Artisanal Beer Movements on the Rise Around the World

The rise of artisanal beer brewing is something that Slow Food has been following closely. In recent years, artisanal beer has been a focus for many of our Taste Workshops during events, and this year’s Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre again offers many possibilities to learn more about the history of beer and developments in beer production. Salone del Gusto 2014 will present the latest trends from traditional beer-producing countries such as Belgium, Germany and England, where a new wave of artisanal beer and microbreweries are influencing traditional methods of production. Leading experts will give their opinion on the new direction that these countries are taking with something covering beer from dubbel to Weiss bier and ale.

SDG/TM 2014 presents the following interesting sessions on beer:

What Direction is Britain Taking? New Tendencies in Albion Brewing (Thursday, October 23)

The British beer scene has remained faithful to traditional styles for years, according to the second year of the new Master of Food Beer course. The program, based in the United Kingdom, will preview at the Taste Workshop. The classic styles were rediscovered and reinterpreted first by artisan American breweries, and then by the rest of the world. Today in Britain the phenomenon of new breweries has exploded, often led by young brewers, protagonists of a true new wave. Breweries like Moor, Siren, Wild Beers, Buxton Brewery, and Oakham Ales are irreversibly changing the panorama of beer across the Channel.

London, Her Beers, Her Breweries (Friday, October 24)  

It was only five years ago that the beer scene (and culture) of London was in decline. The panorama now is richer than ever before, and new stuff is bubbling away thanks to a resurgence of breweries, architects of a “real ale revolution”, with new establishments (and real ale pubs) in various neighborhoods of the city. We plan to take a snapshot of this magnificent moment through the tasting of a six beers, from Beavertown Brewery (Hackney, East London), Kernel (Southwark, South Bank) and Weird Beard (Brenton, West London), from classic styles to new innovations. To present is Steven Crouch, international competition judge and lifetime member of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), an association of consumers to defend real beers fermented in casks. With special guest James David Rylance, founder and master brewer of Beavertown Brewery.

Discover the Beers of New Zealand (Saturday, October 25)

Before Sauvignon Blanc, beer was the national drink of New Zealand. As such, there is a large number of artisanal microbreweries and a substratum of brewers and hops producers in the production chain that are making waves even in Europe. We will try take stock of the situation in this country from “Down Under” thanks to the help of Simon Kelly of the Renaissance Brewery in Blenheim. He will guide your discovery of the brew history and exciting new trends by having you taste beers of various styles from a number of Kiwi breweries.

Something’s Brewing in Scandinavia (Friday, October 24)   

In the frozen North there is a brewing artisanal beer scene, winning over the hearts of Scandinavians. From Denmark to Sweden, Finland, and Norway, the movement ranges from delicious classic-style beers to more extreme innovative products, thanks to breweries like Nøgne, Haandbryggeriet and Malmgård, or flying breweries like the Danish Mikkeller and Toøl, not to mention the traditionalist Sahti, a Finnish beer on the Ark of Taste. Guide to the Nordic way of brewing, lead by Jörgen Hasselqvist from Oliver Twist in Stockholm. To be paired with tastes of Norwegian cuisine.

The New Spanish Beer Movement (Friday, October 24)

Riding the wave of the United States, after Italy, other nations are starting to develop a real artisanal beer renaissance. Among these, Spain is carving out a place among the best thanks to small-scale producers that have rebelled against the abuse of power of the multinational breweries. Kuaska, enthusiastic witness of this now reality, and Guillem Laporta, publican, sommelier, and organizer of the international contest Nas d’Escuma (the first edition was in Barcelona 2013), will talk about the present and the future of the Spanish beer tradition. You will taste six beers that best embody this budding movement.

Revival and Reinterpretation: Where is German Beer Going? (Monday, October 27)

Germany, long immobile and hidden behind the edict of purity (the Reinheitsgebot of William IV of Bavaria), has suffered a decline in the world of beer. However, the last couple of years have shown interesting signs of revival. What are the limits imposed by brewers of the past? How much can you reinterpret beer and what innovations can you introduce without upsetting your clientele? Responding to these issues are Brewmasters from Bamberg and Franconia, a small area to the north of Bavaria, considered to be one of the most authentic in all of Germany, and accompanied by a tasting of their beers: Georg Rittmayer from Brauerei Rittmayer in Hallerndorf, Stephan Michel from Mahrs Bräu in Bamberga, Stephan Zehendner from Brauerei Zehendner in Mönchsambach. They will be joined by special guest Sandro Merlano with Filo di Fumo from Birra Pasturana, an Italian homage to rauchbier.

Find the complete SDG/TM 2014 event program here: http://www.salonedelgusto.com/

To apply for accreditation for SDG/TM 2014, please visit the following website: http://www.salonedelgusto.com/press/pre-accreditation/

For further information please contact:

℅ Slow Food Paola Nano, +39 329 8321285 [email protected]

c/o Regione Piemonte: Tel. +39 011 4322549 [email protected]

c/o Comune di Torino: Tel. +39 011 4423605 [email protected]

Organized by Slow Food, the region of Piedmont and the city of Turin, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, the international Salone del Gusto event is coming back to Turin, Italy, now its 10^th year. Dedicated to the world of food, Salone del Gusto is once more united into a single event with the international meeting of Terra Madre, a network of small-scale producers from around the world. Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2014 will be held from October 23-27 in Turin’s trade fair Lingotto Fiere. It will see the presence of over 1000 exhibitors from 130 countries.