Moretti and Why Drinking in Europe is Fun

I recently took a trip to Italy with my girlfriend, Lindsey. While the wine is delicious, I wanted to see what the beer is like in Italy. There is an up-and-coming craft beer market in Italy and I will get to that in an upcoming post, but for now I will start with one of the classics of Italian beer, Birra Moretti. 

Moretti is a Pale Lager style and sits at 4.6% ABV. It isn't going to top my list of best beers, but after a long day of walking around Rome, it was delicious. It is light and crisp, with a nose that mirrors the taste. It has a grainy sweetness, but nothing is overwhelming. I will say, it was by far the best of the mass produced Italian beers that I tried. It is not a beer for every situation, but I strongly feel that each beer has a proper place. I think that Moretti's place is exactly where we had it. It is perfect for a warm day where you are moving around a lot and you want something refreshing to relax a bit. In my mind, I see it as a wannabe German pilsner. It is trying to get there, but there is something just not as good about it. 

It was especially fun to drink the Moretti in Rome. We bought it from one of the innumerous street carts that dot the city. Since Italy doesn't have open container laws, you can bring your beer into any of the public areas. We decided to drink ours in front of the Colosseum and walk with it through a lovely little park back to our apartment. If you find yourself in Europe somewhere, give the open-air drinking experience a shot, it is worthwhile, especially if you share the experience with someone great. 

While we were over there, we tried a lot of beer. In the next few weeks I will inundate the blog with a bunch of Italian beer, both craft and otherwise. Stay tuned. 

Glassware: Mug, Pilsner glass

Synonym Beer: Grolsch