Triggianello Birranova Beer Fest

Birranova brewery shop

Triggianello beer festival - one of the highlights of our holiday. If you're lucky enough to be staying in the locality when it's on you should definitely make a visit.

Sponsored by the Brewery Birranova, a micro-brewery just off the main square where the event is held, the small festival was born five years ago to promote local craft beer along with live music, activities and sumptuous street food. Until recently you could find a variety of beers from different breweries but now it seems that Birranova have monopolised the event.

This year the festival was early, starting on July 22-26 and we went along on closing night.

Selection of beers in the shop

From the two beers that we tried, the blonde was the best

 - Linfa. Slightly cloudy from the hops but light enough to enjoy a few - not quite the lager we're used to in Britain but refreshing in the evening heat.

The darker beer was like drinking a dessert. Abboccata it was called - full of flavour, quite sweet. It allowed the drinker to experience different stages of taste. Not for the faint hearted.

We wondered around the square and watched the Italians socialise. It's obvious they are not big drinkers, no stumbling around or scenes of lariness. Lots of food - while we socialise in the UK over alcoholic drink and coffee, the Italians are big socialisers over food - no matter what age.

Last year they had a live band on closing night, this year guest DJ Kyra Kole was playing a reggae, hip-hop and funky soul set.

Brewmaster Donata di Palma, owner of the Birranova microbrewery that sponsors the event, went over to England at the age of 16 to learn the language. He soon developed a taste for the beer and two years later in 1992 he produced his own beer at home. But it wasn't until 2004 that he opened his first

microbrewery - and started the real training in Germany.

Now he is a fully-fledged master brewer and houses a popular pub in the centre of the small town. His beers are sold around Italy and rumour has it he has expanded to the UK.

Birranova Beer Fest 2016