Welcoming sign at Pub 27 in Pompeii
Lariano Tripé, Lariano Sirone, Italy at La Belle Alliance, Milan
Date: October 19, 2018
The Story— La Belle Alliance is one of at least three pubs in Milan that should have been in the first edition of our Drinking In the Culture and surely will be if the 2020 revision comes off as planned. The revision is going to be a challenge because we intend to stay within our self-imposed requirement of naming exactly six of the best places to drink. We haven’t figured out what La Belle Alliance is going to replace.
I’m still annoyed by the pub’s policy of serving almost all their exceptionally good range of beers and ales in US lager style “shaker” pints. The glass isn’t named for the religious order, but for the fact it was designed to make mixed cocktails. Beer bars started using it because it was cheap and could stack without breaking. It’s about the worst way to present a beer than anyone has invented.
Aside from that so-far-from-Belgium annoyance, La belle Alliance ranks among the great beer bars of Europe. The range of beers is exceptional and the staff is knowledgeable. Staff at other good beer bars say it’s where they go to drink. It’s a ways out from the center, but an easy rambling ride on one of Milan’s antique trolley cars that makes the voyage almost as fun as the destination.
“Tripel” refers to a Belgian monastic style that isn’t really that old, but had clear parameters — at least for a while. It’s very strong — 8% or more– but strikingly delicate. Fruity– often with some banana, metalic and with a bit of dryness from candi sugar and just a breath of funky abbey yeast. Delicacy and subtlety are the hallmarks, and that’s a tall order in a strong well-hopped ale. Added spice and fruit is either inappropriate or an abomination. For us, less than one in 25 tripels we taste come even close to the mark, but we keep buying them in hopes of golden nirvana.
Lariano’s version captured the essence, if not all of the specifics, of the style and dazzled both of us. This style of beer is very very hard to make this well.
The brewery recommends pairing it with fatty cheese. They are spot on, but it’s good with so much more. Only the 8% ABV would keep us from drinking this by the 20 oz. pour with hot dogs at a ball park.
Beer— I’d like to try it with the yeast more settled. As is, it’s maybe a bit yeasty and chalky for style, but actually nicely within specs. Bitter hops and a lasting mild tart lemon are authentic too. Ellie pointed to the soft tripel funk with sugar, gentle metal and some tropical hops.
Value — Very good to Excellent — At just over six bucks for a….shaker…. pint, it’s hard to imagine a better bargain in a big city in Italy.
This week we feature HIGHLIGHTS OF EUROPE– Surprisingly good beer in “bad beer cities.” The best we’ve found in researching our next book – a guide to great beer in European tourist cities. (Planned publication 2019.) We’ll shift back to great American beer finds next week.
Tomorrow we return to the US to highlight some great beers we’ve found in researching out first US Beer publication: Brews and Snooze-– Breweries you can visit and walk back to a fine place to spend the night. Look for it in 2019.
About these posts: We taste and evaluate over a thousand beers every year. The beers posted here rank in the top quarter of those tastings. Values: “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.
[…] The Story— We featured this beer last fall just because it was such a great find in our last trip to Milan. But we can’t do a list of =great tripel beers without including it. You can get the full story of La Belle Alliance bar and our introduction to this beer by clicking here. […]