in the USA (the Dortmunder/European Export category). In December 2001, the Švyturys and Utenos Alus breweries merged to become Švyturys-Utenos Alus AB. In 2001, Švyturys Ekstra was awarded a gold medal in the World Beer Cup in the United States (the Dortmunder category). In 2002, Švyturys Baltijos won bronze in the World Beer Cup in the United States (the Oktoberfest/Märzen category). In 2003, the first beer in the Traditional Collection was brewed in Klaipėda: Baltas wheat beer. In 2004, Švyturys Ekstra was awarded a gold medal in the Stockholm beer festival (Lager category). In 2004, regular exports of Švyturys Ekstra to the United States began. In 2004, Jubiliejinis 1784 premium lager was brewed using the Krӓusening process to commemorate the brewery's anniversary. According to a 2004 survey by AC Nielsen, Švyturys is considered not only the best beer produced in Lithuania (96 per cent of respondents), but also a Lithuanian product that merits national pride (83 per cent of respondents). In 2005, Švyturys Ekstra Draught became the only gold medallist in the beer category of the Lithuanian Product of the Year 2005 contest organised by the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists. Since 2005, Švyturys has invited visitorsto the brewery's exhibition. In 2007, the Švyturys Brewery started brewing Adler Bock, a Bock-style beer. In 2008, Švyturys Baltijos won the Big Gold Medal and Švyturys Baltas the Small Silver Medal at the international Siberian Fair. In 2009, three of the Švyturys Brewery's beers – Švyturys Ekstra Draught, Švyturys Baltas and Švyturys Baltijos – were awarded silver and gold medals at the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA). In 2009, Švyturys Baltas wheat beer won the silver award in the World Beer Championships 2009, an international beer tasting contest organised by the independent Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago (USA). In 2009 to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the brewery, the brewers at Švyturys introduced the Švyturys Traditional Collection – classic beers inold-fashioned embossed bottles. In 2009, Švyturys Nefiltruotas beer was first bottled in the Švyturys Brewery. In 2011, the dark Baltijos beer and the naturally strong Adler Bock from the Švyturys Traditional Collection each received the highest 3-star Superior Taste Award from the Brussels-based International Taste & Quality Institute (iTQi), which unites the best European chefs and sommeliers In 2011, the dark Švyturys Baltijos and the naturally strong Švyturys Adler Bock won the highest 3-star Superior Taste Award in the iTQi contest. In 2012, the