Angelo Poretti 7 Luppoli Review

Brewery: Birrificio Angelo Poretti
Brewery Location: Varese, Italy
Alcohol: 7%

This was the second beer my friend and I got in the bar in Rome (after the first one). This was an unfiltered lager that was a bit stronger than the 4 hops. While this was a bit more what I was looking for, for a “7 hops” beer, it was still much less hoppy than I would have wanted. It was considerably less hoppy than an IPA, so it just kind of bridged the gap between a “normal” lager and a hoppier ale, like an IPA. Continue reading

Angelo Poretti 4 Luppoli Review

Brewery: Birrificio Angelo Poretti
Brewery Location: Varese, Italy
Alcohol: 5.5%

This was the first beer my friend and I got when we arrived in Rome and went to a bar. It seemed to be the standard “big beer” in Italy, much like Heineken or Budweiser. It seemed to be in about the same tier, and my friend nailed it on the head by stating that it tasted “very commercial.” It wasn’t bad, just seemed to be like any other widely produced beer out there. Continue reading

Störtebeker Glüh-Bier Review

Brewery: Störtebeker
Location: Stralsund, Germany
Alcohol: 5%

This was just a beer that I found for sale in Germany. During the Christmas markets in Germany, you can always find Glühwein, which would directly translate to “glow wine” although it is never called that. In the UK, they call it mulled wine, but I have never personally even heard of it in the USA. Glühwein / mulled wine is usually a red wine that is additionally seasoned with spices and sometimes certain fruits. It is then usually heated up so it is hot, like a hot chocolate or coffee would be. When I first came to Germany, I was skeptical of drinking warm wine, but I eventually learned to love it, and now it’s one of the things I look forward to the most when it’s winter and the markets open up. Continue reading

Zeta Brewery Exhibition

About a month ago, a Meetup group that I am a member of had an event where the co-founder of the Zeta brewery came by to talk about their beer in Cologne, Germany. The Zeta Brewery is a Spanish beer hailing from Alboraya, Spain and in a country that is traditionally more focused on wine, craft beers are just starting to pick up.

The event was held in an interesting shared living and working space called Wertheim where you could rent out office desks, rooms, and/or residential apartments. They also had a bar which one could rent/use at the ground level, which is where the event was held. Continue reading

Zeta Rauchbier & Amber Ale review

I just barely got to taste these two beers from the Zeta Brewery while they were presenting, so this post will be a brief brush up on both of them.

The first of the two beers I tried was the limited edition Rauchbier called the Zendra.

Brewery: Zeta
Brewery Location: Alboraya, Spain
Alcohol: 7.8%

Carlos, the co-founder of the Zeta brewery and who was the one presenting the beers, said that this was a bit more salmony, but I didn’t quite get that. I am familiar with rauchbiers, though, which is maybe why I wasn’t surprised by the smokiness. For reference, “rauchbier” means “smoke/smoky beer” in German, and when you drink one, you definitely get a sense of smokiness. I love them, but they aren’t for everyone. Continue reading