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BEER

Italian brewery launches first ever beer made of air

The Birra Flea microbrewery in Gualdo Tadino, central Italy, has brought a new recipe to beer: air.

Published: 19 September 2018 17:21 CEST
Italian brewery launches first ever beer made of air
The new Sans Papiers – Biere de l’air beer, made of air, by Birra Flea. Photo: Birra Flea.

It's what every beer drinker in the world wants, a beer that you can muster out of thin air. Now a microbrewery in the Italian region of Umbria is doing just that.

Birra Flea has launched the world's first craft beer made of air. It's called Sans Papiers – Biere de l'air.

“Beer is made of 90 per cent water. We just extract water from the air,” Alessandro Tozzi, a marketing spokesman for Birra Flea, told The Local.

“It all starts with a machine that condenses hot air into water,” adds Tozzi. Birra Flea's condenser can produce 1,200 litres of water from hot air per day. 

The water is then mixed with barley malt, hops and yeast to produce beer. Birra Flea, founded by two local beer lovers, claims to use “the best barley since the Middle Ages,” according to its website. Birra Flea's beers are unfiltered and unpasteurised.  

Compressed air has been used in beer production for some time, although mainly for bottling, clarifying – whereby  a pressure-driven centrifuge removes heavier solids – or during aeration, required to ensure yeast cultures have sufficient oxygen during the fermentation process.

The Sans Papiers – Biere de l'air claims however to be the world's first beer that draws its core ingredient, water, from condensed air. 

The new variation of Birra Flea, which produces nine different types of beer, including Blonde Ale, IPA, a Belgian Strong Ale and an Imperial Ale – is set to hit the market soon.

Photo: Birra Flea. 

It is part of the eco-friendly and sustainable approach that the microbrewery has adopted since its inception in 2013.

“The whole process is done sustainably,” Birra Flea's Tozzi told The Local. “The whole brewery is powered by solar power from panels on the roof.” 

All papers and plastics used in production, and even the brewery's glasses, are made of recycled products. The new Birra Flea produced out of thin air will now compete with the brewery's other beers made of water from the Rocchetta fresh springs on the outskirts of Gualdo Tadino.

Most of the staff at the microbrewery are local residents from the Apennine Umbrian town of Gualdo Tadino. Some had no experience of working in beer production and have been trained by the brewery's founders since 2013. 

Birra Flea is available in pubs, bars and supermarkets across Italy and already exports between 15 and 20 per cent of its beer to markets in Europe, the USA, Australia and Far Asia, according to Tozzi.

A five-fold expansion is also in the works. A new brewery is under construction which will be five times larger than the current set up. The new site should be active from 2019, adds Tozzi.

And finally, consume responsibly: the beer is unlikely to vanish into thin air after too much consumption. 

READ MORE: A storm is brewing: A tour of some of Italy's new beers

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FOOD AND DRINK

Six of the most Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo drinks

As well as its most famous cocktails, Italy has a long tradition of making refreshing aperitivo drinks without the alcohol.

Published: 11 April 2024 12:01 CEST
Six of the most Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo drinks

Italy’s favourite aperitivo-hour cocktails are known far beyond the country’s borders, so their names will probably be familiar to you whether you drink them or not.

But if you’re in Italy and not drinking alcohol, you might find yourself stumped when it comes time to order your aperitivo at the bar.

The first time I found myself in this situation, there was no menu. The waiter instead rattled off a long list of all the soft drinks available, most of which I’d never heard of, and I just picked something I thought sounded nice.

Luckily it turns out that Italy has some great options for an aperitivo analcolico. As well as ‘virgin’ versions of well-known cocktails, there are bitters, sodas and other Italian-made soft drinks that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

They might not be quite as iconic as the Aperol Spritz, but they’re as thoroughly Italian – plus, effortlessly ordering one of these will make you look like a true local.

SanBittèr

San Pellegrino’s SanBittèr is one of the most famous non-alcoholic Italian drinks of all, with its highly-recognisable red packaging, often enjoyed in place of Campari cocktails because of its similar dark, ruby-red color.

This drink is carbonated with a slightly sweet, citrus flavor. The recipe is more complex than that of an orange or lemon soda, with notes of spice and herbs, making it ideal to pair with your aperitivo-hour snacks.

Crodino

Crodino looks a lot like an Aperol Spritz with its bright orange hue, and that’s not an accident: it’s said to have been created as a non-alcoholic alternative, and the zesty, slightly herbal taste is similar. It’s typically served the same way. in a round goblet glass over ice with a slice of orange: a Crodino Spritz.

The name comes from the town of Crodo in Piedmont, where it is still bottled today by the Campari group.

Chinotto

Citrusy Chinotto is an acquired taste for many, but it’s worth trying: it’s one of the classic Italian bitters and is said to have a long history, dating back to a recipe shared by Chinese sailors arriving on the Ligurian coast in the 1500s.

It may look a little like Coca Cola, but don’t let the appearance fool you.

(Photo by Eugene Gologursky /Getty Images via AFP)

Aranciata/Limonata

Aranciata is Italy’s version of an orange soda, but not as sugary, and it tastes like oranges. Its base is sparkling water with the addition of orange juice and sugar. There are various brands, but San Pellegrino’s is the most popular. It also sells a ‘bitter’ aranciata amaro, with even less sugar, more citrus tang and herbal notes, which might be more aperitivo-hour appropriate.

Limonata is, as you might guess, the Italian answer to lemonade. Again there are many versions out there but the fizzy San Pellegrino limonata is beloved for its strong, sweet-sour flavour and there’s nothing more refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

Cedrata

Cedrata is one of Italy’s oldest and best-known non-alcoholic drinks. It’s a refreshing, carbonated drink made from a large citrus fruit called a cedro, grown in southern Italy. It’s far less bitter than a Chinotto, but not as sweet as limonata.

The main producer of Cedrata today is Tassoni, and this is what you’re likely to get if you order it at a bar.

Gingerino

This is harder to find than the other aperitivi on the list and is seen as decidedly retro, but it’s worth trying if you can track it down.

It’s another orange-coloured, sparkling drink which became popular in Italy in the 1970s and is still sold today, though you’re more likely to find it in the north-east, close to Venice, where it’s produced.

You may be expecting it to taste a lot like ginger beer, and there are similarities, but it has stronger citrus notes and more bitterness.

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