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.