“Etrusca” is the search for a possible ancient recipe for a fermented drink dating back to the time of the Etruscans.
Three exceptional master brewers have taken on the challenge: Teo Musso from Baladin, Leonardo di Vincenzo from Birra del Borgo and Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head, in cooperation with professor Patrick McGovern, American archeologist and director of the laboratory of Molecular Archeology at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as fermented drinks expert. He’s better known as Dr. Pat and has already worked with Sam on his Ancient Ales: beers inspired by the world ancient civilizations.
The idea is to create a “beer” which the Etruscan may have drunk more than 2,500 years ago. Under Dr. Pat’s supervision, ingredients have been selected on the basis of the findings made at several Italian archeological sites.
The complex recipe has been shared by the three master brewers and each one of them has then decided to use a different fermentation technique. Baladin has chosen a large oak barrel, Birra del Borgo uses amphorae and Dogfish Head has gone for copper.
For Baladin, the malty component comes almost entirely from the malt made from the barley grown in its fields in Melfi, with the addition of “Senatore Cappelli” wheat.
The significant addition of spices has been the focus of the research carried out on Etruscan habits, as they would spiced fermented drinks with hazelnut flour, pomegranate and pomegranate juice, honeys, sultanas, natural resin and gentian root.
The quantity of hops is kept to the minimum allowed by existing regulations, and they all come from the Italian fields farmed by Baladin.
Finally, the yeast comes from an ancient strain – over 1,500 old – obtained thanks to our biologist friend Duccio Cavallieri, teacher at the Research and Development Center of the Edmund Mach Foundation in S. Michele all’Adige.
The result is an intense straw-yellow beer with complex aromas, where the notes of hazelnut, wood and honey pleasantly combine. The acidity is strong but perfectly balanced and refreshing, and immediately evokes thoughts of ancient Etruscan times.
