Bohemia and the birth of the brewery

The Leder brewery mainly produces low-fermented beers that are mostly inspired by the Bohemian tradition.

Yet it is no coincidence, since thanks to the sister citying with the populations arising from Bohemia having hosted the Ledrense population, Fabrizio can expand on his theoretical knowledge through a selection of breweries near Prague.

Thus, the Leder Craft Brewery was established in 2015, with the production of 3 beers: Ginevra (Bohemian Pils), Cioch (Bohemian Dunkel) and Imperial (Roggen Weizen). The Bugatina (German Pils) and Ponale (Hoppy Lager) were then added to the production.

For the winter, a Christmas Ale and Winter Beck (Bock) are also produced.

Most of the hops utilised (of a Saaz type) come from the Czech Republic, where the brewer goes once a year to personally select the hops to be used.

"Green" Leder Craft Brewery

In respect of the environment, the Leder Brewery has utilised renewable energy for the production plant since 2017, with the installation of solar panels for the supply of electricity contributing to the health of the area and respect for the environment.

The barley husks leftover from production is given to local breeders for their herds. For the Christmas beer, 0 km rhododendron honey is used.

Additionally, maximum attention is given to the sorting of waste.

 

 

Tour Valle di Ledro to discover Leder Beers

Let's go on an exploration of the styles of beers produced in the Pieve brewery, setting off on a journey of “virtual tasting” along with the (re)discovery of particular corners of the Valle di Ledro. This trip will also take us to Germany and the Czech Republic to learn about the raw materials that go into Leder beer.

Ginevra

Our tour begins in the town of Pieve, precisely from the upper part of the country, called Ginevra.This place lends its name to a low-fermentation beer that is straw in colour, being very light and dry, with a subtle malt aroma and complex bouquet of aromatic scents typical of the “Saaz” hop that releases herbaceous hints and a delicate bitterness that is pleasing on the palate. This is the Ginevra, beer, inspired by the Bohemian Pils.

Pilsner is a type of beer born in the city of Plzeň, in the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. It differs from other lagers in terms of the pre-eminent role of hops and, in particular, the use of the renowned “Saaz” hops from the city of western Bohemia with the same name.

 

Bűgatina

We then move on to the Bűgatina spring,located above the village of Pieve di Ledro (1050 m ASL), on the path that leads to Malga Saval. Bűgatina is a light beer that is golden in colour, with a pleasant malty aroma conferred by barley malt coming directly from the German Weirmann, a barley malt production company in operation since 1879.

It is a Pilsner-style beer, very similar to the Bohemian Pilsner but less bitter due to the lower amount of hops used. For processing, German noble hops are used that release a subtle bitter finish.

 

Cioch

We skirt the Lake Ledro, with its blue waters surrounded by verdant mountains, reaching Mezzolago. We set out walking along the path that leads to Cima d'Oro. It's not long before we come to the town of Cioch, which divides the meadows from the wooded area. Cioch beer is dark with an intense amaranth colour in the Bohemian Dunkel style.

Originally from the Czech Republic, it is a low fermented beer with an aroma and flavour that reveal strong hints of caramel and coffee. It has a very compact froth whilst still being very light and digestible. On the palate, the hint of bitterness is very subtle such as to be almost imperceptible. A slight hop aroma is perceived but the scent of toasted barley and wheat prevail.

 

Ponale

We then go down to Riva to travel along the old road that connected the Valle di Ledro with Riva, where we also find the waterfall depicted on the Ponale beer.

This beer is light golden in colour. Three different types of hops are used for the hopping: Saaz from the Czech Republic to give a pleasant slightly herbaceous bitterness, the New Zealand hops Motueka and the American Cascade hops to give delicate citrus notes to delight the nose and palate.

 

 

Imperial

After this short trip to a selection of locations in the Valle di Ledro, we return to the brewery, where we find via Imperiale, from which the Imperial beer takes its name.

It is an amber beer in the Roggen Weizen style, produced with barley, rye and wheat, characterised by a creamy and compact froth. Fermentation at high temperatures highlights the classic aromas of a Weizen: cloves and banana with light acidic hints due to the rye.

 

Pastei

A beer with a unique pink hue, with a very low alcohol content that highlights the scents of red fruits obtained by fermenting mixed berries: Cornelian cherry, raspberry, cranberry and gooseberry. These fruits and the barley and wheat grains were already cultivated 4,000 years ago in the pile-dwelling village of Ledro. It is located by the lake in the hamlet of Molina, where the Ledro pile-dwelling museum can be found.