Spillo - microbrewery / bar - Palermo, Sicily, Italy

(Work in Progress)

I am grateful to www.mondobirra.org for listing Spillo in its list of microbreweries in Sicily.

It is situated at Cortile degli Eremiti near Via dei Benedettini, a short walk from the historic Norman Palace (home of the Sicilian Regional Assembly) in Palermo.

I phoned ahead to check that Spillo would be open on a Sunday evening. On arrival, I was immediately impressed by the modern style and large size of the bar / restaurant area. A waitress showed me to a table and brought a menu which included a 'Beer Food' section. When I asked for a translation of some items on the menu, she called Michele Caetano, to assist. He recognised me as the person who had telephoned earlier and suggested that I moved from the table to take a seat at the bar. Now sitting on a high stool, he recommended a dish of grilled pork, served with chips and sliced leeks.

A wide choice of draught beers was available and I ordered a Vestkyst (West Coast) named after the American hops used. It was brewed by Fanø Bryghus, based on the Danish island of Fanø. The beer was supplied in a non-returnable spherical 30 litre container and I was able to photograph an empty one of these.



Michele Cartaino introduced me to his colleague Sergio Raciti and I was privileged to be able to chat with them for the rest of the evening, when they were not occupied with serving other customers.



Michele kindly handed me an Italian book about beer 'La Birra' written by Antonino Pavone and published in 2010 which he and Sergio signed underneath the greeting 'friendly'. The book's subtitle 'storia, curiosita e tecnologia' needs no translation!

After my plate had been cleared away, Sergio invited me to have a look at the (mothballed) brewery located behind the raised 'cellar store' (visible behind the bar).



Beer has been brewed in this brewery but brewing is currently suspended.

Sergio also showed me into the temperature controlled 'cellar store' and I took a photo from the side entrance.




Now it was time for a second beer and this time I chose a draught Père Noël from Belgium’s Brewery De Ranke. Other draught beers included one from Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus, based in the Black Forest, Germany.

(to be continued)