Brewery «SHO» from Mykolaiv is among the Top 3 most developed breweries in Ukraine according to Forbes

The Mykolaiv craft brewery «SHO» is one of the three fastest growing small breweries in Ukraine according to Forbes Ukraine. The company from Kherson topped the ranking.

The study was published on the publication's website.

According to Forbes Ukraine, in 2024, small craft beer producers increased production by 10%, which is twice as fast as the entire Ukrainian beer market. However, they are still far behind the big players in terms of sales. Thus, according to the Association of Independent Brewers, the craft beer market in 2024 was worth UAH 1.2 billion, while «Carlsberg Ukraine» alone earned UAH 12.5 billion. There are 117 small breweries competing for a 2.5% market share.

The ranking includes companies that meet the definition of a small beer producer according to the Law of Ukraine «On Alcoholic Beverages» (3817-IX of 18 June 2024). These are breweries that produce no more than 1 million litres of beer per year, received more than UAH 10 million in revenue in 2024 and increased their revenue by more than 25%.

The Mykolaiv brewery «SHO» took second place in the ranking, behind only the Kherson company «Drofa».

History of the brewery «»

The «SHO» brewery was founded in 2017 in Mykolaiv by entrepreneur Dmytro Voloshchenko. From the very beginning, the business faced difficulties - local consumers were not ready to buy beer more expensive than the popular imported brands of large companies like Heineken. As a result, they had to close three stores in their hometown, leaving only a small taproom.

The periods of the COVID-19 pandemic and the beginning of the full-scale invasion, when Mykolaiv was left without water for several months, were also difficult for the company. However, beer from Mykolaiv quickly conquered the capital's market, with most sales coming from Kyiv.

«SHO» positions itself as a producer of mid-priced beer. Currently, the brewery produces about 200,000 litres of beer per year and has more than 630 points of sale across Ukraine.

As a reminder, in January-July 2025, 47 entrepreneurs in Mykolaiv region received UAH 370.7 million in value added tax refunds from the state budget.