Slow Beer, Italian Beer: Interview with Slow food beer guide editor Eugenio Signorni

What’s the relationship between slow-food and beer?

The relationship between Slow-food and beer is quite unique, and we have to understand it in the context of worldwide craft beer movement. Beer is a “strange” product that its ingredients are often relied on import. We rarely see a pure 100% local made beer. It is highly related to industrial style products. But we care more about the “consciousness” of brewers, craft beer has strong characteristics of against huge food industry, for example, the head brewer/ founder of Brooklyn brewery gave some definitions of craft beer value. These values match slow-food ideology, so we decided to launch slow-food beer guide project in 2008.

Beer is the most ancient drink known to man. It is an important part of gastronomic culture that connects history, society and transformation of dining together. It is also related to human migration and industrialization, just let us think how Czech Pilsner communicate to US, and became a big industry. In contemporary Italy, beer has become more and more important, you cannot neglect it while trying to describe the gastronomic landscape.

Please introduce the Slow Food beer guide to readers.

This is the 6th version of this beer guide. We visited every brewery in Italy panorama with 110 staffs to complete it. We provide newest information about Italy beers.

We have to admit it is impossible for everyone to have the same taste about one product, let alone a variety of beer. Everyone is born with different palate. But these 110 people have the same goal, which is a demonstration of what Italy beer is and its possibility, it is not a challenge or competition for breweries.

You have to dilute your personal preference, and be very aware what you are doing. Your palate is professional palate, not personal ones, so it is not really related to you like it or not. You have to keep in mind that a consistent ground in promoting different kinds of beer.

Compare to other liquor, what is the most unique and charming characteristic you find in beer?

Comparing to other liquor, beer has relatively low alcohol percentage by volume. So people can drink a lot and for a long time. That is why people enjoy beers. For me, beer is like a recipe, it is brewed by people from different cultures and countries. Which is why beer has so many different styles, diverse colors, variety of aromas and flavors. And that in my opinion is the most unique and charming characteristic of beer.

What is the most original and local type of beer in Italy?

I would say Italy grape ale. It is very local and a typical Italian craft beer, using various kinds of Italian grapes and wine barrels, combined with the elegance from barley and grapes. It is important to make a variety of local beer in craft beer movement. And, the “Italian taste” which inherited from our culture, art and beautiful things effects the way we create things and make cuisine. Beer is one of it, beer is also part of Italy landscape.

Is it true that Italy market love sour beer?

Since the craft beer only occupy 5% of the whole beer market, I tend to be more careful when describing that Italy market has a preference about sour beer. But, Italy has strong tradition of making wine, and Slow Food had involved in the sour beer movement in recent years. Italy is the second largest consumption country of Belgium beer next to the United States. These factors indicates Italians have good understanding of sour beer flavor in unique food system.

Recommend us some craft beer that best describe the charismatic of Italy

BB Boom / Barley brewery

Using local Sardinia Cannonau grape specie to make this grape ale. Food paring: BBQ, chocolate cakes.

Mummia/ Montegiaco Brewery

Aged with IGP barrels, an excellent sour grape ale. Food paring: cured meat, fried vegetables

Tipopils/ Italiano brewery

Food paring: fried things

Beerbrugna/ Lovebeer Brewery

This is the beer and brewery can only exist in Italy. An aged wild sour beer with plum added.

NE IPA/ CRACK Brewery

A good example about how Italy craft brewery try new things.