A bit of a walk from the city center, but one of the few breweries within walking distance of the center at all, is Archea Brewery. It gave me one of the most local vibes of any restaurant or café in Italy thus far. When you cross the river you already know you’re walking into a more authentic experience. The place is bit of a hole in the wall, we weren’t even sure it was open until we were right in front of it. Walk past the outdoor seating and into a narrow and low ceiling walkway then you're in the bar. There is table seating further in the back, but I chose to sit at the bar. I was prepared for little English and so little description of the beer but the bartender actually spoke a decent amount and in contrary to Mosto Dolce seemed interested in describing the beers to me and answering my questions. Archea is a brewery but also an alehouse because they offer beers on tap that aren’t their own. However, I was there only for the house beers. Archea offers four house beers on tap. They are all takes on traditional beers, nothing too experimental. In order, my flight was written: “Pils” a Pilsner, “Melyssa” a honey golden ale, “Hydra” their IPA, and “Bock” their doppelbock. I was happy to even hear they offered flights! I wasn't sure the amount in each glass, since it wasn't in ounces, but I knew it was a lot. On top of the loads of liquid in front of me to drink, I was in awe at what they put the flight in: a metal arc. Seeing the creative flights displays and trays is one of my favorite parts of brewery hopping. It was cool looking but not super practical for trying beer. I had to carefully place my glass back in after each sip. I tried them in order, starting with the Pils. It was actually a decent beer to me, and I’m not a fan of lagers. There was a little bite and a little sweetness to it, a caramelly after taste and a super light hoppy hint in the finish. The honey golden ale was great. Sweet in flavor but not overwhelming. It had a great smell and it was a fabulous mix of hops and sweetness. Fuller in body than the pilsner but not heavy or too light. The IPA was a distinct and even reminiscent. There was a deep intense smell. Strong on the hops, strong on the bitter, super flavorful and lingered on the tongue afterwards. Last, but not least, I tried the doppelbock, a beer I had never heard of or tried before. The doppeldock is a substyle of the “bock” with a dark brown, deep gold color. It is stronger and maltier than other bocks. It had a tremendous chocolate-caramel smell with a light hint of coffee. Sweet, creamy, malty as hell, with all the flavors of a stout but a lot lighter. After trying it I had the privilege of hearing (a version) of how the brewing style “came to be.” The man next to me "informed" me that, once upon a time, after several beer batches, sugar started to stick to the walls of the fermentation tanks. Winter was coming (no Game of Thrones mention intended) and if nothing was done the sugar would harden and be difficult to clean so they decided to use the sugar to make one last batch of beer. Because of all the sugar, it ended up being sweeter and higher in alcohol percentage. From the beer I had tried so far in Italy, I was really impressed with these. I truly enjoyed the taste, the atmosphere and the experience as a whole.
Will you cross the river for their beer?
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