A Pint Half Full

My wife and I went to Rome and Naples this past summer.  Now italian food is probably my favorite type of food and there was definitely no shortage of it.  I hate tomatoes but I have to say I wouldn't mind eating caprese salad (mozzarella, tomato, and basil) for lunch 'most' days if I lived in Italy.  Their pastas are generally light and delicate rather than the rich, salty food you get in the US (aka Olive Garden, Romano's Macaroni Grill).  The thing that stuck out most to me about the food in Italy was that each dish's ingredients blended together into a cohesive flavor and at the same time, stood out on their own so that you could TASTE each component.

So what does this have to do with beer?  My theory: countries that have really flavorful foods generally have light tasting beers which complement and enhance the flavors of food rather than the beer being a focal point in some other cases.  Think about it, Germany and England - crappy food: really rich, hearty beers that could be meals themselves; Asian, Mexican, Italian - great food: light, refreshing beers that make you want to eat more.

Now of course this isn't an end all be all rule, but it is a trend in my experiences.  Which leads me to introducing the beers I had in Italy, most of which did exactly as I mention, clear the palate to eat more food, and refresh the mind after a long day of walking around and viewing the achievements and ultimate epic fail of ancient Rome.



Fortunately they did not fail in their food and wine.  Their beer scene is not as well known but there are offerings worth trying.  The 2 main breweries in Italy are Moretti and Peroni.  I'd say these are like the Budweiser and Miller brands here in America.  Under each brand they have more premium beers.  I mostly had Moretti, Nastro Azzurro (a Peroni brand), and one beer called Theresianer, one that I'd never even heard of before.  Moretti, Nastro Azzurro, and Theresianer all tasted like typical light beers - a little sweet, very light, not bitter, almost thirst quenching and finished crisp and clean.  Nothing impressive and fit my theory on food and beer in Italy - refreshing, unassuming, nothing to get in the way of the main course.  But there was beer that rose above the rest, one from Moretti no less - Moretti La Rossa.



Moretti La Rossa is a dark lager which looks red in color (hence the name, La Rossa).  It is a double bock and has the charasteristics of rich, sweet, roasted malt flavor with faint hop notes.  Usually, these beers are good for hearty meals and could stand on its own but I had it on a hot summer day with a prosciutto sandwich and it was perfect.  It was not too heavy like other bock style beers and actually did not "fill me up" which was good. It had a crisp, sweet finish which was pleasant and cleared my palate so I could stuff my face with more cured ham. One of Italy's best beers.