32 Via dei Birrai collaborates with perfumer
It’s an interesting name for a microbrewery: 32 Via dei Birrai. It reads like an address (32 Brewers Street), but 32 actually refers to the Nice Classification, an international system of classifying goods and services for the purpose of registering trademarks, where beer is listed as class number 32. It may appear a bit long-winded, however for a brewery that claims to give a new definition to tradition and provide “a new language for the boundless scenario of the brewery sector”, this is probably just as well.
No wonder that a brewery with a name that needs to be pronounced carefully decided to join the Slow Brewing movement. It was the first to do so in Italy.
Founded in June 2006 in Pederobba in the northern Italian province of Treviso, three beer enthusiasts - Alessandro Zilli, Fabiano Toffoli and Loreno Michielin - realised their dream of producing craft beers that would stick out, both in terms of content and packaging.
When celebrating their 5th anniversary, the microbrewery launched its 8th style called 3+2 to mark five years (3+2). In a funny twist, the label also refers to the beer’s low alcohol content of just 3.2 percent ABV.
For their 10th anniversary the three founders went one step further and introduced the 32 Nebra by Angelo Orazio Pregoni, a beer that was brewed in collaboration with the perfumer Angelo Orazio Pregoni, which is said to offer a new and surprising sensory experience. It is obtained – as all the beers of 32 Via dei Birrai – thanks to the perfect harmonisation of modern production techniques procedures inspired by craftsmanship. As 32 Via dei Birrai says, its new beer is an “amber, re-fermented in the bottle; its intense buttery and baked fragrances evolve to fruity tones. Toasted hazelnut and coffee blend perfectly with the malt, hints of sweet red watermelon and bitter notes of cocoa, floral arrangements and apricot herbaceous fragrances.” Its alcohol content is 8 percent ABV.
What makes the beer special is that it’s probably the first beer ever that was produced in conjunction with a perfumer whose task was to enrich the beer formula with new aromas and fragrances.
The 32 Nebra is sold in a limited edition magnum bottle. It is available too in a hand-made gift box. Containing batteries and two mechanisms the box can be transformed into a highly original clock in just a couple of simple steps.
To celebrate their anniversary in style, the microbrewery invited 150 friends and clients to a party in Venice at the end of June 2016. The location was the grand Palazzo Flangini directly at Canale Grande. The Venice location came with a message. “Venice represents Italy and internationalism, just like we do,” said Mr Michielin, who sells his beer world-wide.
Taking things yet another step further, 32 Via dei Birrai will provide all its beer bottles with the letters “birra 32” in Braille this year, making it the first Italian company, whose glass bottles “speak”.
Currently, 32 Via dei Birrai distributes its beers to 35 countries and 2.500 customers. It was the first Italian craft brewery to be certified DIN ISO 9001:2008 und CI, which means 100 percent “Made in Italy”. It became a certified member of Slow Brewing in 2013.
