Brewery profile: Birra del Borgo
Birra del Borgo has been at the forefront of Italian craft brewing from Borgorese, Italy – about 60 miles east of Rome – since 2005. Founded by the CEO, Leonardo di Vicenzo, they’ve been turning out reinterpretations of classic styles ever since
When di Vicenzo saw the potential in opening a brewery he gave up his PhD in biochemistry to follow his passion for craft beer. Drawing inspiration from his travels throughout Europe, he decided that Birra del Borgo should respect the traditional low carbonation, very full-bodied and fruitiness compelling characteristics from the classic beers of Belgium and the UK while also finding innovative ways to put the Birra del Borgo stamp-of-creativity in the bottle.
What we’ve got today are beers which are reminiscent of ancient brewing traditions that feature the Italian touch of local or original ingredients and are designed to complement the time-honoured Italian cuisine. It’s not unusual to find ingredients such as Kentucky Toscano tobacco, spelt, or fresh Brittany oysters in the kettles at Birra del Borgo. Indeed, foraging for interesting things to chuck in the bottle is commonplace.
Leonardo di Vicenzo told Hoptical: “The inspiring idea of Birra del Borgo is characterised by a great passion for reinventing styles, overcoming limits, always coming up with new beers. Quantity, a whole range of productions and producing techniques are our main characteristics.
“I started producing beer just for fun while studying biochemistry at university. The curiosity turned first into passion, and then into a job with the foundation of Birra del Borgo, thanks to trips throughout Europe, exploration and study. The original inspiration leading to the birth of Birra del Borgo comes from British and Belgian beers and we have always wanted the quality in the production.”
A case in point is the aforementioned KeTo Re Porter. It is made with Kentucky Toscano tobacco that imparts some leathery, spicy notes that are really nice on top of the roasty bitterness and creamy mouthfeel. By contrast, the Cortigiana is a gorgeous summer golden ale, perfect for those days when the elusive sun appears (or you’re on holiday in Italy).
The Italian scene itself is growing at a pace, but Leonardo warns of a new trend: the beer firm, contract breweries that takes many of the production costs out for a new brand.
“Craft beer has become popular and fashionable in the last few years, and has then surprisingly and quickly developed different trends and shapes. A great example is the phenomenon of the beer firm, a way of producing beer without even needing a production facility, which has been increasing. The beer scene today is becoming more and more competitive.
“In Italy, the market is saturated, competition is fierce, what matters is trying to differ offering high quality products. Ideas and creativity are important to get to the point, but also stringency, study, travelling, the capacity of looking beyond. Also, thereís a main feature besides the product which I acknowledge only to a few brewers I met: the ability to make themselves ambassadors of the beer culture, working on their territory and showing the great results to their people.”
And now it’s our turn to show off some of these inventive beers, with a wide range on offer at Beer Hawk. Saluti!
THREE TO TRY:
Birra del Borgo / My Antonia / 7.5%
Brewed in collaboration with Dogfish Head, this imperial pils was hopped continuously for 60 minutes. Sweet grain and a hint of honey mingle with tangy lemon peel, floral notes and a fragrant grassiness, making MyAntonia surprisingly refreshing despite its 7.5% ABV.
Birra del Borgo / Re Ale / 6.4%
The Re Ale is a stunning IPA that put Birra del Borgo on the map. Influenced by American IPAs there's no surprise that nice American hop aromas are prominent on the nose. The malts also play a big role with considerable caramel, dates, grainy breads, and biscuit characteristics rising up in both the aroma and flavour. A firm bitterness cuts through the malty-sweetness and lingers just long enough to entice you into the next sip without being overwhelming.
Birra del Borgo / Duchessa / 5.8%
Birra del Borgo's Duchessa is a classic Saison/Farmhouse Ale that is brewed using the ancient grain of spelt in place of any wheat. Whilst spelt is traditionally used in a lot of French and Belgian summer ales it is not considered to be "gluten free," instead it is a suitable substitution for those who have wheat allergies. The straw-coloured Duchessa has prominent malts on the nose alongside a bit of spicy yeast and subtle orange notes. A mostly clean flavour is accentuated by some florals and a bit of spicy pepper.
