Beer Abroad: Quimera (Marsala, Italy)

Travel Italy all the way south to the sometimes neglected region of Sicily and to the westernmost part to the small town of Marsala, an area known for its Marsala wine and the Natural Reserve called Stagnone Lagoon (a marine area with salt ponds- wiki). Here was probably one of the last places I thought I would find a craft beer bar but I was happily surprised πŸ™‚

Quimera is a brew pub and gourmet panino shop in central Marsala. They have only been open about six months so they are still in the beginning stages. Their goal is to only have artisanal beers and mainly ones from Italy. While there they had Brewfist, Rocca dei Conti (Tari), and Birrificio Rurale.

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For those of you that have traveled to Italy you know about the panino! It is a simple sandwich with meat (salami or prosciutto) and cheese. It is the cheapest thing you can get and it is regularly available. Quimera took the panino a step further making a sandwich with fresh ingredients and more gourmet options.

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I tried a few beers during the two times I was there. When I arrived the first time they were fresh out of the IPA! That was a huge bummer but I tried the other local options. They were all fairly light but enjoyable to drink. The beers were accompanied with salty tortilla chips and peanuts. I love peanuts and beer! In general I like that they serve little snacks with your drink order in Italy πŸ™‚

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The first time I was there they randomly had to close early and were not serving lunch. Luckily, I got the opportunity to come back to try a sandwich! I decided on the egg plant (melanzana), pomodoro (tomato), and ricotta fresca. The sandwich was served warm, unlike a typical Italian panino, on fresh and yummy bread! I enjoyed the Tari Hell with my sandwich. Since the sandwich was very lightly flavored, the delicate, slightly sweet flavors of the beer went well with it.

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Wooden tables with yellow and green chairs make up the seating area. It is a very warm and friendly setting. The two owners that were there were also so nice! The first time I was there they had the news/tv playing instead of music which kind of threw off the atmosphere. However, the next time I was there they had music playing which made it much better. I could only stop by for lunch and both times it was pretty quiet but I would be curious to see how it is by night.

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I was very excited to find this place in Marsala with beer options other than Moretti πŸ™‚ I am hoping they will continue to get more selection and more hoppy beers! πŸ˜€

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Comments

  1. This pubs food looks absolutely amazing. I definitely wish I could visit this place. Nice post

  2. So jealous!!! I love Italy. I hope you are doing well

  3. What a delicious trip! You are making amazing memories πŸ™‚ And so appreciative you are sharing some of them here.

  4. What a tasty trip you made! A cool post!

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