BQ (Naviglio 44)
una birra ottima sul naviglio grande :: voto 8/10 :: €5 per una birra
Il birrificio BQ ormai ha invaso Milano. Hanno circa 10 locali di cui 5 nella zona Navigli.
Questa recensione è per il piccolo pub in Alzaia Naviglio Grande 44. Prima di entrare, puoi studiare tutte le birre sulla lista scritta sulla finestra. Hanno circa 20 birre alla spina/pompa con un mix di birre BQ e delle birre craft da altri birrifici italiani come Extraomnes, Toccalmatto e Retorto. La cosa figa è che la birra costa soli 4€ e hai l'opzione di berla dentro o fuori (con un bicchiere di plastica).
Le birre sono sempre ottime al BQ ma le mie preferite finora sono la IPA Zona Cesarini e la IPA nera B Space Invader, entrambe del mitico birrificio Toccalmatto.
BQ is a craft brewer from Valtellina that has taken over Milano by storm with ten different locations.
In the Naviglio area alone, they have by my count five places: the pubs at Alzaia Naviglio Grande #44 and #62, BQ Tre Insemma focused on indian tandoor cooking in Via Corsico 5, the nightclub BQ De Nòtt in Via Bussola 9 and the cocktail bar EGO in Via Corsico. They also have a location in Via Losanna, an Enoteca in Via Castelvetro, the hamburger joint Mi and Ti, and the fish bar Di Chì e De Là.
This review is for my favorite location, the small pub in Alzaia Naviglio Grande 44. You can study all the beers they have on tap by reading the menu written on the windows outside. They typically have about 20 beers on tap, a mix of BQ offerings with some brews from other important players in the italian craft brewing scene such as Extraomnes, Toccalmatto and Retorto. The staff are very friendly and helpful if you are indecisive about what beer to choose from the daunting list.
You have the option of drinking inside where they give you a proper beer glass or if you pay a 1€ deposit, they give you a fancy plastic glass that you can take outside and enjoy alongside the Naviglio grande canal.
My favorite beers thus far are the Retorto Morning Glory APA, a very refreshing APA, and Zona Cesarini by Toccalmatto, a bitter IPA that tastes like coconut and pineapple. Without a doubt, BQ Naviglio 44 is the best place to drink craft beer in Navigli, and second only to Birrificio Lambrate in Milano.
Twist on classic
un cocktail bar tranquillo in mezzo al casino :: voto 8/10 :: €8 per cocktail durante happy hour
Avete voglia di bere un buon cocktail in un locale molto easy? Provate il Twist On Classic sul Naviglio Grande (Ripa di Porta Ticinese 13), uno dei locali più carini della zona.
I proprietari Federica Negri e Matteo Lorenzon sono molto simpatici e ti faranno bere molto bene. Sulla squadra c'è anche il bravissimo bartender Davide Esposito che non sbaglia mai un drink. La carinissima Cecilia completa la squadra - lei è davvero in gamba ed è la mia cameriera preferita a Milano (Elena, sarai sempre nel mio cuore).
Giù vedrete alcuni cocktail da aperitivo che ho provato da loro: un'arancia americano (una variante dello sbagliato) fatto da Fede, uno Zucco e un Pimm's cup, e un delizioso Clover Club preparato da Teo. Eccezionale il Silver Lining, con genever, aperol, liquore di sambuco e bianco d'uovo.
I first met Federica and Matteo at the artisanal fair of Milano, where they educated me on the finest gins from around the world (eg. Old English and Crown Jewel). Not only are they very knowledgeable about spirits and cocktails, they are both really friendly people. Their bar Twist on Classic is one of my favorite bars on Naviglio grande, located at Ripa di Porta Ticinese 13. Although their bar is relatively small, it's beautifully decorated with many cool details like the broken mirror in the unfinished-looking bathroom and the empty liquor bottles on the wall next to the tucked away corner table. In addition to Fede and Teo, there is also the talented barman Davide and the adorable waitress Cecilia to round out the awesome team at Twist on Classic.
Federica made three excellent drinks for me: first, a beautiful twist on the negroni sbagliato with the Arancia Americano. Although I usually don't like fruit juice in my cocktails, as a first drink of the day, it really hit the spot. It was light and refreshing but complex enough to be considered a serious cocktail. It would be perfect to have during brunch instead of a boring Mimosa. Next up was a rum daiquiri, which was so good, I have no photographic evidence of it. :) Finally, I ended with well-mixedAlaska cocktail with gin and yellow chartreuse. Two other great cocktails they make are the Clover club and the Silver Lining (pictured below).
