Bastarda Rossa – The craft beer of Monte Amiata

La Red Bastard It is much more than just a beer: it is a true story of the territory of Mount Amiata, where agricultural tradition and brewing innovation meet.

Produced by Birrificio Amiata, this craft beer represents one of the local excellences, capable of combining the bold character of beer with the authentic sweetness of chestnuts.

🌰 Origin and history of the Red Bastard

The history of Bastarda Rossa began in 2006, when the Cerullo brothers founded the Amiata Brewery with the aim of promoting an area historically linked to wine.

However, the real intuition was to create an identity-driven product. For this reason, a one-of-a-kind beer was born, whose name derives from the variety of “Bastarda” chestnut from Monte Amiata PGI.

Furthermore, the name plays on a curious contrast: that between beer and fruit, a “bastard combination” that instead becomes perfectly harmonious in the glass.

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🍺 Ingredients and production

What makes Bastarda Rossa so special is, without a doubt, the quality of the raw materials and the strong connection with the territory.

Main ingredients:

• Barley malts: a blend of pale and roasted malts, which give amber color and biscuit notes
• Monte Amiata Chestnuts PGI: “Bastarda” variety, heart of the recipe
• Hop: selected to balance sweetness with a slight bitter note
• Top-fermenting yeast

👉 Furthermore, chestnuts not only provide aroma, but also sugars and starches, contributing to a velvety and enveloping texture.

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🏆 Awards and recognitions

Over the years, Bastarda Rossa has won important awards, confirming its position as one of the best Italian chestnut craft beers.

Among the main awards:

• 🥇 Gold Medal at the Mondial de la Bière (2011) – Strasbourg
• 🥈 Beer of the Year (2014 and 2024) – second place in her style
• (I.e. Slow Beer – Guide to Italian Beers (Slow Food)
• 🍻 Untappd Awards (2025-2026) – gold for two consecutive years

Furthermore, every year the Bastard Red Day, an event held in hundreds of Italian (and international) pubs, dedicated to this iconic beer.

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👃👅👀 Sensory characteristics

Bastarda Rossa is a beer that strikes you right from the start, thanks to its balance between sweetness and structure.

👃 Perfume

On the nose it appears intense and complex:

• Dominant notes of boiled and roasted chestnuts
• Hints of caramel, biscuit and bread crust
• Shades of hazelnut, chestnut honey and spices

👅 Taste

On the palate it is enveloping and surprising:

• Body velvety and structured
• Sweet entrance, with references to caramel and chestnut flour
• Balanced finish, with a delicate bitter that cleans the mouth

👀 I look forward to it

• Color: deep amber red, with copper reflections
• Foam: fine, compact and persistent, cream colored

👉 In short, it's a meditation beer... but extremely drinkable, with its perfectly balanced 6,5%.

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🍽️ Pairings with Monte Amiata cuisine

Thanks to its aromatic profile, Bastarda Rossa pairs perfectly with typical local dishes.

In particular:

• dishes based on chestnuts and mushrooms
• grilled meats and game
• aged cheeses
• rustic sweets

👉 Not surprisingly, it's an ideal beer to enjoy during a day on Monte Amiata, perhaps after a hike in the beech forest.

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🍂 A symbol of Mount Amiata

Today the Bastarda Rossa has become a symbol of the Amiata area.

Not only does it represent artisanal excellence, but it tells a story of tradition, nature, and passion.

And this is precisely its secret: every sip is a journey into the heart of Monte Amiata.