lagering (Maturation):
The “young” fermented beer is transferred to the lager cellars where it spends about six weeks in closed storage tanks at temperatures below zero.
The rest of the sugars are fermented and beer is saturated with carbon dioxide.
Filtration:
Beer passes through polishing filters where all precipitates and yeast are completely eliminated. Then, through sterilising filters, all microorganisms are removed thereby avoiding the need for pasteurisation.
PASTEURISATION is a process that resorts to heating the beer prior to packaging for the purpose of microbiological stability. High temperatures however, affect the taste and aromas of the beer. Through strict hygienic controls, KEO Beer needs no pasteurisation, and it’s the only beer on the island bottled unpasteurised.
Packaging:
KEO Beer finally reaches a state of the art bottling line, with computerised flow control producing 36,000 bottles per hour. Beer is also packed in cans and kegs.
Distribution:
Fresh off the production line, KEO is distributed all over the island and travels to all five continents to be enjoyed by millions of fans around the world.
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Let there be light. With 65 years of brewing experience, KEO presents the first Cypriot Light Beer. Responding to consumer trends and customers in search for genuine products that fit their healthy lifestyles without compromising on taste, KEO Light Beer offers the alternative choice. Sharing the same passion and tradition in brewing, KEO has created a new beer that perfectly balances full taste with less alcohol and less calories. Based on traditional lager recipes, KEO Light is an all malt beer with 3.5% alcohol by volume and only 29 calories per 100ml. Because simply… less is more! |
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Cyprus…The third largest island in the Mediterranean, at the eastern corner of Europe.Washed in sunlight, hot summers, golden beaches and endless hospitality of its people. According to mythology, the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite was born here. Cyprus… Home of KEO Beer. So much identified with the island, its colors and aromas, that rightfully deserves the title of "taste of Cyprus." KEO is undoubtedly one of the most powerful Cypriot symbols that both tourists and locals recall in their memories of beautiful moments spent in Cyprus. A unique piece of Cyprus that forever accompanies foreign visitors and makes all Cypriots proud for more than 60 years. |
Crown Imports/Exports Pty. Ltd.
Preston, Victoria 3072
Tel: +61 3 9462 0177
Fax: +61 3 9462 3288
Email: sales@crownimports.com.au
