HAND PUMPS IN TURIN

February 2026. Turin.

You’ll be wanting to see Mrs RM’s tourist map for Turin,

the highlights marked with chocolate bars.

Our first target after checking at I Reali guesthouse was food.

What’s more authentically Torino than an artisan burger at a brew pub with cask near a skate park ?

Open Baladin is the BrewDog (RIP), or possibly bod of northern Italy.

See, there’s even a Canadian link here for our Russ.

It’s certainly the most youthful and modern building in the centre,

with reclaimed seating,

and this. Whatever this is.

Look, it’s not going on the itinerary for either Paul’s tours of Italian cask outlets,

and at 4pm on Friday we’re the only trade, despite the busy location.

We weren’t sure whether to order at the bar, like normal people, or via the barcode on the table that wasn’t working, so just waited dumbly for the waitress.

I made an early decision to drink every beer on hand pump I saw over the weekend,

and Mrs RM had the strong keg one as Dryanuary faded to a distant memory.

Only 7% !?  In fairness, I’d ordered and that was the only one I could read, but half the beers seemed to be over 10% (and all priced the same again).

And they must have been good enough (NBSS 3 the cask), as my wife insisted, insisted, we stay for a second pint.

Despite there being no burgers till 6pm.

Two strong pints on an empty stomach ? Big mistake, huge.

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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.

17 thoughts on “HAND PUMPS IN TURIN”

  3. We left-behinds don’t get bored whatever, Martin.

    Contractors excavating in the street interrupted the neutral, of the three phase electricity supply to the Halfway a few days ago, which resulted in up to four hundred volts appearing across much of their electrics rather than the intended two hundred and thirty. Several fires and small explosions immediately happened, and they lost a lot of equipment, but no one was hurt and nothing got out of hand.

    Magnificently, they were up and running again by Friday for a big weekend here, although with no cask, the cellar still having no climatisation.

    So, being duty bound to show support, Mrs. E and I have been on the Moretti.

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    2. Moretti LaRossa is a beer I wind up having in Italian restaurants in Northeastern Illinois. Not that I typically visit one, but a number of group assemblages choose them for dinner dates.

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  4. “You’ll be wanting to see Mrs RM’s tourist map for Turin,”

    (looks down)
    Chocolate?

    “the highlights marked with chocolate bars.”

    Chocolate?

    “What’s more authentically Torino than an artisan burger at a brew pub with cask near a skate park ?”

    I think ‘more European’ might be more technically correct.

    “Open Baladin is the BrewDog (RIP), or possibly bod of northern Italy.”

    Could Italian CAMRA be far behind?

    “See, there’s even a Canadian link here for our Russ.”

    I see that! Huzzah! ☺️

    “It’s certainly the most youthful and modern building in the centre,”

    (looks down)
    Definitely modern!

    “with reclaimed seating,”

    (looks down)
    To offset the modernity maybe?

    “and this. Whatever this is.”

    (looks down)
    It looks like a lava lamp that… went bad.

    “Look, it’s not going on the itinerary for either Paul’s tours of Italian cask outlets,”

    Ah. I retract my Italian CAMRA comment above.

    “and at 4pm on Friday we’re the only trade, despite the busy location.”

    Ouch.

    “We weren’t sure whether to order at the bar, like normal people, or via the barcode on the table that wasn’t working, so just waited dumbly for the waitress.”

    Gives you more time to scope out the place.

    “I made an early decision to drink every beer on hand pump I saw over the weekend,”

    (looks down)
    And you’re still alive?

    “and Mrs RM had the strong keg one as Dryanuary faded to a distant memory.”

    (slow golf clap)

    “Only 7% !? In fairness, I’d ordered and that was the only one I could read, but half the beers seemed to be over 10% (and all priced the same again).”

    A bit like over here then, price-wise.

    “as my wife insisted, insisted, we stay for a second pint.”

    Another 7% pint? Did you eat today?
    (apart from breaky way back in Monte Carlo)

    “Despite there being no burgers till 6pm.

    Two strong pints on an empty stomach ? Big mistake, huge.”

    Aha! 😉
    (although, on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, I usually have a litre of 6.3% beer, before I have my first food of the day at lunch; not a big breakfast eater at home, and on those days I chat with an ex-army buddy on Tuesdays and my sister on Saturdays)

    Cheers

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      3. “Northern Italy, and Turin in particular, is famous for chocolate 🍫. I can strongly recommend Novi.”

        I did Switzerland on the way down from Munich (Oktoberfest) but then scooted straight down to Rome. I did Florence (great gelato!) and Venice on the way back up, but then headed straight for Monaco, missing Turin, Milan and Genoa, alas (I was meeting a friend from Canada who got free flights with Air Canada due to his dad working there).

        Besides, chocolate ain’t my thing. I find liking beer helps me avoid sweets. 😉

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  6. Once a month, the Associazione Torinese Tram Storici has a Zoom show sharing images of trams, courtesy of one of its members.
    It happens its next meeting is Tuesday evening (for you) at 20:00 hours. The show will be about trams in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and in English (Not Italian or French). 🤨
    It is a fascinating programme. Although I have to miss it tomorrow to do some business associated with our upcoming Pub Crawl on March 4th. 🍻

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