'S RAW MATERIALS
THE BENEFITS OF CRAFT BEER.
“Beer drinkers live to be a hundred!”
Do you think it’s just a catchphrase to attract customers? It’s not. Beer, as we know, is one of the oldest, most popular, and most widely consumed beverages in the world. There must be a reason why this product attracts so many people every day. And it’s not just the fact that you can cool off in the shade of a tree while drinking an ice-cold bottle; beer, especially craft beer, creates an inner joy from the very first sip—it’s a matter of chemistry. If made well with quality ingredients, it will always have a pleasant and sophisticated aftertaste that will fully immerse you in the region where it’s produced. The first and essential priority for Matteo and Maria Cristina since the idea first arose in 2013theidea of making craft beer in 2013 was just one: ingredients of the highest quality. In this pursuit of excellence, we were aided by a lush region rich in natural resources such as thewater and’barley. And’ For this reason, everything related to the Birra Flea brand is closely tied to the local area, understood as both a natural resource and a part of history.
Our top-fermented Flea beer, brewed using strictly traditional methods, is described as ““unpasteurized,” meaning it has not undergone pasteurization. But what does that specifically mean? It means that the’the absence of pasteurization allows all the beer’s organoleptic properties to remain intact; by staying intact, these properties are able to interact positively with our bodies. This is why we reap the greatest benefits, which are increasingly demonstrated by numerous scientific studies. Here are a few:
I bet that each of us, on more than one’time, has wanted to skip a nice glass of beer to avoid effects like bloating. Nothing could be further from the truth. According to a publication by “German Institute of Nutrition” dated 2009, there is no correlation between beer consumption and a bloated stomach. Furthermore, if we’re worried about jeopardizing our physical fitness, know that craft beer—especially unpasteurized beer—contrary to what one might think, doesn’t make you gain weight! In fact, it’s one of the lowest-calorie beverages, with lower sugar content than even many soft drinks.
Hops, along with maltbarley and’water, is one of the main ingredients in beer. In addition to acting as a natural preservative, its cones—which are used in the brewing process to give beer its characteristic bitter flavor— contain various types of flavonoids that have shown a’excellent anticancer activity. Among these, the most abundant is xanthumol , which, according to studies, is capable of inhibiting the proliferation and viability of human cancer cells in breast, ovarian, and colon cancers. Furthermore, it appears to play a role in inducing apoptosis (cell suicide) in leukemic cells and in interfering with endothelial cells by inhibiting’angiogenesis, or the proliferation of blood vessels that fuel tumor growth. However, not all beers contain such a high concentration of xanthohumol; the best ones are those with the highest hop content—and thus the most bitter flavor—such as our Federico II Extra IPA, our Federico II Golden Ale, and our Adelaide APA.
Beer contains a variety of vitamins, such as Vitamin B2, B6, and B12 (essential for healthy memory function),’folic acid, various minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and silicon (which promotes bone growth), maintains an excellent calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, and contains a very low amount of sodium: since it is 90–95% water, it promoteskidney function through diuresis, without affectingthebalance of fluids and minerals in our body, thereby reducing the risk of kidney stone formation.
Let’s not overlook its antioxidant effects either: thanks to the polyphenols it contains, beer helps prevent skin aging, combats free radicals, and thus helps prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease by reducing the levels of two inflammatory proteins that increase the risk of heart problems. These two proteins are C-reactive protein, which promotes the inflammatory response, and fibrinogen, which contributes to clot formation; thanks to beer, not only do CRP and fibrinogen levels decrease, but the concentration of HDL—the so-called “good cholesterol”—also increases. Drinking beer every day in moderate amounts reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by about 25%, increases “good” cholesterol by 4%, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular events by 17%.
After this overview of the health benefits of craft beer—which, we’re sure, many of you weren’t aware of—let’s focus on our key ingredient, which has been the hallmark of Flea products for years. As mentioned in previous articles, water is one of the most precious ingredients in any craft beer; in fact, it makes up the majority of the product. At Flea, we not only have access to one of the most significant water basins on an international level, but also—and above all—to exceptionally pure water of the highest quality. The Apennine area of Gualdo Tadino is, in fact, rich in mineral-poor springs, and since ancient times, the town has been prized for the crystal-clear water that flows naturally from our gorges. The limestone composition of the Apennine rocks is highly permeable and facilitates a rapid and constant circulation of groundwater that flows from the mountains down to the valley and, consequently, directly to the Flea Brewery. As far back as Roman times, “Tadinum” (the name given to ancient Gualdo by the Romans when they conquered it) was utilized and valued for its therapeutic springs. Even Rocca Flea, the historically significant fortress built by Frederick II of Swabia around the 12th century—from which our beer takes its name—was constructed near the Flebeo or Feo River. Even Pliny the Elder, in his work *Naturalis Historia*, mentions the famous therapeutic springs and thermal baths of Tadinum. Water, therefore, thanks to the natural conformation of the Gualdo territory, is our added value, our most important starting point for producing quality craft beer, which has been inextricably linked from the very beginning to the story that the Minelli family conceived to tell and produce Birra Flea. Hence the slogan that defines us: “Birra Flea. Raw and Pure.”
Another key ingredient that makes our craft beers unique is two-row barley. This element, too, is deeply rooted in the history that inspired Birra Flea—and thus in Emperor Frederick II, who, centuries ago, sowed the first seeds of barley and wheat in the Gualdo valleys with his own hands to bestow wealth and virtue upon all the people. Following in the footsteps of this enduring commitment dictated by local history, Matteo and Maria Cristina decided to dedicate their farmland to the cultivation of this important grain, grown and harvested by the family farm. To this day, the barley fields surround the brewery, their golden hues nourished by the same mineral-rich water, thus ensuring a short food supply chain. After harvesting, the barley is sent to a trusted malting facility that transforms the grains into malt. It is then used during the mashing process, imparting color, finesse, and head to our beers through fermentation and during the maturation phase.
This is possible thanks to germination, which produces a greater quantity of enzymes compared to other grains and is therefore inherently more efficient in producing soluble sugars, readily available to the yeast for conversion into ethyl alcohol. The two-row barley seed is also covered by husks and glumes, tough protective layers that contribute to proper filtration of the wort after boiling. Barley and water thus tell the story of Birra Flea in every sip, as they are local ingredients, grown independently, locally sourced, and of excellent quality.
So, after all the good news we’ve just mentioned, how could we possibly pass up a nice glass of craft beer? The important thing is to always remember that, like everything else, beer follows a basic rule: never overdo it—drink in moderation. Cheers!
