Birra Menabrea is a famous brew from Italy. For a long time I thought it came from Milan but as it says on the bottle, it’s from Biella, a town in Piedmont near Vercelli. I love this light lager. Made with its own yeast according to a special, secret recipe, this beer uses both malt and maize along with hops. The mountain water which goes into the blend adds to this lovely blond lager. Golden in color with a light floral bouquet, this beer is perfect for summer. The recipe has been unchanged since 1846 and I can see why.

The brewery was found in 1846 by Jean Joseph Menabrea of Gressony. Today the business is still run by the same family. Franco Thedy, Jean Joseph’s great-great-great grandson, leads the brewery whose cellars are located 100 feet below the brewery, .

After a long week of travel and tastings, this beer has graced my table this week. The beer rests in the cellars for six weeks.