Hold your breath
Make a wish
Count to three
Come with me and you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination
- Pure Imagination by Gene Wilder
Have you seen the movie? I'm sure you have. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder. It came out in 1971 and I must have seen it more than a dozen times. I loved it-not just for the chocolate-but for the awe, the wonder that Charlie felt when entering for the first time.
A feeling similar came over me when I visited
Kbirr Brewery a week or so ago. Like I was entering a
world of pure imagination.
Kbirr ( a play on the Italian 'che birra') was founded by Fabio Ditto back in 2016. He wanted a brewery 100, no, wait, 200% Neapolitan. 200% Neapolitan with a line of beers that could not only be enjoyed in some of Naples's top pizzerias and restaurants, but around the world as well.
Ditto, along with brewmaster Achille Certezza so far have created 7 types of craft beers-unpasteurized and unfiltered.
But when you think of Napoli, do you think of beer? With Kbirr-why not??? Remember that world of pure imagination? Kbirr, besides creating their lines of beers to pair with the foods on the menus, just a look at the names of the beers and the art on the labels are part of Dittos creation. His pure imagination.
Each beer has behind it a story-whether it be the name, the label, the artist behind the label....or all of the above.
Let's take a look at a few-
NataVota (translated as another time-or again). On the bottle, we find San Gennaro- Naples's patron saint. If you don't know the story of the miracle of this saint...his blood liquefying three times a year, this bottle of lager(available in pale and red) is surely a way to spread Neapolitan history for those who are curious.
Cap 'e Fierro. A fantasticaaa play on words. What does it mean? Well ,literally '' cap e fierro' could mean someone with a hard head-stubborn. But as Kbirr's
Felice Esposito explained to me, it is also a reference to Naples's streetcars- the 'cap 'e fierro' being the head of the line. That explains the label designed by Neapolitan artist
Alessandro Flaminio (whose work is also featured in the fantasticaaa tasting room-take a look at the article's cover pic). Back to the beer- tasting notes from the company's website...
Beer with sweet notes, full body and well structured. The important alcohol content gives a pleasant warmth to the palate. On the nose the hints of hops are clearly perceptible and very elegant. Despite its complexity, it is extremely enjoyable both on its own and during meals.
This strong lager was quite strong for me- but it did peak my curiosity leading me to order a few bottles from Kbirr's website to taste at home.
This popular hoppy ale was also a top pick for me during a quick tasting, and later my order online- did I mention that the brewery is only 10 minutes from my house? Lucky me!
Pullicenhell- or Pulcinella, or Pulcinell (in Naples,many words are pronounced without the last vowel). So here we have another play on words fantasticaaaa-hell. Another label designed by a noted Neapolitan artist-this time Pasquale Manzo. As well as another Neapolitan symbol -Pulcinella. Tasting notes from Kbirr's website-
A beer that offers an intriguing herbaceous bouquet mixed with exotic fruit and lime on the nose. The light body and fresh flavor make this beer incredibly drinkable. In the mouth the malty part is clearly evident, followed by the hoppy component that accompanies the drink until the end.
There is so much more going on with this brewery here- stories to be told. How their production will soon be self sufficient in terms of energy thanks to solar energy panels. How they are the first in Italy to be able to produce 6,500 litres of beer per cycle.
How Ditto has created a tasting room with fantastic works of art from the above mentioned artists as well as other Neapolitan artist such as Luca Carnevale whose depiction of San Gennaro serving communion to a devoted believer-the wafer symbolizing the scudetto. Yeah-Naples soccer won the championship after 33 years. How there are plans for the future to...well. Let me stop here. I'll stop here because I would like to devote future posts to this world of pure imagination.
Che birra
Kbirr!
Hold your breath
Make a wish
Count to three
Come with me and you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination
- Pure Imagination by Gene Wilder
