One of the great names in beer journalism and culture.
US journalist Evan Rail is in Rimini for the first edition of “Beer Attraction”
(Rimini Fiera 21st – 24th February).
He is one of the judges at the Beer of the Year contest, an opportunity for an insight on craft beer and its prospects for development.
Rimini 22 February – In the opinion of the sector’s connoisseurs and trade members, the first chapter of the international story of Italian craft beers was an article by Evan Rail, US journalist but long-term resident in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, published in 2008 by the New York Times. The report included meetings with the country’s first brewers, tasting sessions and the statement that they were among the best in the world. Seven years later, Rail observes how Italian craft beer has grown and improved further. “In 2008 the N.Y. Times was one of the first newspapers to write about the new Italian beer. Since then, the phenomenon has increased considerably. At that time there must have been about a hundred small breweries, now there are hundreds in Italy and there is great attention to and interest in your beers all over the world. Above all for the marvellous, eccentric and creative method with which you brew your beers. In London a bar of Italian beers has just been opened and in the USA the products by your craftsmen and microbreweries are increasingly widespread and appreciated. And – what’s more important – is that the quality of Italian craft beer had risen even further”, explains Evan Rail. The essential feature of this success according to Rail is the creativity of Italy’s craftsmen: “They are beers with their own style, that don’t follow fashions or trends. It’s not easy to make a beer that nobody’s ever made before, meeting consumers’ expectations and respecting the guidelines with which a Pilsner or Indian Ale is made. Of course, as we Americans say – put the wheel on your shoulder – you’ve got to get down to work with a lot of discipline and attention.” In short, inspiration and fantasy are not enough – respect for the methods and a lot of work are also necessary to obtain a great beer. And for a further spread of craft beers, according to Rail, a good foothold can come from the new trend for home brewing. “It’s not just a passing fad. Countless people use this method in the United States. To do so, you’ve got to know the beverage and the procedure with which it’s made. You won’t make the best beer in the world at home: but you’ll improve your taste and increase your experience. All this becomes a great means for expansion and it will be Italy too. It’s beer culture.” Regarding the prospects for expansion of the craft beer market, Rail agrees with one of the main objectives of “Beer Attraction”: bringing together microbreweries and the HORECA market. “It’s not easy to continue to grow with the figures of recent years, but small brewers have the possibility of further expanding their local market and also entering the national one. In Italy, sales figures are still lower than in other countries, such as, for example, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Germany. So there is still plenty of space available.” The goal is clear: spreading and increasing beer culture. Above all, this is what “Beer Attraction” is all about.
Nicoletta Evangelisti
Addetta Stampa
Rimini Fiera S.p.A.
tel 0541.744510 -fax 0541.744505
n.evangelisti@riminifiera.it
www.riminifiera.it
Via Emilia 155 ,47921 Rimini
Codice fiscale/Partita Iva 00139440408