Tasting

What does a lager from Friuli or Venetia taste like? It's golden, the foam cap is short-lived, and the aroma carries grain, bread, and a hint of hay. On the palate it's light, with gentle sweetness and little bitterness, finishing dry enough to feel fresh again with the next bite of food.

Good examples include Birra Moretti Baffo d'Oro for the well-known standard, Birra Castello from San Giorgio di Nogaro for a Friulian lager, and Birra Pedavena from Feltre, which highlights its alpine spring water. For the craft scene, look to Birrificio Gjulia and Bondai from Sutrio.

Lager is best enjoyed well chilled, around 5 to 7 degrees Celsius. At this temperature it stays fresh and lean. If it gets too warm, the sweetness stands out more, and the hops taste flat.

The usual glass is a tall goblet or a boccale, a handled mug commonly used in Italy for draft beer. Pale ales belong in a tulip glass or a nonic pint, which help concentrate their aromas.

Draft beer in Italy is often ordered by size. Common choices are "piccola" for the small measure, about 0.2 liters, and "media" for the medium one, about 0.4 liters. When pouring, the glass is tilted and then straightened once it's half full, creating a fine, lasting foam cap. That foam protects the beer from air and locks in its aromas.