Visited on: Tuesday 13th September 2016

Bob Thompson

What do you do on a free evening in Trieste, the large Italian port at the top of the Adriatic Sea? Well, I had done a bit of research and found there were two brew-pubs, one in the city and another in a near suburb and I wanted to visit them both.

I was with a small group and after checking into our hotel near to the Central Station (Stazione Centrale) we caught a bus along the waterfront to Birrificio Bire.

It opened during 2006 and there is another in Udine. The pub has an imposing frontage with seven tables outside for al fresco drinking and dining. Inside we found a large single room with a high ceiling. The walls have been stripped back to the exterior stone. There is wood panelling to head height lower down. All across the front of the room are loose wooden tables and chairs of various sizes.

In the middle of the room is the curved service counter with part of the brewing equipment behind. There are many pipes, tanks and paraphernalia. It’s a bit like a set from an early science fiction film. Down the right side there is an extension with four booths.

Although this pub has been described as a sports bar, it isn’t. However there are two large TV screens which are used for notable sporting events. There are shelf tables along the windows along with many stools.

There are four regular beers as follows: Weizen (4.8%), a wheat beer; Rossa (6.2%), a red beer; Pils (5.2%) and Nera (5.2%), a black beer. We thought they were good examples of their styles.

They use hops from Bohemia, malt from the Czech Republic and Germany with yeast from France. They use no preservatives or additives. The beers are unfiltered and unpasteurised. There is no CO₂ added, only natural conditioning obtained during the maturation process in tanks.

The menu is very Austro-German with good selection of sausages with schnitzels and goulash featuring amongst the main courses. There are also sandwiches in baguettes, panini and focaccia.

Although sometimes a bit overwhelmed by youth, the beers make the journey here worthwhile.

Important Information:

Bire, Riva Grumula 2C, 34100 Trieste. Web: Bire.it Tel: 040 311398

Hours: Monday-Thursday: 19.00-01.00; Friday: 19.00-02.00;
Saturday: 17.00-03.00; Sunday/Holidays: 12.00-01.00

A good way to get here is by bus route 8 which has a stop outside the Central Station.
Most of the day it is every fifteen minutes. Get off at Piscina Coperta, walk back a little, the pub is opposite.