Eight & Sand Beer Co. Releases “Gabagool” for the South Street Italian Market Festival

From Eight & Sand:

WOODBURY, NJ  – Beginning Saturday, May 21^st Eight & Sand Beer Co. will be releasing its Italian Pilsner, Gabagool to coincide with the South Street Italian Market Festival.  If you’re new here, “Gabagool” is a slang term for capicola, a cured type of meat.

Owner Dominick Mazzone and his family share a very special tradition together making their own capicola.  “My grandfather started the tradition back in Italy, my father Giuseppe continued it here in America and now we get together each year to make our own capicola!”

And now, a little history lesson…Did you ever make a mistake while cooking, but you were glad because it turned out great? That’s basically how the Italian Pilsner came to be! In 1996, Agostino Arioli, founder of a brewery called Birrificio Italiano in Como, Italy, attempted to make German pilsner, but the end result was something totally new!  In failing to brew what he considered a “real pilsner”, Arioli named the beer Tipopils, or “kind of pils” in Italian. Arioli used a brewing method from England, and put his pilsner through an English cask dry-hopping process by adding small amounts of hop cones to the beer.  This added some Old World hop flavor into an unfiltered pilsner.

“We’re seeing lighter bodied but innovative craft lagers make a comeback in a big way, which is fantastic since we love to make and drink them!  With my partners’ being Italian, brewing an Italian Pilsner made perfect sense,” says co-founder/Brewer Chris Burke.  This beer comes in at 5.5% ABV, with a soft mouthfeel and delicate lemony aroma. The slightly earthy hop character has restrained bitterness and the beer finished with a touch of honey.

“No there is no actual meat in this beer,” laughs Chris Mazzone, co-founder.  “When we were coming up with a name our Sales Manager, Josh mentioned Gabagool, and with my family making it each year and [Chris] Burke being a huge Sopranos fan, it was a done deal.  We’re glad we were able to make it in time for the Italian Market Festival which is a blast each year.”

Gabagool can be found on draft throughout Philly but closer to the South Street Festival you can have a pint at both Triangle Tavern and Hawthornes.

About Eight & Sand Beer Co.

Eight & Sand Beer Co. is a microbrewery and tasting room located in Woodbury, NJ fully devoted to quality craft beer.  Our beer garden seats 70 and includes fire pits, picnic tables and a branded awning with heaters for those wanting to enjoy our beers outdoor, year round.  Our 40 foot bar has 20 rotating taps from sours to seltzers to IPAs.  Grab some growlers and cans for take-out or visit one of our draft and can retailers across South Jersey.

More information on us can be found at www.eightandsandbeer.com.