Birrificio Sorrento | One of Italy’s Best Craft Breweries
Birrificio Sorrento was founded by Giuseppe Schisano and Francesco Galano in 2009 —when they levelled up their tiny home-brewing operation to a state-of-the-art craft brewery and realised their dream. Ever since, they have been brewing up bold, flavorsome beers with local fruit in the mash, like IGP Sorrento lemons, oranges and walnuts, and various grapes—which gives these beers an authentic taste of their territory—the Sorrento Peninsula.
During the years Giuseppe and Francesco’s hard work and passionate pursuits, inspired by the art-and-technology of brewing and its infinite possibilities, along with their deep respect for the territorial ingredients, have resulted with great achievements in the world of beer. Today, they are the proud producers of 9 types of beer, of which 5 of them have been awarded for their excellence—and have joined the ranks of some of Italy’s best craft beers.
The first Italian craft breweries were established in the mid-90’s, up in Italy’s north. Since then, the number of breweries on the Italian peninsula has risen considerably as the surge in popularity of craft beers continues on. Birrificio Sorrento was the first brewery to open up in this corner of Italy’s south, and nowadays, their uniquely, flavored beers are a common sighting in the best restaurants, hotels, bars, pubs, and various venues all over the Sorrento Peninsula.
Aperitivo Time –Bar Fauno – Piazzo Tasso – Sorrento, Italy
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Some time ago, I visited the brewery for a tasting tour and to learn about craft beer making. It was an enlightening experience; informative and pleasurable—from learning about the recipe; the basic 4 ingredients (water, grains, hops, and yeast), which craft brewers enhance with territorial ingredients, and the natural brewing technique, as craft beers are unpasteurised and micro-filtered—to the taste rush that comes with the intense aromas and bold flavors of masterfully-made craft beers, which are significantly different than industrial beers.
But a real highlight was listening to Giuseppe talk enthusiastically about the pleasure of the brewing process; the freedom of creating his beers without any set styles and using the ingredients of choice—as an expression of the territory. Similar to wine, he considers how the beers will be pared with various foods, but precisely the foods and dishes of the Sorrento Peninsula.
“The paring of food and wine (drinks), and appreciation of their nuances, are ingrained in the Italian culture, and as a producer, these are two things that inspire me a lot, explained Giuseppe. Every beer we create has its own perfect parings, like the award-winning Syrentum beer, made with the fresh peel of Sorrento’s IGP lemons—which can be pared with buffalo-milk mozzarella, fried fish and seafood, a pizza Margherita, and even a summery fruit tart. The huge versatility that craft beer has at the table, whether it’s for a casual or fine dining experience, fascinates me—and makes me so fond of producing beer,” said Giuseppe.
Bar Fauno – Piazzo Tasso – Sorrento, Italy
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Since the popularity of craft beer has been evolving in Italy’s food and drink scene for some time now, it’s no surprise the wide variety of beer types and styles found in the Italian market today—from the pale ales enhanced with the peaches of Volpedo from the Piedmont, where the fruit is a celebrated specialty crop—to the amber ales enhanced with the fresh peel of Sorrento’s oranges from Campania, like Birrificio Sorrento’s Minerva beer. Given the unique biodiversity of each of Italy’s 20 regions, the creativity and resourcefulness of the Italian culture, in general, and each of the regions’s celebrated gastronomies—the mere thought of the uniqueness of each of them makes me about as aroma-and-taste-curious as can get.
But even still, it’s the craft beer and food parings, and tasting experiences that elevate a sense of place, which have truly captured my interest, let alone my appetite. Craft beers may have a long way to go to become as common place as wine to pare with food at the Italian table, but still that tantalising intertwining; the discovery of the aromas-and-tastes-of-a-place, is sure to be an inspiration as we open up to new, exciting stimuli at the table—and develop a palate and passion for the brew along the way.
Since a crisp, Lager beer, or a soft drink, has always been the beverage of choice for most Italians to pare with pizza, craft beers have already become an important part of Italy’s pizza dining scene. But especially at the modern, gourmet pizzerias that have been embracing the opportunity to intertwine their innovative creations with the intense aromas and bold flavors of craft beers.
Recently, I joined friends for a craft beer and pizza tasting at celebrated pizza chef Antonio Esposito’s popular gourmet pizzeria/restaurant, called Pizza & Cucina, in Sorrento. It was an exceptional dining experience; unique, immensely appetizing, and inspiring, with intriguing parings of both complimentary and contrasting beer and pizza tastings that embraced all of the senses and left a lasting impression of the territory—the aromas-and-tastes of the Sorrento Peninsula.
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Here are a few highlights …
Birrificio Sorrento’s Craft Beer & Antonio Esposito’s Gourmet Pizza —The Perfect Parings — at Pizza & Cucina, Sorrento, Italy
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The Syrentum, a pale ale enhanced with the fresh peel of Sorrento’s IGP lemons was pared with the ‘Montanare Sorrentino,’ a mix of fried mini pizza’s with various toppings, such as the anchovies of Cetara with San Marzano grape tomatoes —San Marzano grape tomatoes with buffalo-milk mozzarella and fresh basil —Ricotta cream enhanced with the fresh zest of Sorrento’s lemons and the anchovies of Cetara.
The Minerva, an amber ale enhanced with the fresh peel of Sorrento’s oranges was pared with the Frusta Sorrentina, chef Antonio’s famous invention, a long cylinder-like pizza (which is as intriguing in shape, size, and taste to the locals as travellers alike)— filled with the walnuts of Sorrento, Provolone del Monaco DOC, and San Marzano grape tomatoes.
The Parthenope, a dark ale enhanced with the walnuts from Sorrento was pared with the Pizza Bouquet, topped with the Blue di Buffalo (Blue buffalo-milk cheese infused with herbs), buffalo-milk mozzarella, walnuts, carpaccio of dried white figs, drops of fig molasses, with the stem area filled with an exquisite triple whipped ricotta cream —an exquisitely delicious paring with enticing aromas and tastes dancing across the palate.
The Parthenope was then pared with a mix of ‘Chiacchiere Napoletane,‘ which are traditional Neapolitan thin strips/wedges of fried dough, with various toppings, such as wedges of the traditional Neapolitan rum-soaked sponge cake, called Baba’ Napoletano, with ricotta cream enhanced with orange zest —Ricotta cream with bits of fresh pear topped with dark chocolate drop-shaped pieces of ‘Torta Caprese,’ the famous chocolate cake from Capri.
I am still thinking about the experience; every tantalising sip, sniff, bite, and all sensory else —the sunny Mediterranean aromas and cool tastes of the Sorrento Peninsula, plus all of the unexpressed potential for the future at modern Italian tables in pizzerias and in households to come—the perfect paring —Italian craft beers and pizza.
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Birrificio Sorrento
For more information or for a guided tour of the brewery and tasting experiences
Address: Via Casarlano 11, Sorrento, 80067, Sorrento, Italy
Telefone: +39 349 31 29 034