Øl er i bunn og grunn et landbruksprodukt som stammer fra hardt arbeid nedlagt i korn- og humleåkre. Utover dette er det også et håndverksprodukt, et resultat av bryggerens evne til å få ut det beste fra de råvarene han har til rådighet. Hos Birra Baladin har naturen og jorden alltid stått i fokus, det samme har kvalitet når det kommer til både råvarer og bryggeprosess. De dyrker sine egne ingredienser eller kjøper så lokalt som mulig, i den grad det lar seg gjøre. I deres øl finner vi smaken av Italia, og av Piemonte. «Nazionale» var det første 100% italienske ølet på markedet, brygget med vann fra alpene, malt fra Basilicata og Marche og humle fra deres egne humleåkre i Piozzo.
Les resten av historien her, i Baladins egne ord.
Baladin Independent Italian Farm Brewery: Because Beer is Earth!
This motto has always guided the Baladin approach. Explaining that beer is an agricultural product, has been at the heart of our message from the very beginning. To translate our words into facts, years ago we decided to grow instead of buying the raw materials to produce our beers’ ingredients. Baladin has always believed in the importance of the Italian agricultural supply chain, to let all consumers understand that beer is a product of nature.
For Teo Musso – founder of the Baladin brewery – making Italian beer means, on the one hand, creating unique recipes based on the world-renowned creativity of Italian master brewers, and on the other using ingredients grown in Italy. It is therefore essential to carefully select the right coltures to develop, which also means being able to trace the origin of the end product.
In 2012 we reached a fundamental milestone: we became a farm brewery and we took on responsibility for the entire production chain, starting from the earth and how to farm it. A fundamental step to raise awareness and spread knowledge on Italian beer made with ingredients from an Italian, short supply chain, following the principles of circular economy.
The symbol of this process is Nazionale: the first 100% Italian beer made with water from the Maritime Alps, malted barley from Basilicata and Marche, hops from our fields in Piozzo, yeast grown at our laboratory and a few Italian spices.
Let’s take a quick look at the evolution of thought and practical progress started by Teo Musso many years ago, with the intent of becoming personally responsible for the entire production cycle of his beers. Starting, of course, from the earth and creating a short supply chain for his ingredients.
The ultimate goal to be achieved from the production and sale of craft Baladin beers is to support the whole cycle, producing wealth and share ethical values at the same time, while actively supporting the many families who work in this sector.
In 2006, Teo developed the project of a morally controlled production chain and started experimenting with the cultivation of cereals (spring two-row barley) on 4 hectares of land in Piozzo. In 2007 he adds 10 more hectares in the Basilicata – a region chosen for its soil and climate – which then become 25 in 2009 and 68 in t the moment, Baladin farms 300 hectares, plus the organic spring two-row barley fields in the Marche region. It is currently shifting to organic farming for all its products. Crop rotation ensures the fertility of the soils. For climate reasons, the fields in Piozzo produce grains that are used raw, such as wheat, barley and rye.
If beer goes ‘From the earth to the glass’, all waste materials are re-used to go back to the Earth. The brewer’s grains (what is left from the processing of cereals) are given to stockbreeders who use them as animal feed, while the waste waters treated and given to the local water consortium to irrigate the fields.
Hop is a key ingredient in beer production, in 2008 the Baladin farmer brewery started the first experimental cultivation of hops in Italy. The size of the fields was enough for a considerable production of beer.
"To experiment means to invest in projects to explore all possible techniques or instruments to achieve an Italian sustainable cultivation."
As the history of beer shows, the ultimate goal of developing an agricultural supply chain is to establish the national character of beer, exploiting the peculiarities of the ingredients grown in a country. It is a long and ambitious process, but more and more stakeholders are interested in supporting and helping it.
An important contribution will certainly come from Consorzio Birra Italiana, a project launched in June 2019 by several stakeholders to develop a strong identity for Italian beer made with Italian ingredients.
In 2019, Teo became the president of Consorzio Birra Italiana, founded to support and develop the Italian agricultural supply chain for the production of craft beer. The consortium includes craft beer producers, farmers, processors and Coldiretti, the largest Agricutural Association in Italy. The ambition of the Baladin farm brewery is to actively contribute to the development of an Italian supply chain devoted to beer brewing. And it strives to offer true “Made in Italy” beer.
