Craft light beer: the Helles by Norah's Farm
VaiGustando's craft light beer is born at the farm brewery of Norah's Farm, in the Pedemontana Veneta: the bottom-fermented N-BEER line in the Helles style, the German light lager born in Munich. On this page you'll find our selection — 2 cans from 4,90 € to 5,50 € — in the classic and gluten-free versions, both also available in the 4-can box for those who want to save.
It's the most easy-drinking beer of the range: a delicate malted-cereal taste, white creamy foam, a slightly dry and bitter finish, with a moderate strength (4,8% vol). Alongside the Helles, within the same family of light and blonde beers, sits the GO SE', a lighter hybrid between Gose and Leichtbier with Etna lemon zest and Lanzarote salt, designed for the summer aperitivo.
Craft light beer at a glance
Our Craft light beer labels
The light and blonde beers by Norah's Farm available on VaiGustando, from the Pedemontana Veneta. Click a can for the full product page and to buy.
What a light beer is: Helles and the Gose hybrid style
The Helles — whose German name literally means light-coloured — is a lager style born in Munich, brewed with bottom fermentation: the yeasts work at low temperatures, between 7 and 9 °C, and settle at the bottom at the end of the process, hence the name. It's the opposite of the top fermentation of ale beers, such as weizens, blanches and hoppy ales, where the yeast works warmer and on the surface. In the glass, Norah's Farm's Bold Helles Beer shows a full blonde colour, with white, creamy and lasting foam; on the palate it is smooth and round, with the delicate taste of malted cereal and a slightly dry and bitter finish.
The same family of light and blonde beers also includes the GO SE', a hybrid style between the German Gose and the Leichtbier: a more moderate strength (3,2% vol), a pale hazy blonde colour, white and pearly foam. Unlike the Helles it adds Etna lemon zest and Lanzarote salt, for a sustained yet soft acidity, with a citrusy finish and a touch of salt.
Norah's Farm: the farm brewery of the Pedemontana Veneta
Norah's Farm is a farm in the Pedemontana Veneta, in the heart of Veneto, which pairs cereal growing with a farm brewery where the N-BEER are made: bottom-fermented craft beers, with the yeasts working between 7 and 9 °C. Full maturation takes at least 5-6 weeks, at the end of which the yeast residues settle at the bottom — hence the name of the fermentation.
The N-BEER are packaged in a recyclable can, light and able to protect the beer from light and oxidation, to best preserve the aromatic notes until opening. Zero-kilometre barley and wheat, no chemical additives, colourings or preservatives: the same philosophy that guides the whole farm's production.
The profile in words: what to expect in the glass
The Bold Helles Beer pours a full and bright blonde, crowned by a white, creamy and lasting foam. The nose is discreet, dominated by malted cereal; on the palate it is smooth and round, with a light body and a dry and just barely bitter finish that invites the next sip — a profile confirmed also by the gluten-free version and by the 4-can box, identical in recipe.
The GO SE' shows instead a pale hazy blonde, with white and pearly foam: rather than on the malt, which is barely hinted at, it leans on a sustained yet soft acidity, on the Etna lemon zest and on a slightly salty finish given by the Lanzarote salt. Two blondes, two registers: the Helles round and malty, the GO SE' snappy and citrusy.
Pairings: what to eat with a light beer
To understand what to drink a light beer with, it's worth starting from how it's made: it's a bottom-fermented beer, with a light body and a malted-cereal taste, with a dry and just barely bitter finish and a moderate strength (around 4-5 degrees, even less in the summer version). It's the profile of versatility: it has no aromatic edges to fight with the dish, and its lightness with the fine bubble cleanse the mouth with every sip. That's why it's at its best with delicate flavours and with fried food, where it cuts the grease without covering it, and as an aperitivo. The rule is not to challenge it with dishes that are too intense, which would overwhelm it: better everyday cooking, light and honest. The GO SE', with its citrusy streak and touch of salt, leans even more towards fish and the summer aperitivo.
- Aperitivo: boards of light cured meats and savoury snacks
- Light fried food and street food: vegetables, fish, croquettes
- Fish and delicate seafood dishes
- White meats and sausages (frankfurters, light roasts)
- Pizza and simple first courses, fresh soft cheeses
In short: the Helles is the blonde for the whole meal, to be served well chilled with fried food, white meats and pizza; the GO SE', lighter and more citrusy, is the beer of the summer aperitivo and of fish, thirst-quenching and easy to drink.
How to serve and store light beer
Serve light beer well chilled, at 6-8 °C, in a wide tankard or a tulip glass that lets the white and creamy foam develop. The GO SE', lighter and more citrusy, is at its best even colder, around 6 °C, as a summer aperitivo.
Store the cans in the fridge, between +6 °C and +8 °C, away from heat sources: the can packaging, light and recyclable, already protects the beer from light and oxidation by itself. Once opened, it should be consumed the same day.
Price guide: single can or box of 4
The Bold Helles Beer comes in a 0,44 l can at 4,90 €, the gluten-free version at 5,50 €. The 4-can box is a better deal: 17,50 € for the classic Helles, against the 19,60 € of 4 single cans bought separately, and 19,00 € for the gluten-free version, against 22,00 €: a real saving on every pack.
The same family also includes the GO SE', the light blonde at 5,50 € (0,44 l): at the moment it isn't among the cans available in this selection, but it remains in the Norah's Farm catalogue for those looking for an even snappier and more citrusy blonde. You'll find the updated prices and the buy button in the product cards above.
Other craft beers to discover
Keep exploring the beers by Norah's Farm: the wheat beers (Weizen and Blanche), amber and dark ones (Bock) and hoppy and special ones. Or browse all the craft beers.