On the occasion of May 1stLabor Day,
we want to remember the hands that have held these beers for years,
the hands that gave added value to a drink that would be remembered only as such if it weren’t for them:
hands dug in the fields, hands dirty with mine soot, hands worn by fatigue
that sought, in a shared gesture, a calm yet essential comfort.
A BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Since its very origin, beer was made for workers. Not by chance, the earliest evidence dates back to BC times, in lands of great workers such as Mesopotamia and Egypt.
In Mesopotamia part of workers’ wages was paid in beer. It was so precious that it wasn’t just a wage but also a religious drink, consumed at funerals to honor the deceased.And what about Egypt? It’s no surprise that under the scorching sun, between building one pyramid and another, there arose a deep desire for a refreshing drink! Whether slaves got to drink it, we do not know, but what we do know for sure is that pharaohs built real factories—they loved building and enjoyed beer.Obviously, the recipe varied from region to region. Mainly, the brewer was also the baker, producing bread and beer in different proportions (spelt beer kurunnu or barley beer sikaru). The proportions are preserved in the oldest legal code, the Code of Hammurabi (1728-1686 BC), which condemned to death anyone who did not respect the brewing criteria.
So, ironically, those who watered down beer risked death! Nowadays we are much more lenient, but be warned: we don’t appreciate watered-down beer either!
Beer, so similar to bread, was essential for certain historical moments, and even today, I feel we recognize its importance.
From our side, for the arrival of our “liquid bread” in Europe, we must thank the Germanic and Celtic tribes, who passed down the recipe, making it popular first among housewives and then in monasteries. The Industrial Revolution somewhat broke home production but did not kill the popular spirit that the drink carried with it. In fact, with yeast research and bottom-fermentation production, the Industrial Revolution created the ideal drink for workers: Lager, the right freshness and sparkle for short work breaks without too much intoxication.
Over time, the Mestansky Pivovar Brewery, decided to address the cloudiness issues of Lager by using all more noble/genuine ingredients: low-mineral water, Bohemian Zatec hops, and the best Bavarian recipe… this gave life to the first Pils as we know it today, light, sweet, with less sharp notes than Lager.
TODAY AT OLTREMONDO AND BEYOND
The story is beautiful because it reminds us where we come from and leaves us a bit nostalgic.
When we talk about workers and convivial moments, we cannot help but think of our Oltremondo social club in Monteporzio.
We took over management in 2019, but it was born in the ’90s as a place for after work.
There you could meet those returning from the famous Luxembourg, Switzerland, or Belgium! Not to mention those from the nearby fields.
Everyone shared their hard work with pride and had a great need to relax.
When we took over, we wanted to keep this pure spirit, full of wonderful people sharing not only the pleasure of a beer but everything that beer represents for their day.
We are ready to start again in a big way, with a lot of time to recover, many stories, ideas, music, games, snacks, and… of course her: THE BEER!
But not just any beer.
In honor of the principles and values told so far, we created a new beer that will be released in mid-May. If you followed the flow of our thoughts, you’ll understand that the new beer could only be her:
a Pils born in May with great courage!There are some kegs ready and dreams fermenting. We hope to see you soon.
Meanwhile, think about it between one beer and another.
Happy May 1st, Happy Labor Day!
