THE CAMPAIGN TO GET ITALIAN CASK OUTLETS IN THE GBG STARTS HERE

February 2026. Genoa.

Well, this is the post you were waiting for, I guess.

Hand pumps in Genoa, according to Untappd. You just need to find the Public House*, tucked behind Piazza Banchi,

only 5 minutes, but hard to follow the map in the drizzle. If you see this you’ve gone too far.

Ah, here it is;

Europeans don’t do pub signs, or pubs come to that. The Public House’s own pic shows a small bar awash with English beer mats, identical in style to 80% of European craft bars on the planet.

I’ll leave the Italian experts amongst you to decipher the beer board.

Oh sorry, this is the beer board.

I don’t know about you, but I see lots of strong beers there. The Italians don’t seem to distinguish much between ABVs in their pricing, as I was to discover to my cost in Turin.

But I see two hand pumps, and the one closest at the bar is the 3.8% Bitter Owl, so that’s OK.

There’s a couple of locals at the bar, and the barman is as chatty as language allows, telling me about the natural spring water of Trento used by Birra del Bosco. I feign interest, and attempt to score it NBSS 3.5 on CAMRA as a well conditioned session beer, forgetting that CAMRA doesn’t care about foreign cask any more.

Foolishly, but of necessity, I stay for a half of the other cask. The barman gives me the full rundown on the 12.5% Imperial Stout, but all I’m interested in is the size of the glass.

It’s gorgeous, an Old Tom on steroids or something. Wouldn’t it be great if the Good Beer Guide had a European chapter, forcing Simon to come to Genoa (or Copenhagen or Sofia) to get those last GBG ticks ? Sark is hard enough, mind.

I emerge into the Genoan light, somewhere near Piazza San Giorgio, and somehow stumble home.

*Public House, Via dei Giustiniani, 56r, 16123 Genova GE

Unknown's avatar

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

27 thoughts on “THE CAMPAIGN TO GET ITALIAN CASK OUTLETS IN THE GBG STARTS HERE”

    2. Goody eye mate. 👍

      It is indeed ‘black pope’. From what I found online it’s based on a song by a Venetian Reggae Band, inspired by a prophecy from Nostradamus predicting the election of a black pope. 😉

      Cheers 🍻

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. “THE CAMPAIGN TO GET ITALIAN CASK OUTLETS IN THE GBG STARTS HERE”

    And, there’s an adjunct hobby for you. 😉

    “Hand pumps in Genoa, according to Untappd.”

    Yup! This is indeed that post most were waiting for.

    “You just need to find the Public House*, tucked behind Piazza Banchi,”

    Not an easy thing to do; in those convoluted, meandering, back streets in most ‘old town’ areas of European towns.

    “only 5 minutes, but hard to follow the map in the drizzle.”

    Pro tip; keep the phone tucked inside your mack, turn up the volume, and follow the directions implicitly.

    “If you see this you’ve gone too far.”

    (looks down)
    If I see THAT, I know I’ve gone too far, went round the bend, and came back out the other side!

    “Ah, here it is;”

    (looks down)
    In English no less!

    “identical in style to 80% of European craft bars on the planet.”

    Europeans just copy each other. 😉

    “I’ll leave the Italian experts amongst you to decipher the beer board.”:

    (looks down)
    Ah; obviously working off of Fermi’s Paradox.

    “Oh sorry, this is the beer board.”

    (looks down)
    Blimey. I only see one below 5%. And that Negro Pope one looks just ducky!

    “The Italians don’t seem to distinguish much between ABVs in their pricing,”

    Heh. It’s the same over here.
    (a quick aside: We met my brother and his wife in New York back in 2011. We were strolling through Central Park one day and stopped to relax. A fellow was selling Heineken by the can. My brother and I went up to make a purchase. He had two sizes; 12oz and 16oz. When we asked the price he said $3. We asked for which size can. He said, same price. We each bought a 16oz can) 😎

    “But I see two hand pumps, and the one closest at the bar is the 3.8% Bitter Owl, so that’s OK.”

    You’re on holiday; you’re walking; good god man, go with the the Black Pope Imperial Stout!

    “forgetting that CAMRA doesn’t care about foreign cask any more.”

    The bastards. None of the words in the acronym CAMRA, mention location!

    “The barman gives me the full rundown on the 12.5% Imperial Stout,”

    Hah!

    “but all I’m interested in is the size of the glass.”

    (looks down)
    It looks bigger because it’s closer to you. 😉

    “Wouldn’t it be great if the Good Beer Guide had a European chapter, forcing Simon to come to Genoa (or Copenhagen or Sofia) to get those last GBG ticks ?”

    If Si went to any of those places ONCE, they wouldn’t allow him back!

    “I emerge into the Genoan light, somewhere near Piazza San Giorgio, and somehow stumble home.”

    A fitting end to the day. ☺️

    Cheers

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment