The story of AquaDulza began in 2013, when Federico and Riccardo embarked on their decision to invest in a Food&Beverage experience linked to Lake Como, but the starting point was the beer.
“...There is no incompatibility between our past and our present. We have no wish to break with tradition. Tradition is itself something that is in a constant state of transformation, taking on new aspects, in ways that few may realise”. With these words, Group 7 was presented to the public in an article that appeared in the December 1926 edition of the magazine Rassegna Italiana. Shortly after this, swept by a breeze blowing through Europe, this group of architects gave rise to the Italian Rational Architecture Movement. Giuseppe Terragni of Como was without a shadow of a doubt its major exponent. He succeeded in reconnecting the new architectural principles of the Modern Movement in Europe and America and designed numerous works in the Como area, raising its profile and bringing some fame to his home area.
“We liked the idea of presenting this new project by linking it up with that period of Como’s history”, the founders tell us, “taking our graphical cue from the thirties”.
The importance of the local region and its traditions, including its dialect, have been a driving force for the boys, even in the choice of the name “Acqua Dulza”, while everything started with the beer, with Federico already producing his own craft brew. "It was our goal to achieve, to brew, a craft beer that was closely associated with Lake Como itself. This was why we called the first two beers “3mezzina” and “Via Regia”. The first in homage to the wonderful area of Lake Como, known as the Tremezzina, world famous for its sumptuous villas, breathtaking vistas and mild climate. The name of the second, “Via Regia”, came from an ancient road of unparalleled charm that connects Como with Chiavenna and Chur, a lifeline for people and goods that has helped make this area great. Both beers contain two special and evocative ingredients of the Como area, namely organic buckwheat of Valtellina in the 3mezzina, and mulberry leaves from the “sacred” tree that feeds the silk worms in the area of Via Regia.
To produce a craft beer first and foremost means having the greatest respect for a thousand-year-old tradition of beer making, and that is why we have turned for help to the master brewer, Giovanni Marsan”. It can truly be called entirely homemade production, with even the bottle graphics designed by the team. The “don’t drink and drive” symbol on the labels is turned into a “don’t drink and sail” warning, maintaining the lakeside theme, while the bottle shape suggests grandmother’s preserve jars, and hence also the recycling symbol, as this is precisely how the bottles can be used after the beer has been drunk.
From beer to food&beverage, in 2017: La Casa AquaDulza is a place in which to enjoy traditional dishes, often cooked with the use of beer, such as the beer-marinated trout or the Birramisù, using beer with roasted chicory instead of coffee. The space has furnishings that reflect the owners’ passion for vintage, with pieces salvaged from attics and cellars mixed with gems typical of the fifties. The building chosen for the opening of the restaurant has been a house in Tremezzo dating back to the end of the 18th century. It is close to Villa Carlotta, which is now a B&B with elegant rooms on the second floor.
A tip we would give you is to ask Riccardo and Federico to show you the crotto, or natural cellar, under the house, a secret gem that is almost always closed to the public.