A craft beer that stands out is the result of great recipes, simple yet carefully selected ingredients, and, above all, the people behind it. What drives us? Passion and craftsmanship, research and attention to detail, and a strong desire to grow and improve.
And since we’re talking about people, today we’d like to introduce you to someone special at Birra Flea: our Master Brewer Enrico, who, with a glass in hand, is here to tell us his story.
First of all, we’d love to know how your passion for craft beer began and how you got into this wonderful world.
My passion began during my college years, initially as a consumer, but then, thanks to a close friend who got me involved in his homebrewing activities, I became increasingly fascinated by the brewing techniques. We had lots of projects and plenty of enthusiasm; I particularly enjoyed finding ways to mechanize the home brewing process, trying to apply what I was studying (mechanical engineering) to the simple pots and ladles we had available in our home setup.
Do you remember when and how you decided you wanted to do this for a living?
My passion turned into a career when a Venetian company specializing in brewery equipment—which was launching a microbrewery—called me for an internship, and within a few days I already knew that this was what I “wanted to do when I grew up.” The collaboration lasted 10 years, filled with wonderful experiences. The brewery started out as a showroom but soon became a school for future brewers; many young men and women came for a full immersion, and it was a great opportunity for growth—not only teaching production techniques but also sharing the daily life of the brewery to delve into the logistical and managerial aspects of running a business.
It was truly wonderful to be involved in the development of the brewhouses, the software, and the malting machines. The most rewarding part was undoubtedly overseeing the commissioning of the brewhouses and malting machines. I had the pleasure of working with so many young people“full of ideas and enthusiasm,”just as I had been before them, and of helping to make their dreams a reality.
And then you ended up here in Gualdo Tadino! What aspects of Birra Flea impressed you and motivated you to work with such dedication?
Flea Beer is incredible. It has an impressive facility, a fascinating concept, and people who are fully committed to bringing that concept to life. For me, it was love at first sight.
Flea Beer is an unpasteurized beer that undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. Can you explain what that means?
It is called "unpasteurized" because the product is not pasteurized; in other words, our beers are "live," retaining all the organoleptic characteristics developed during primary fermentation and evolving over time, maturing and refining day by day. Bottle conditioning is the natural process that gives the beer its characteristic effervescence. Precisely because our beers are alive, the tiny amount of yeast present in the bottle continues to work even after bottling, metabolizing simple sugars and naturally producing the CO2 that the beers need.
A question you must be tired of hearing: What's your favorite beer?
I’ve gone through several phases where I’ve become obsessed with very different styles, and it’s been wonderful to keep discovering new ones. After experiencing both extremes, I now really appreciate “light” beers—the kind where even the slightest flaw would be glaringly obvious, essentially the ones that are the hardest to brew. Our Costanza is a perfect example; I absolutely love it.
What's the secret behind Birra Flea?
Respect for the production process, the meticulous application of scientific controls, and the love of those who devote their passion and dedication to it, without even realizing they are working.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into this field?
Theory is extremely important and must be taken seriously; the internet can be a helpful resource, but it can also be very misleading. Personally, I believe it’s essential to move quickly to the practical side, by any means necessary—even using large pots at home. I believe that knowing the raw ingredients well makes all the difference, as does tasting as many beers as possible to understand their “secrets”; the goal must be to identify the contribution of each ingredient and attempt to replicate them, until the desired results are achieved, using an approach that is as scientific as possible.
Fascinating, isn't it? To stay up to date on all the latest news from the Flea Universe, follow us on FacebookandInstagram!
