Lava and Contessa Italian Pale Ale Come to U.S. Shores
Vanberg & DeWulf have been on a roll as of late with their portfolio of imports. The two latest items are Iceland’s Lava and Italy’s Contessa Pale Ale.
From the company’s press release:
Lava Smoked Imperial Stout (9.4% ABV) from Iceland’s only craft brewery, Olvisholt Brugghus’ (Brewery). Lava earns a 99 on Ratebeer, and is a full-bodied, pitch-black beer with a dense brown head. Richly flavored with notes of dark chocolate, roasted malt and smoke, it is highly sought after by Scandinavian beer geeks. It has never before been sold in the US, but — for the first time ever — it will arrive on American shores at the end of January.
Take your tongue on a trip to the Arctic isle in the ring of fire with Lava Smoked Imperial Stout. Recommended food pairings include oysters, lobster and crayfish, smoked fish, herring.
Birra Amiata’s Contessa Italian Pale Ale has just landed! Remarkably few of the hot Italian craft beers rate five stars from Slow Food Italy, but Contessa is one of them.
We test marketed this beer with four of the most discerning publicans in Chicago – the Hopleaf, the Farmhouse, Telegraph Wine Bar, and the Publican. These establishments have very different personalities. Hopleaf is a Belgian bastion. The Farmhouse specializes in local and sustainable foods, and call every beer they carry from beyond the 200 mile radius of Chicago “imported.” Telegraph Wine Bar is a very sophisticated small plate Logan Square hot spot that only carries five beers. The Publican is one of the country’s best gastropubs. Remarkably, they all did fabulously well with Contessa. We can’t wait until we place it at the first Italian restaurant!