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The Italian breweries keep working on their recipes and, sometimes, on completely new beers. We must, from time to time, take a look at the new products, and this time many news came from renowned breweries. We going to start from some seasonal, namely the Christmas beer from Bad Attitude, called Rudolph. Its most important feature does not affect senses, but the fact of being connected to a commendable initiative of social solidarity.

All the incomes will be donated to a Bolognese association called Piazza Grande, which helps homeless. For more information please look at the post on the Bad Attitude blog. Talking about solidarity, I want to mention the Hibu brewery, which will donate part of the incomes of its NatAle to Emergency. It is not a new beer, but it seemed to me right to point this initiative out.

Not only Xmas beers out there… Recently, the Bi-Du brewery, located in Olgiate Comasco (CO), announced their latest creation on their Facebook profile. It’s called Pils 69 and it’s obviously inspired by the classic Czech style, even if being the brewer Beppe Vento an hop-head it is likely that the hop will be well beyond the standard of the category.

The name did not contain any particular malice, but refers to the occasion (an anniversary) for which they created the beer, which will be available only on tap. In the presentation message there is also room for an enigmatic anticipation:

Here comes the Pils 69: nothing to do with pornstar and alike but simply a beer to celebrate an anniversary with plenty of hop. Only on tap, so do not worry about the label! Moreover our brew master had a dream last night. We are already arrange things to make it drinkable!

Although winter is not particularly suitable for Pils, I can’t wait to taste it.

Talking of “off-season” beers we report the 6sonIPA by Opperbacco, created by Luigi Recchiuti in collaboration with Leonardo Di Vincenzo from Birra del Borgo. I’ve already wrote of it in recent days , but mention it allows me to continue on the theme of collaboration beers. Among the new Italian beers should be included Birra Felix, brewed by the Sorrento brewery and the Karma brewery on the occasion of a Naples fair.

Here’s how it is described by Luigi D’Alise:

This is a blonde 8% ABV ale brewed with continuous hopping that gives an intense ripe exotic fruit aroma.

When I hear about strong hopping and ripe tropical fruit in the same sentence I immediately think about New Zealand hop Nelson Sauvin, which is now almost essential for Italian and foreign brewers. I wonder if it has been used in this beer as well…

To conclude the parentheses on collaborations I heard about Gina, brewed by Birra del Borgo, Baladin and the American Dogfish Head . I know very little about this beer and I think it will be available only in the U.S.

Let’s head Tuscany, where about a month ago, Moreno Ercolani, L’Olmaia brew-master announced on his blog the launch of a new project concerning wood aging, a recently quite common fashion in Italy. Thanks to the contribution of Cantina Salcheto, L’Olmaia will create a new line, consisting of all its standard beers aged in barrels of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The first release will be the BK, their Stout.

To explain in detail the idea, I report some excerpts from the article by Emanuele Coen appeared in recent days on the Venerdì de La Repubblica:

The first 600 liters of beer were put in two 300-liter 2008 fine-grained oak from Allier forest barrels on October 28th. In those barrels Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese Montepulciano) had been aged for 18 months. [...]

In four months the first “Beer in the Vino Nobile” should be born by the joint venture L’Olmaia - Salcheto, for a circulation of 1,200 half-liter bottles.

Nothing new under the Italian sun, but the fact that the winery Salcheto not only will provide the barrels, but will regularly monitor the evolution of beer is quite promising. The brewery will therefore have the chance to monitor the situation every week, along with the oenologist and all the winery staff.