How to choose beer

Craft or industrial, this is the dilemma. Let's try to figure out which blonde is best left to be conquered.

The Parliament has recently approved the definition of "craft beer" (Il Sole24Ore), defining it as that beer produced by independent breweries (legally and economically) that uses its own production plants and does not produce over 200, 000 hectoliters of beer per year; moreover, this type of beer cannot be subjected to pasteurization and microfiltration processes. (Wikipedia.org).

Besides therefore the annual production factor to be considered, there is also the pasteurization factor : the craft beer is not pasteurized like the industrial one, that is, it does not undergo the cooking process that is used to sterilize the beer, and that is normally done to ensure better conservation of the product over time.

Regarding precisely the craft beer is reasoned in months of conservation, which often do not go beyond six, while for normal beer we talk about years.

The processes of sterilization and microfiltration of yeasts, characteristic of industrial production, also have their drawback: there is the risk of flattening the taste of beer, depriving it of aromas and scents that make the character and depth of a drink so appreciated.

Ingredients and costs of craft beer

Usually, in the case of craft beer, you can in fact hear about the maximum of filtration, which ensures notes of taste that are more particular and that make one beer distinguish at the other, allowing you to appreciate them more.

The master brewers and artisans use natural ingredients and 0 km as much as possible; when you read "agricultural brewery" on the label, it is possible that also barley and hops, come from the same territory.

Industrial beers, on the other hand, are sometimes produced with the addition of chemical additives, preservatives or with barley malt substitutes, such as rice and corn, which reduce production costs but compromise by far the taste experience .

Indeed, price is another factor that makes the difference between the two types of drink. So, the right price of a craft beer, as announced by the magazine Artimondo, is not less than 3.50 euros for the 33cl bottle.

Craft beers make the difference!

Ultimately, in the artisan beer you learn to recognize and find nuances that are missing from other beers, which are part of the creativity of those who gave birth to them. But how do you learn to taste a craft beer? And above all, in Italy, where do we find microbreweries?

The site Microbirrifici.org offers us a detailed map of microbreweries scattered throughout the peninsula, divided region by region.

Also here you can discover "the styles, beers and glasses" in a special educational section dedicated, also to finish you can also give a complete vote to the beer tasted and share opinions and opinions with other users.

Courses and beer tasting events can be found constantly updated on the Union Birrai website, a site that also informs about dedicated Festivals and Fairs.

Books to read: " Bionda a chi? Craft beer ... another story" by Filippo Bitelli, Andrea Govoni, Michela Zanotti.