What do you think of when you think of Italy? Wine? Food? History? Art? How about beer? No?  Well you should.

Italy, especially northern Italy, has a burgeoning beer culture that started over a decade ago.  Spurred on by Le Baladin, one of the original (if not the original craft brewery in Italy), craft breweries have popped up in Lombardy and Piedmont especially, selling products ranging from light beers (chiara - not low calorie as in the US terminology but light and refreshing in color and taste), to Weiss beers, to thick, creamy stouts that will send you swooning (okay, maybe not swooning, but definitely conjure images of roaring fires, dart games and hanging at your favorite local pub).

Many of these producers started as single batch/room operations that have now grown over time and while some now export to the States, others produce solely for Italian consumption and some, so local, that if you don't visit their pub or associated restaurants, you'll be out of luck for snagging a taste.

Take for example, Birrificio Lambrate in Milan, that started as a small one room operation, moved the brew facilities into a nearby building and opened a pub in the old brewery. They've grown over the years, but you can only get their delicious beers in Milan.  Or Cita Biunda, restaurant on the top floor, brewery on the middle and pub in the bottom floor, located in a small town in Piemonte serves amazing brew and a mint stout (yes, you read that correctly) that still has me looking forward to my return.

Oh, and did I mention the food? Yes, it's Italy, so we must talk about the food.  While it is a new trend in the states to pair beer with foods and some have started to cook with their beers, this is nothing new for the breweries in Italy (and their associated restaurants).  Last fall, we had the pleasure of dining at a brewery in Chieri, Grado Plato (and yes you can get some of their brews in the States, but its better at the source), that produced a goulash (good autumnal dish), made with their Spoon River beer, leaves me salivating still.

Enjoying these beers, this food and meeting and talking with the brew masters and chefs are some of the great things I love about our Piedmont Craft Beer Tour.  For seven days, we visit Milan, Turin (aka Torino) and the countryside of Piedmont (Piemonte) visiting local breweries, sampling their latest brews, dining in their pubs and restaurants, totally absorbing the growing beer culture in the region.  On a GrapeHops small-group tour we take care of everything from the moment we meet you in Milan until the moment we say good-bye in Turin, including all the meals (but for two lunches), accommodations, entry and tasting fees, as well as some artisanal cheese tastings and pizza making lessons. Book with us, and we'll handle all the details and scheduling to ensure you have a great vacation while learning about this new and exciting side of Italy.  We add new tour dates regularly, but if you don't see a date that works and you're a group of four or more contact us we'd be happy to oblige. If you're interested in booking or have any questions, please let us know.  Don't forget to check out our other tours, A Taste of Galica Spain and A Taste of Venice.

The above is a sponsored article from GrapeHops, a tour operator specializing in wine, beer, and food related travel packages.