Panil Birra Artigianale

Look back 20 years or so, and you’ll remember when the American craft beer phenomenon began. Or should we call it the American craft beer “renaissance”? Names such as Sam Adams, Pete’s Wicked and Sierra Nevada were starting to roll off our tongues as frequently as McDonald’s or Starbucks. There was a revolution of American beer drinkers out there who wanted more flavor and complexity in their beer. The mainstream megabrews, though good in their own way, dominated the market with their clean, nonoffensive and simple flavors. There were just enough hops and malt for one to pick them out, though neither would dominate. Typically, we Americans were ready for more flavors, more hops and basically more of anything else that had to do with beer. This was the American beer renaissance as I remember it, and how it put the States on the beer map of the world.

Craft beer originated across the Atlantic. Belgian ale, roasty Irish Stout, hoppy British Bitter and smooth German lager are a few among a myriad of beer styles that were developed in Europe. Each country seemed to have its own signature style. In time, enterprising and world-traveling American importers put a few bottles into their luggage and shared them with their pals when they got back home. Maybe it was the profound difference in these “foreign beers” that excited us in the New World. Remember that, a few years back, Löwenbräu was the one to have—that is, if you wanted an exotic import. Times have changed a lot since then, but not as quickly as one would expect. There are still unknown beers and craft breweries out there that are slowly emerging to find a following in America. Take the new craft beers being produced in a country not typically thought of when it comes to beer: Italy. These new brews mimic our own renaissance of just a few years ago. Italy is the “New Belgium.”

Lorenzo (Renzo) and Patrizia Losi are third-generation owners of the Panil brewery in Torrechiara, a small village on the outskirts of Parma, Italy. I discovered their one and only beer being imported at the time at a dinner about a year ago. The beer, called “Barriqueè Sour Ale,” is a barrel-aged, oak-fermented Flemish Red Ale brewed in the style of the classic Rodenbach, the definitive example of this style. Though this Italian beer is made far from the Flemish flatlands, it has similar style parameters to its Belgian sister, but with the individual signature of Panil’s brewer, Renzo. “Barriqueè” is taken from the French word for “barrel.” The brewery/winery is located in the hills of the Emilia Romagna region of central Italy, near the producers of wine, Parma ham and Parmesan cheese.

“Though there are now about 200 Italian breweries … many visionary brewers are taking the leap and will brew new and exciting beers.”

Quoting their brewery handout: “The Losi family has a long tradition in the production of artesian products, dating back to the early [’30s] with the production of typical wines from the region. Thanks to his love for the ‘Drink of Cerere;’ Renzo Losi, Giuseppe’s son, complemented the wine production with that of the beer ‘Panil’ in 2000. Renzo, attracted to Belgian ales, as I am, revises the recipes following his personal Italian style. Though this beer is in the style of a Belgian Red Ale, I would say that Renzo has put his own character into it, producing an Italian Red Ale with individual characteristics.”

The secret of production as explained by Renzo: “All Panil products undergo a double fermentation, the primary one in stainless steel, and the secondary one in the bottle (or barrel). None of our products undergo any sort of pasteurization, or have added preservatives. The beer is 100 percent natural, and in order to obtain maximum taste, we do not filter our beers. The principal strength of my beer is in its unique equilibrium and high digestibility.” This sounds a lot like what American craft brewers are doing stateside.

After spending time in nearby Parma, Modena and Bologna, I learned to appreciate the fact that for these particular Italian artisans, whether producing wine, cheese, balsamic vinegar, Prosciutto or beer, passion for flavor permeates everything they touch.

I can see similarities to these new Italian craft brews to our own American beer renaissance a few decades ago. Quoting Patrizia Losi, “Though there are now about 200 Italian breweries, most producing similar lagers, many visionary brewers, as we are here at Panil, are taking the leap and will brew new and exciting beers.”

Other beers in the Panil portfolio include:
Ambre: 6.5% ABV Amber Ale with hints of vanilla, honey and fruit
Blanche: 4.6% ABV Witbier made with malted wheat, coriander and citrus
Bionda: 5% ABV, a beer that goes well with easy living
Brune: 7.5% ABV ale with notes of coffee, licorice and cappuccino
Enhanced: 9% ABV Strong Ale with touches of smoke and malt
Barriqueè: Oak-aged, triple-fermented ale
Barriqueè Sour: Sour ale exposed to Lactobaccillus
Divina: 5.5% ABV Special Blonde Ale based on spontaneous fermentation and wild hops

On a personal note: After spending a very pleasant and informative afternoon at Panil with the Losi family, I got a familiar feeling I’m accustomed to in my homebrew shop. Both professional brewers and homebrewers share that same infectious passion. Growing up with parents from an Italian background, I was constantly exposed to profound flavors in food and drink. I could sense the same overwhelming passion from Patrizia and brewer Renzo as I did as a child in my parents’ kitchen. These days, success is usually based on the bottom line: profits, futures, etc., all of which are indeed important and must be observed at all times, but the underlying and most important aspect of good business is loving what you do and providing a service or a product that you are proud of. Making a few bucks along the way is OK, too. Being a homebrewer, I feel the same sense of accomplishment and pride that I saw in the Losi’s eyes when I smiled after a sip of their Barriqueè Sour Ale. ■