Discovering the Italian Pilsner<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bc.thegrowler.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Italian-Pilsner.jpg\")
Italian Pilsners are bittered with Noble hops, with additional hops added at the end or dry-hopped. iStock\/Getty Images Plus\/maurese photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI<\/span>f you\u2019re like most craft beer lovers, you\u2019ll turn to an IPA when you\u2019re looking for hops. But if you haven\u2019t tried an Italian Pilsner, you\u2019re missing out. Giulio Gori of the Archea Brewery<\/a> in Florence told me the Italian Pils \u201cenhances the aromatic profile and complexity of pilsners,\u201d and Bryan Jansing of Rome\u2019s Italy Craft Tours enthused about its \u201ceffervescence, creamy head, hoppy smell, pilsner taste.\u201d The first Italian Pilsner, made back in the mid \u201890s, transformed Italians\u2019 view of what beer could be.<\/p>\nBeer in Italy: A Short History<\/h4>\n
Italy has long been a mix of cultures and tastes. However, in general, Italians have not enjoyed beer as much as wine. Brewing first became an industry due to the country\u2019s 19th-century occupation by Austria. Italian brewing came to emulate German, Austrian, and Belgian styles. But, according to Jansing, beer wasn\u2019t really part of family meals or food pairings.<\/p>\n
The growth of the craft beer in Italy in the 1990s slowly allowed beer to be appreciated by the discriminating Italian palate. And one of the important moments in this process was the accidental invention of the Italian Pilsner.<\/p>\n
The Italian Pilsner in Italy<\/h4>\n
One of the first craft brewers in Italy, Agostino Arioli, opened his Birrificio Italiano<\/a> near Milan in 1996. Arioli had a passion for beer and wanted to create a niche within wine country: \u201cI was brewing beer for beer lovers\u2026I just wanted to give a new chance to beer drinkers to simply drink beer.\u201d<\/p>\nTo make Italian beer, well, Arioli wanted to avoid simply replicating German or Belgian beer. Italian beer needed to be its own thing. So when he brewed his pilsner, he took the English practice of dry-hopping and applied it to a German beer style. \u201cI had the chance to brew whatever I wanted,\u201d he said. \u201cNo respect for any rules because we don\u2019t have any rules [about brewing] in Italy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nThis mishmash of techniques produced an oddball pilsner that Arioli called Tipopils, which means \u201ca kind of pilsner.\u201d Tipopils was immediately popular, with other breweries making their own versions, like Del Ducato\u2019s Via Emilia, Grado Plato\u2019s Sveva, Altavia\u2019s Badani, and Lambrate\u2019s Magute. American brewer Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker first encountered Tipopils at the World Beer Cup in Germany, and he was impressed. By 2013 he unveiled his own version of the Italian Pilsner: Pivo Pils, a beer that brought Italian Pilsners to North American tastebuds.<\/p>\n
What is it?<\/h4>\n
Italian Pilsners, often just called \u201cPils\u201d in Italy, have become a truly Italian beer style. Italians are very creative with traditional styles, according to Jansing. Marco Valeriani, an award-winning Italian brewer, explained the range of lagers made at his Alder Brewery<\/a>: German, Franconian and Czech, with both Bavarian and Franconian lager yeasts. When you add hops, the possibilities for lagers become endless. His Italian Pilsner is yet another twist on the conventional lager.<\/p>\nItalian Pilsner is now being made all over Italy and North America. To be considered an Italian Pilsner, noble hops should be used in the bittering, with additional noble hops added at the end or dry-hopped. The combination of the rich, biscuity pilsner base is complemented by the floral or fruity qualities of the late hops.<\/p>\n
Italian Pils in B.C.<\/h4>\n
I recently returned from five weeks in Italy, where I experienced the gustatory delights of Italian beer and wine, but you don\u2019t have to travel that far for an Italian Pilsner. There are several B.C. breweries that can give you a taste of Italy here at home.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bc.thegrowler.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Luppolo-La-Piazza.jpg\")
Luppolo\u2019s La Piazza Italian Pilsner. Facebook.com\/LuppoloBrewingCo photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nLuppolo Brewing \/\/ La Piazza<\/b> <\/b><\/p>\n
Luppolo<\/a> is where you can find Italian-style beer in Vancouver. Brewmaster Ryan Parfitt laughs while he explains that their regular Pilsner was first called \u201cItalian Pilsner\u201d just because some of their owners were Italian.<\/p>\nBut then they noticed that U.S. breweries, beginning with Firestone Walker, were making this style. They discovered Arioli\u2019s Tipopils. By 2020, they were dry-hopping their pilsner and it became La Piazza. \u201cThe dry-hopping with noble hops is a key component of Italian Pilsners,\u201d says Parfitt. \u201cBut it can\u2019t be in your face \u2013 it\u2019s more balanced.\u201d They mix up their grain bill a bit, trying to use local barley as much as possible, but the hops are the key element.<\/p>\n
La Piazza has biscuit, graham cracker, and honey in the malt, an earthy and floral hop character, and a clean crisp finish. It\u2019s a refreshing and well-balanced beer that takes me back to Italy.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bc.thegrowler.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Hoyne_Che-Bello_FB.jpg\")
Hoyne Brewing\u2019s Che Bello Italian Pilsner. Facebook.com\/Hoyne Brewing photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHoyne Brewing \/\/ Che Bello<\/b><\/p>\n
Hoyne<\/a>\u2019s head brewer Antoine Foukal created their Che Bello Italian Pilsner. Seeing how so many breweries in Italy were trying to emulate North American beer styles, Foukal instead wanted to adapt a classic Italian beer and present it to the BC market. Inspired both by the popularity of Tipopils and Hoyne\u2019s own focus on traditional beers, Foukal set to work on making a pilsner that would be European in style and yet distinct from the Hoyne Pilsner.<\/p>\nThe result was Che Bello, an Italian Pilsner brewed from Eraclea (an Italian barley), bittered with Spalter Select, and dry-hopped with Saphir. While smelling and sipping, I noted sweet cut grass, melon, lemon, and honey \u2013 all from the hops. \u201cA pilsner is such a good canvas to showcase high quality hops!\u201d Foukal explains. I recommend trying Che Bello to see what he means!<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bc.thegrowler.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Field-House_Italian-Pils_SHEA_MILNE_PHOTOGRAPHY-3023.jpg\")
Field House Brewing\u2019s Italian Pilsner. FieldHouseBrewing.com photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nField House Brewing \/\/ Italian Pils<\/b><\/p>\n
Field House<\/a>\u2019s Italian Pilsner was created because Field House loves putting modern twists on traditional styles, according to brewer Parker Reid. Their version combines Italian malt with German hops (Tettnang and Magnum). \u201cIt\u2019s a more floral and fruitier version of a pilsner, a little softer \u2013 not like a Czech Pils,\u201d says Reid when I asked how he\u2019d describe this beer to customers. \u201cIt really embodies Italy.\u201d<\/p>\nTheir most recent batch of Italian Pilsner was brewed to supply Amici, a new Italian restaurant in Abbotsford. Make sure you stop by for some pasta and a pint!<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bc.thegrowler.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Twisted-Traditions_Noble-Italian-Pilsner_IG.jpg\")
Twisted Tradions\u2019 Noble Libation Italian Pilnser. Instagram.com\/TwistedTraditionsBrewing photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTwisted Traditions \/\/ Noble Libation<\/b><\/p>\n
Twisted Traditions Brewing<\/a> doesn\u2019t currently have their own brewery, but they are still putting out some innovative and delicious beers. They call their Noble Libation Italian Pilsner a \u201cnew-age Italian pilsner\u201d that blends \u201cnew and Old World elements.\u201d Lemongrass and berry notes give this beer its own unique character.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bc.thegrowler.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Red-Truck_La-Strada_FB.jpg\")
Red Truck Beer\u2019s La Strada Italian Pilsner. Facebook.com\/RedTruckBeer photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRed Truck Beer Company \/\/ La Strada<\/b><\/p>\n
Red Truck<\/a> is known for producing beers that are both affordable and approachable. If you\u2019re not sure whether this new pilsner style is for you, La Strada might be a good entry point. There is very light fruit sweetness on the nose but nothing strong. The subtle hop and malt character might be a perfect way to convert someone to more hop-forward brews. La Strada is a tasty, crushable beer \u2013 perfect for a B.C. summer!<\/p>\nSources and Recommended Reading:<\/strong><\/h4>\nJansing, Bryan and Paul Vismara, Italy, Beer Country: The Story of Italian Craft Beer. <\/em>2nd<\/sup> ed. Dog Ear Publishing, 2022.<\/p>\nFastigi, Matteo and Jillian R. Cavanaugh, \u201cTurning Passion into Profession.\u201d Gastronomica, <\/em>vol. 17, no. 2, 2017, pp. 39-50.<\/p>\nHopculture, \u201cWhat is an Italian Pilsner?\u201d July 10, 2024, https:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/what-is-an-italian-pilsner\/<\/a><\/p>\nDredge, Mark, \u201cThe Only Mission is to Follow Your Own Senses \u2013 Tracing the Journey of Italian Pilsner.\u201d Good Beer Hunting, <\/em>June 9, 2021, https:\/\/www.goodbeerhunting.com\/blog\/2021\/6\/8\/the-only-mission-is-to-follow-your-own-senses-following-the-journey-of-italian-pilsner<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
I<\/span>f you\u2019re like most craft beer lovers, you\u2019ll turn to an IPA when you\u2019re looking for hops. But if you haven\u2019t tried an Italian Pilsner, you\u2019re missing out. Giulio Gori of the Archea Brewery<\/a> in Florence told me the Italian Pils \u201cenhances the aromatic profile and complexity of pilsners,\u201d and Bryan Jansing of Rome\u2019s Italy Craft Tours enthused about its \u201ceffervescence, creamy head, hoppy smell, pilsner taste.\u201d The first Italian Pilsner, made back in the mid \u201890s, transformed Italians\u2019 view of what beer could be.<\/p>\n Italy has long been a mix of cultures and tastes. However, in general, Italians have not enjoyed beer as much as wine. Brewing first became an industry due to the country\u2019s 19th-century occupation by Austria. Italian brewing came to emulate German, Austrian, and Belgian styles. But, according to Jansing, beer wasn\u2019t really part of family meals or food pairings.<\/p>\n The growth of the craft beer in Italy in the 1990s slowly allowed beer to be appreciated by the discriminating Italian palate. And one of the important moments in this process was the accidental invention of the Italian Pilsner.<\/p>\n One of the first craft brewers in Italy, Agostino Arioli, opened his Birrificio Italiano<\/a> near Milan in 1996. Arioli had a passion for beer and wanted to create a niche within wine country: \u201cI was brewing beer for beer lovers\u2026I just wanted to give a new chance to beer drinkers to simply drink beer.\u201d<\/p>\n To make Italian beer, well, Arioli wanted to avoid simply replicating German or Belgian beer. Italian beer needed to be its own thing. So when he brewed his pilsner, he took the English practice of dry-hopping and applied it to a German beer style. \u201cI had the chance to brew whatever I wanted,\u201d he said. \u201cNo respect for any rules because we don\u2019t have any rules [about brewing] in Italy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n This mishmash of techniques produced an oddball pilsner that Arioli called Tipopils, which means \u201ca kind of pilsner.\u201d Tipopils was immediately popular, with other breweries making their own versions, like Del Ducato\u2019s Via Emilia, Grado Plato\u2019s Sveva, Altavia\u2019s Badani, and Lambrate\u2019s Magute. American brewer Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker first encountered Tipopils at the World Beer Cup in Germany, and he was impressed. By 2013 he unveiled his own version of the Italian Pilsner: Pivo Pils, a beer that brought Italian Pilsners to North American tastebuds.<\/p>\n Italian Pilsners, often just called \u201cPils\u201d in Italy, have become a truly Italian beer style. Italians are very creative with traditional styles, according to Jansing. Marco Valeriani, an award-winning Italian brewer, explained the range of lagers made at his Alder Brewery<\/a>: German, Franconian and Czech, with both Bavarian and Franconian lager yeasts. When you add hops, the possibilities for lagers become endless. His Italian Pilsner is yet another twist on the conventional lager.<\/p>\n Italian Pilsner is now being made all over Italy and North America. To be considered an Italian Pilsner, noble hops should be used in the bittering, with additional noble hops added at the end or dry-hopped. The combination of the rich, biscuity pilsner base is complemented by the floral or fruity qualities of the late hops.<\/p>\n I recently returned from five weeks in Italy, where I experienced the gustatory delights of Italian beer and wine, but you don\u2019t have to travel that far for an Italian Pilsner. There are several B.C. breweries that can give you a taste of Italy here at home.<\/p>\n Luppolo Brewing \/\/ La Piazza<\/b> <\/b><\/p>\n Luppolo<\/a> is where you can find Italian-style beer in Vancouver. Brewmaster Ryan Parfitt laughs while he explains that their regular Pilsner was first called \u201cItalian Pilsner\u201d just because some of their owners were Italian.<\/p>\n But then they noticed that U.S. breweries, beginning with Firestone Walker, were making this style. They discovered Arioli\u2019s Tipopils. By 2020, they were dry-hopping their pilsner and it became La Piazza. \u201cThe dry-hopping with noble hops is a key component of Italian Pilsners,\u201d says Parfitt. \u201cBut it can\u2019t be in your face \u2013 it\u2019s more balanced.\u201d They mix up their grain bill a bit, trying to use local barley as much as possible, but the hops are the key element.<\/p>\n La Piazza has biscuit, graham cracker, and honey in the malt, an earthy and floral hop character, and a clean crisp finish. It\u2019s a refreshing and well-balanced beer that takes me back to Italy.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Hoyne Brewing \/\/ Che Bello<\/b><\/p>\n Hoyne<\/a>\u2019s head brewer Antoine Foukal created their Che Bello Italian Pilsner. Seeing how so many breweries in Italy were trying to emulate North American beer styles, Foukal instead wanted to adapt a classic Italian beer and present it to the BC market. Inspired both by the popularity of Tipopils and Hoyne\u2019s own focus on traditional beers, Foukal set to work on making a pilsner that would be European in style and yet distinct from the Hoyne Pilsner.<\/p>\n The result was Che Bello, an Italian Pilsner brewed from Eraclea (an Italian barley), bittered with Spalter Select, and dry-hopped with Saphir. While smelling and sipping, I noted sweet cut grass, melon, lemon, and honey \u2013 all from the hops. \u201cA pilsner is such a good canvas to showcase high quality hops!\u201d Foukal explains. I recommend trying Che Bello to see what he means!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Field House Brewing \/\/ Italian Pils<\/b><\/p>\n Field House<\/a>\u2019s Italian Pilsner was created because Field House loves putting modern twists on traditional styles, according to brewer Parker Reid. Their version combines Italian malt with German hops (Tettnang and Magnum). \u201cIt\u2019s a more floral and fruitier version of a pilsner, a little softer \u2013 not like a Czech Pils,\u201d says Reid when I asked how he\u2019d describe this beer to customers. \u201cIt really embodies Italy.\u201d<\/p>\n Their most recent batch of Italian Pilsner was brewed to supply Amici, a new Italian restaurant in Abbotsford. Make sure you stop by for some pasta and a pint!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Twisted Traditions \/\/ Noble Libation<\/b><\/p>\n Twisted Traditions Brewing<\/a> doesn\u2019t currently have their own brewery, but they are still putting out some innovative and delicious beers. They call their Noble Libation Italian Pilsner a \u201cnew-age Italian pilsner\u201d that blends \u201cnew and Old World elements.\u201d Lemongrass and berry notes give this beer its own unique character.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Red Truck Beer Company \/\/ La Strada<\/b><\/p>\n Red Truck<\/a> is known for producing beers that are both affordable and approachable. If you\u2019re not sure whether this new pilsner style is for you, La Strada might be a good entry point. There is very light fruit sweetness on the nose but nothing strong. The subtle hop and malt character might be a perfect way to convert someone to more hop-forward brews. La Strada is a tasty, crushable beer \u2013 perfect for a B.C. summer!<\/p>\n Jansing, Bryan and Paul Vismara, Italy, Beer Country: The Story of Italian Craft Beer. <\/em>2nd<\/sup> ed. Dog Ear Publishing, 2022.<\/p>\n Fastigi, Matteo and Jillian R. Cavanaugh, \u201cTurning Passion into Profession.\u201d Gastronomica, <\/em>vol. 17, no. 2, 2017, pp. 39-50.<\/p>\n Hopculture, \u201cWhat is an Italian Pilsner?\u201d July 10, 2024, https:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/what-is-an-italian-pilsner\/<\/a><\/p>\n Dredge, Mark, \u201cThe Only Mission is to Follow Your Own Senses \u2013 Tracing the Journey of Italian Pilsner.\u201d Good Beer Hunting, <\/em>June 9, 2021, https:\/\/www.goodbeerhunting.com\/blog\/2021\/6\/8\/the-only-mission-is-to-follow-your-own-senses-following-the-journey-of-italian-pilsner<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nBeer in Italy: A Short History<\/h4>\n
The Italian Pilsner in Italy<\/h4>\n
What is it?<\/h4>\n
Italian Pils in B.C.<\/h4>\n
Sources and Recommended Reading:<\/strong><\/h4>\n