I had just finished reading a NY Times piece asking if Italian businesses are too insular for their own good when I discovered Toccalmatto, a little Italian brewer that could mentioned in a footnote to an article celebrating the success of American independent brewers Brewed in the USA (Independent, July 28).
Knowing nothing about Toccalmatto, I soon learned they are what you could call a start up.
They were founded by Bruno Carillo and began production only 20 months ago (October 2008) in Fidenza.
Their motto ' Birra Viva Artigianale' refers to the fact that their beers are top fermented craft beers, therefore Alive and Artisanal.
They lay out their philosophy in 'School of Taste' (I quote):
"Toccalmatto, The Brewery in the heart of the Italian Food Valley, seeks to recover the respect for the environment, education to the taste, the culture of food. A path designed to bring the production of niche, high-quality, crafted with a product born from a careful selection of raw materials."
Being passionate about what they do, they want to experiment with hops from different origins and a variety of flavors. They have fun with the names of their beers as well.
The Re Hop (above) one of their Classic Beers is an "American Style Pale Ale made with 'barley malt Pils and Special Luppolatura: Perle, Cascade and Tradition."
Described as "excellent as an aperitif or in combination with pizzas and focaccia with grilled meats."
Amongst their Seasonal Beers, Ambrosia a 'weissbier' must be their summer offering.
As for their Special Beers, Surfing Hop (Imperial IPA style) is higher in alcohol content (8.5%), made with "barley malt, Luppolatura: Willamette, Amarillo" and suggested as perfect at the end of a meal or for 'meditation', interesting.
Forgive me if my facts don't all add up. The translation on the English version of their site is a bit halting, hence my quotation marks. I nevertheless give Toccalmatto an A for Effort.
English beer fans will have a chance to taste these start up brews at Great British Beer Festival in London, August 3 through 7, 2010.