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Sometimes I read interesting news but on which it’s difficult to create an entire article. Other times the news are so much that it’s difficult even to keep up with them. In both cases the solution would be to write a nice post summarizing quickly the latest interesting events, and that is what I’m going to do today! So let’s go straight to illustrate the latest news of the Italian and international brewing world…

• The Baladin brewery launched its new line of soft drinks. The rumour already leaked insistently in the past but now these new products are officially available on the market. As reported by the blog Tagliatelle Vaganti, those soft drinks are the Ginger, the Cedrata (cedar based) and Spuma (soda). Should already be available a bit everywhere, for example are among the bottles Italian of Open Baladin in Rome. Is not the first time that Baladin launches a beverage other than beer, as in the past has already tried to do it with Cider. Personally I have not tested (and frankly I’m not even interested to do so), but if someone has tasted them can give us his impression.
• Baladin will be the only brewery representing Italy in the 2010 Beer Madness, a kind of beer league sponsored by the Washington Post. The challenge is organized in one on one encounters. The participant beers are 32, divided by category. Readers can vote on all the winners of the first round and then, in the next few days, decide the outcome of the encounters to come till the final match. The participating beers are very different in kind: while some major industrial brands appears (Heineken, Stella Artois, Tsingtao), there are also craft realities (Nøgne O, Chimay, etc.)… The Italian beer in the competition is the Nora, which will compete in the first round with the Scottish Fraoch Heather Ale. A nice match between spice beers.
• Among the many national brewing associations operating in Italy, we must also register the birth of ONAB, the National Organization of beer tasters. The organization was founded last February 26 in Cuneo and “seeks to enhance the function of beer tasting, disseminating knowledge and encouraging its use with a conscious consumption by the consumer.” Will organize training courses for tasters and apparently will also work in synergy with MoBI. A new actor in crowds of courses and beer certification.
• Belgium is the land of the Trappist beers. The abbeys’ monks produce other exquisite products, like cheese and chocolate. Site Trappistbier beleven reported recently that chocolate truffles stuffed with Westvletern 12 are now available. If I have correctly interpreted the confusing translation of Google Translate, these truffles are made by the nuns of the Priory of Klaarland and are available in the coffees of the various Trappist monasteries in Belgium.
• In Italy we are used to brew beers created with the use of exotic ingredients. But have you ever thought of a pizza flavoured beer? Well, someone have decided to combine into one product the most classic culinary combination with our favorite drink. I not even dare to imagine the result! The news appeared on Chicago Now, in an article on the beers with the the most absurd spices in the world. There are banana, milk and tomato flavoured beers. However, many products mentioned are well known by fans as the Stout produced with oysters or chocolate, Kriek, the Southern Tier Crème Brulée and La Dragonne of BFM. In short, a list that is only half surprisingly.
• We close with a news right for this period of the year. For Easter will be available the Colomba (typical Italian pastry product) stuffed with Zago beer Cuvee HY. As reported by the site Stylosophy, the product is made with yeast, flour, fresh butter, eggs and vanilla bean from Madagascar. It’s covered with an almond icing. Eat it could be the only way I will push myself to taste a Zago beer.