Who says the Italians can only make wine?  Two Italian-American craft brewers, along with two full-blooded Italian craft brewers and two Italian-American chefs – along with Italian food emporium Eataly – have announced plans to open a rooftop brewpub in Manhattan. The American brewers are Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (DE) and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing (CA) and the Italian brewers are Ted Musso, brewmaster of Birrifico Le Baladin and Leonardo Di Vincenzo of Birra del Borgo. The chefs are are Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich.

The first floor of the building at 200 Fifth Avenue will house Eataly, an Italian specialty foods market and multiple restaurants, which pair gourmet foods with artisanal beers and wines. The 8,000 square-foot rooftop brewery and restaurant will be operated by B & B Hospitality. The idea for the brewery is to create an “artisanal, old world, Italian craft brewery that just happens to be located on a rooftop in Manhattan.”

The four brewers will develop the recipes for the beers featuring Italian and American ingredients. The brews will be unpasteurized, unfiltered, naturally carbonated and hand-pulled through traditional beer engines – Italian cask ales. The menu at the brewpub will feature the rustic cooking of Batali. Additional Italian and American regional craft beers will be served both at the rooftop bar and in the downstairs restaurant.

“In 2006 I went to Slow Food Salone del Gusto in Italy,” said Cilurzo. “Upon meeting many Italian craft brewers, I was not only impressed by the quality of their beer, but their passion for brewing. To now collaborate with two of the most dynamic Italian craft brewers along with my friend Sam Calagione at Eataly in New York will not only be a lot of fun, but very educational as well.”

See All About Beer Magazine‘s feature on Italian craft beer here.