Colomba

The brand name is a tribute to the famous Colomba della Rebbia — the titular character of a short story by Prosper Mérimée which first appeared in 1840 and enjoyed worldwide success. A story of Corsican vendetta, a matter of honor and the kind of family business that was non uncommon at that time on the island…

150 years later, in the early 90s, Dominique and Armelle Sialelli started Brasserie Pietra and created the eponymous Chestnut Beer, the first and only one of its kind.

Soon after, they crafted Colomba, a white beer with 5° alcohol content, brewed from barley and wheat and flavored with herbs from the Corsican maquis. Very refreshing, Colomba is unfiltered, and bottom-fermented, with a hint of juniper and myrtle.

The bottle behind my Colomba on tap is that of a local mineral water, Orezza, appreciated since Roman times in Corsica.