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Garrett Oliver introduces his Local 1

As announced some days ago, last night Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, was the guest of bir & fud of Rome, where he charmed the partecipants with its vast experience and his ability to communicate. His attendance, as well as that of other Italian brewers, turned the night in one of those special events that remain in the heart of every fan. So last night was unique, even magical, thanks to the many beers tasted, the wonderful food matchings and mainly the many guests.

Obviously Oliver has explained his two beers for tasting, the Brooklyn Lager and Local 1. The former is a fantastic product in its (apparent) simplicity: a session beer as it should be, without pretense or absurd flights of fancy, but very pleasant to sip. It’s far away from any anonymous lager: it has a beautiful nose, with clean floral and hoppy flavor, while the mouth shows a fantastic balance, which makes it very drinkable. The perfect antithesis of the bad industrial lager? Probably.

Oliver with Manuele Colonna

The second beer, the Local 1, is instead an interpretation made in Brooklyn Brewery of a traditional Belgian Strong Ale. Compared to the Lager, it is clear the intention to propose a product of a different nature: the bottle full of aesthetic details, the fashionable label, the cork, the comparison with the champagne according to Oliver. But in the end I did not particularly liked it, I found it devoid of character, as if the Brooklyn have been trying to make something far away from their predispositions.

Brooklyn Lager and Bonci's artichoke

In addition to its beers, Garrett Oliver spoke of his experience as a brewer and his vision of craft beer. At that moment then before, partecipants were able to appreciate the communication skills of the guest star of the evening, able to convey passion and enthusiasm - an element which is often found in a lot of stars of the American brewing scene. It’s was interesting the idea to compare beers to movies  ( “You can create movies full of special effects, but when you leave  you wonder – what I’ve have just seen? -”). Here a part of his speech:

No matter how great you are (such as brewer) to make great beer. Rather the question is: “What’s in your heart?”, big or small you are. What we try to do – and I believe that is the same for the brewers that tonight are here with me – is to brew truth, our truth, whatever it is. Here today I speak with my Italian colleagues and I see a light in their eyes: that light is the ingredient for making beer imprenscindibile real, passionate and full of heart.

If you want to get rich, not become a brewer. If you want to have fun, if you want to go to work every day proud of what you do and if you want to create something wonderful that makes people happy, then the brewer is the job for you.

Massimiliano Di Prinzo (Maiella brewery)

In an evening with a visitor so important is normal that the spotlight is trained on him. But the event would not have been memorable without the attandence of other brewers. So in turn took the word: Massimiliano Di Prinzio (Maiella), who presented his Magia, describing it as a cross between a Weizen and Blanche; Yuri Ferri (Almond ‘22), who offered a broad overview of its evolution as a brewer, which is crucial for understanding the genesis of his Fredric; Louis Recchia (Opperbacco), which explained his Triplipa; Alberto Canavese (Troll), who has told so funny the origin of his Febbre Alta; Nicola Perra (Barley) who has instructed the patecipants of the complex production behind the BB10; Paolo Fontana (Baladin), which introduced a very special beer like his Xyauyu Fumé and finally Leonardo Di Vincenzo, who explained his Sedicigradi.

Naturally we also drank and ate. The beers just described have been matched with the fantastic dishes born from the genius of Gabriele Bonci and Andrea De Bellis: artichoke, chopped meat, cheese and pepper risotto, veal cheek, Macarones. Moderator of the evening was the excellent Enrico Pozza.

Alberto Canavese (Troll) and behind him Palli (Baladin)

What else to say… again, it was a spectacular event for those who are crazy for beer. Get in touch with a reality so far ahead as the American is always priceless, and the chance to compare it with the Italian movement was a unique added value.

I thank Leonardo Di Vincenzo, Manuele Colonna and the staff of bir&fud, which made this possible, as well as Interbrau, without which we might never could host in Italy an international beer guru like Garrett Oliver.

P.S. The photos of Oliver are courtesy of Mondobirra, where you will find also a report of the evening.