Florian Bierra Bionda
Birra Menabrea SpA

Enjoyed beer in romantic San Marco Square, Venice with my beautiful wife listening to quartet playing Italian Crooner songs. Not the best Italian beer I’ve ever had, but definitely fit the moment.

Birra Menabrea SpA "Florian Birra Bionda"
13 € / 330 ml brown glass bottle @ Caffe Florian, Venice

Notes. This beer is brewed exclusively for the Caffe Florian on St. Mark's Square in Venice, and it's only available in the bottle. There's no freshness dating on the bottle I've received but it is marked as having 5.0% ABV. It's poured a clear, hazy golden-amber body beneath a finger's width of white foam that drops fairly shortly to an almost but-not-quite solid surface covering. The aroma is floral and grassy over lightly sweetish, grainy, and lightly caramelish malt. The flavor follows with some additional delicate apple-like fruitiness, a light touch of acidity, and a firm bitterness that anchors it, balances it, and ushers it towards a dry conclusion with just a little bit of everything lingering shortly. In the mouth it's medium bodied on the lower end and gently crisp. It's a decent enough beer, although the only way to get it is to take a seat and enjoy it while people watching on St. Mark's Square in front of the magnificent Basilica, and that will cost you - 13€ in my case. The beer is not that good, but depending on when you can be there (basically at sunset) the view is magnificent and well worth it. Good luck getting a table.

I had this beer on a hot, early summer day in Venice, sitting at an outdoor table under an umbrella in St. Mark's Square. The beer comes in a plastic-wrapped bottle with intricate decoration. The liquid is a clear cold color with a fizzy white head. It is utterly clear. The aroma has a bit of grain and the taste is slightly sweet. It is medium-light in body, and has a clean finish. It is a typical euro lager, sweet, grainy, and clean. It is also ridiculously expensive.