Craft beer has pushed aside wine as the “hip” drink of choice for 2013, so it’s no surprise that more and more brews are making their way to Bangkok.
A newly formed spirit importer, Pacific B&B, promises to deliver Italian artisanal beers to Bangkok’s booze scene. Starting with the launch of Menabrea’s “1846 Blond Lager” brew, the firm plans to import an entire repertoire of Italian craft brews like labels from Birra Roma and the highly anticipated Birrificio L’Olmaia from Sienna. Brian, the man behind the operation explains, “The craft beer revolution is just starting in Italy. Normally you think of Italy and wine comes to mind. That’s not the case anymore, beer bars are all over Rome and since the scene is so new they’re doing pretty innovative things. There’s no tradition involved with beer in Italy.”
Historically, Italian beers have slipped under hardcore beer geeks’ radars, but the use of fresh mountain water from the Alps, combined with the zest for life for which the Italians are famous, should produce some interesting results.
Menabrea 1846 is available at Appia, Sole Mio, diVino Thonglor, La Botegga and il Cielo. For now, the brews are only available at traditional Italian restaurants, but plans are underway to allow beer enthusiasts access to bottles at wholesale prices. In time, we might see these beers turn up on the shelves of supermarkets throughout Thailand, but prior to the realization of that coup, you can head to your favorite Italian eatery to sample some of these easy-drinking Italian brews.
Photo: Pacific B&B
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