Beer & hop
A modest part of our Hop Yard is located at the Gassetta Mill. The hop is a climbing plant, with a root with the shape of a rhizome, from which very tall stems develop. On our estate, the plants are naturally trained upwards to create the suggestion of arches and walls!
During the flowering period, from the end of July to the beginning of October, the strongest plants can form beautifully flowered arches that you can pass through – it is a real celebration of a natural art form.
Hops have antioxidant, antiseptic and antibacterial properties; female inflorescences only are used to make beer: those that are not pollinated.
The hop is the bitter part that helps to compensate for the malt’s sweetness; it gives the aroma and flavor while improving and increasing the stability of the beer’s foam.
Enthusiasts and the curious are invited to our Hop Yard and guided by our agronomist in selecting and collecting the flowers … a fun experience!
The project of the first Portofinese craft beer was born from a simple bet among friends, that no one had ever successfully cultivated Hops on the hillsides above Portofino, and that no one had ever produced a craft beer on the promontory.
It all began in 2016 with the search for suitable hop varieties, followed by rigorous cultivation trials, culminating in the selection of those varieties most suited to the area. At the end of a full growing cycle we were delighted to see the hops exceeding all our expectations.
Our production remains quantitatively modest, and above all, local.
Our beers: La Portofinese Golden Ale e Amber Ale
Portofinese Golden Ale, clear in the Golden Ale style it is a “high fermentation” beer utilizing the best spring two-row “Pils” barley and flavoring from our very own hops grown on the Portofino promontory. As an unpasteurized, unfiltered and naturally bottle fermented ale with no carbon dioxide, stabilizers and/or preservatives added the result is a deliciously fresh and fragrant live beer
Alc. 5% Vol – I.B.U. (International Bitterness Unit) 30 – t ° of recommended service 8 ° C
Portofinese Amber Ale, amber-colored as the name suggests, obtained from superior malting barley and flavored with our own hops grown on the Portofino promontory It is a high fermentation beer, unpasteurized, unfiltered and fermented naturally in the bottle without addition of carbon dioxide, stabilizers and/or preservatives. It is a lively beer with a good strong taste!
Alc. 6% Vol – I.B.U. (International Bitterness Unit) 25 – t ° of recommended service 8/10 ° C