Malta is a type of soft drink. It is a carbonated malt beverage, meaning it is brewed from barley, hops, yeast, and water much like beer; corn and caramel color may also be added. However, malta is non-alcoholic. It is similar in color to stout (dark brown) but is very sweet, generally described as tasting like molasses. Unlike beer, ice is often added to malta when consumed. A popular way Latin Americans sometimes drink malta is by mixing it with condensed or evaporated milk, thus increasing the drink's already high caloric value. Most malta is brewed in the Caribbean and can be purchased in areas with substantial Hispanic populations. Malta is also popular in some English and Dutch speaking islands of the Caribbean. However, malta is brewed worldwide, and can be found in many parts of Africa like Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and in the Indian Ocean. Malta Guinness is brewed under license internationally. Malta originated in Germany, as Malzbier ("malt beer"), a malty dark beer whose fermentation was interrupted at circa 2% ABV, leaving quite a lot of residual sugars in the finished beer. Up to the 1950s, Malzbier was considered a fortifying food for nursing mothers, recovering patients, the elderly etc. Malzbier in its native form was finally superseded during the 1960s by its modern form, formulated from water, glucose syrup, malt extract and hops extract, which had been on the market since the latter half of the 19th Century, notably in Denmark. Such formulated drinks are to be called Malztrunk ("malt beverage") according to German law, since they aren't fermented. In colloquial use, Malzbier has nevertheless remained, along with other nicknames such as Kinderbier ("children's beer"). Some native Malzbiere can still be enjoyed in Germany, notably in Cologne, where the taps of breweries Malzmühle and Sion sell it alongside their traditional Kölsch. Many German breweries have a malta in their range, sometimes produced under licence (for example Vitamalz). Malta is also occasionally called "champagne cola" by some brands. However, there is a separate type of drink with this name, having a flavor and consistency more akin to cream soda. Despite this appellation, neither drink is a champagne or a cola. Due to its distinctive color, malta is sometimes known as black brewed beer. Malta is high in B vitamins. Some breweries, like Albani Breweries Ltd of Denmark, fortify their non-alcoholic malta beverages with Vitamin B complex. Albani Breweries Ltd claims on their website to have been the first brewery to create non-alcoholic malt beverages in 1859. [1]
Brands of malta
- Extracto de Malta
- Karamalz (Germany)
- La Alemana Extracto de Malta Morena (Puerto Rico)
- Malt Star (Israel)
- Malta Amstel
- Malta Balashi
- Malta del Barú (Panama)
- Malta Bohio (Cuba)
- Malta Bucanero (Cuba)
- Malta Caracas (Venezuela)
- Malta Carib
- Malta Coloso
- Malta Corona (Puerto Rico {No longer available})
- Malta Econo
- Malta El Sol (Cuba)
- Malta Estrella
- Malta Goya
- Malta Goya Light
- Malta Grande
- Malta Goya (Lion Brewery, Pennsylvania, US)
- Malta Goya (Puerto Rico, US)
- Malta Goya light (Puerto Rico, US)
- Malta Guinness
- Malta Hatuey (Cuban American)
- Malta Heineken
- Malta India (Dominican Republic)
- Malta India (Puerto Rico)
- Malta India Light (Puerto Rico)
- Malta Leona (Colombia)
- Malta Maltex (Denmark)
- Malta Mareli (Guatemala)
- Malta Mayabe (Cuba)
- Malta Morena (Dominican Republic)
- Malta Morenita
- Maltín Polar (Venezuela)
- Malta Princesa
- Malta Regional (Venezuela)
- Malta Siboney (Cuban American))
- Malta Sunchy (Cuban American)
- Malta Vigor (Panama)
- Maltextrakt (Iceland)
- Malty (Israel)
- Nesher Gold Malt(Israel)
- Pony Malta (Colombia, Barranquilla)
- Powermalt - Power Malt Extra Energy (Denmark)
- Powermalt - Vanilla Power Malt (Denmark)
- Malta Regal
- Super Malta (Panama)
- Tiger Malt (Barbados)
- Vitamalt (Denmark) plus ginger- and lemon-flavoured versions.
- Vitamalz (Germany, brewed in various locations by regional breweries under aglobal convention)
- Vitarroz Malta (Lion Brewery, Pennsylvania, US)
- Egils Maltextrakt (Iceland)
- Víking Maltöl (Iceland)
- Okocim Karmi (Poland) and recent further versions of it, aimed at women, flavoured with coffee & vanilla, chocolate, raspberry etc.
