Arched brick roof, wood-burning stove that warms us. We are in a vault built on Giuliano Genoni’s Mount Generoso in Cappalago, south of Ticino. In this beautiful cave, which covers an area of ​​a few square meters, he meets his friends and family for dinner and beer. The 34-year-old Ticino was crowned the best beer sommelier in Switzerland, as evidenced by the medal hanging on the wall.

In November, the head of the sports office in the town of Mendricio participated in the Swiss Beer Somilier Championship “without expectations”. He went to Bern by train with his wife, a nurse, and a beer sommelier. “We no longer know how to get in with a seven kilogram cup and seven liters of Belgian beer!” From January, training for the World Championships will begin in September in Munich, which represents Switzerland.

Cultural Exam (s)

In the first round of the championship, with 27 other participants, Giuliano Genoni underwent a 360-degree written public examination of beer; Production, styles, history of beers … Contestants then went to taste: first, ten chalice served lager beer (low fermentation), one off flavor each; Unwanted scent to be recognized. Then they had to identify the style of ten beers. In the semifinals, each person was presented with a beer. He chose a very dark, bitter, thick ticino containing 9% alcohol. In the final, a drink selected by the jury had to be discussed for seven minutes.

Thirty beers are stored in a small shed at the back of the cellar, in the cooler. A locked safe contains limited editions. Her favorite beer? It’s impossible to say he smiles, “it depends on the season”. Today, he drinks Flemish Red Beer, a Flanders Red El, mixed fermentation. Or, a very dark beer with a high fermentation. What a hot beer.

An oven called Westvleteren

In the past, Giuliano Genoni, from a family of doctors, was associated with the beer football game or grilling. His passion was born during his stay in Munich. “There’s a real cult of beer, and there’s a whole universe around it; I found strong, smoked beers there … ”. He then went regularly to pubs in Ireland. While studying in Basel (economics), he went to France to buy fish and was exposed to Belgian beers.

On the shelves, dozens of glasses stand like works of art; Because every beer has its own character. Great Weasbeer to welcome the brew of white beer with lots of wheat; A glass reminiscent of Scotch for the strong drink you drink in small quantities; An hourglass-shaped coachman’s wooden support or even a cup of trapper’s beer to protect him from the noise of the road …

Chosen as the best beer in the world – “Of course, it’s very good …” – it’s a challenge to catch a Trapist Westvilleter who is not in store, Somilier said. It is only 980 km from Ticino, and can only be purchased from the Abbey in Saint-Cicaste, Westvletern, Belgium, where it is built by Trappist monks, not for profit. To own it, you must register on the Ashram site, wait up to six months, and collect it on a day set by the faithful.

She has no name; All three beers are designated by the numbers 8, 10, and 12. It has no label; All the information required for Belgian law is written on its cap. Packaging is a UFO in a critical environment, where a bottle with gothic characters is slung over the shoulder with a can of pop art design.

Colorful decryption

For Giuliano Genoni, one of the beauties of beer is the sharing it contains; Pleasant moments with those who appreciate it. He meets with his influential cousins ​​- “today, they drink everything” – four times a year, each bringing three types of beer. For eight hours they understand its benefits.

You have a beer you drink alone, says the young man; A strong beer – 12-13% – you can enjoy meditatively in front of the stove. Then there are those who eat antipasto, first course, second or dessert. Four months ago at her wedding she had a beer for every service. For example, India pale ale (IPA) – blonde or amber – goes very well with spicy dishes. Beer or other strong beers work well with meat, while wood goes wonderfully with chocolate cake.

But sommelier is not just taste, Giuliano Genoni argues; He also has moral abilities. “He has a duty not to overdo other beverages, be they alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and to promote responsible consumption.” According to the World Health Organization, a woman should not drink more than two units of alcohol (two beers, two glasses of wine, etc.) per day and a man should not exceed three units, two consecutive days a week, and they should abstain.

Four “dry” days a week

Own code of conduct? He and his wife do not drink alcohol from Monday to Thursday. “Because good things are easy to get used to. We drink for taste, not intoxication. ”Also, there are very good non-alcoholic beers, he observes.

Micro breweries are thriving in Switzerland. He commented that the country has the largest per capita population in Europe. “Suddenly, competition is stimulated and quality is promoted.” In Valais, a beer is made using bass; “She’s delicious.” At Ticino, there is a beer made with nettle and another with Polish flour. There was a malt house in the township recently that used local barley. Giliano Genoni points to the list of beers displayed on the wall, which lists 150 or more officially approved beers. “In Switzerland, lagers make up 80 percent of all alcoholic beers. There is still a whole world to discover. ”

Profile:

2010: Language stay in Munich introduces him to the world of beer.

2013: Stay in Ireland, where he regularly visits pubs.

2015: Graduated from the University of Basel with a Masters Degree in Economics.

June 2021: Swiss Beer receives Somilier Certificate.

November 2021: Wins Swiss title of Best Beer Sommer.