Caffe Calabria Enters Into the Beer Brewing Game

Coffee won't be the only thing brewing at Caffe Calabria for long; owner Arne Holt tells Eater that the North Park roaster has begun the process of transforming the cafe's basement into an in-house brewery which will be called Birrificio Calabria.

As a fixture of the craft beer corridor otherwise known as 30th Street, Holt wanted to support local breweries but also give their beer menu an Italian spin. Imported Italian craft beers proved too costly, so four months ago, Joey Cox, the roaster's Production Manager and an avid home brewer, suggested to Holt that they brew their own. In October, the two traveled to Italy to visit a number of breweries and took a particular liking to the easy-drinking lagers at Birrificio Italiano in the Milan area.

When Calabria has installed their new seven barrel brewing system, Cox says he plans to focus on sessionable beers with a lower hop profile, inspired by what they tasted on their Italian trip — a pilsner, a hefeweizen — and of course, coffee-infused brews. Holt says they'd like to continue to collaborate with local breweries (their coffee is currently used in Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits' Victory at Sea Imperial Porter) but that they're also looking forward to creating their own, unique coffee beers. If all goes well, you'll be drinking Birrificio Calabria's beer in six months time.
· Caffe Calabria [Official Site]
· All Beer Coverage on Eater [~ESD~]