A microbrewery aims to revolutionize Sicily with fried chicken and Tex-Mex: the guys from Tarì open Rock in Modica

Halfway between a microbrewery, an American-style brewpub, and a beer garden in the best German tradition, "Rock - The new sound of the beer" has a deep Sicilian soul. Or rather, a Modican one. The new venue, inside the Tarì artisan brewery in Modica, among the pioneers of Sicilian artisan microbreweries, will open a space where the brewing art of Sicilian craft beer meets the American classics of Tex-Mex and Southern United States cuisine. The symbol of this chicken&beer union is chicken, common to both the Modican tradition - known for poultry farming - and the southern American tradition, here declined in a menu of fried chicken wings, barbecue style, chicken fingers, and chicken burgers.

Tarì brewery opens Rock in Modica

Much more than a simple Sicilian-American pairing. "Rock - The new sound of the beer," which Gambero Rosso can exclusively report on, interprets the typical dishes of the southwest, drawing inspiration from what overseas has become Tex-Mex cuisine, namely the American interpretation of Mexican cuisine. A frontier cuisine that Rock celebrates with a menu rich in nachos, tacos, totopos, burritos, quesadillas, artisanal tortillas, and spicy sauces. For fans of American tubers, there are also sweet potatoes.

Sicily is present, allowing much more than an ingredient, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. But above all, there are Sicilian beers. There will be over forty labels on the menu, while in the taproom, the eight-tap dispenser is ready to pour Sicilian and non-Sicilian beers and serve them fresh along with nachos, burritos, and chicken burgers on the twelve-meter counter made of reinforced concrete.

In the name of beer

The main protagonists, ça va sans dire, are the beers of the Tarì microbrewery, born fifteen years ago from the dream of Luca Modica, his wife Paola, and his sister-in-law Irene. In addition to Pils, Helles, and IPA, the "Bonaiuto" beer with cocoa beans, Tarì has created a special beer: the Rock Beer, a stout with a black soul dedicated to Rock.

And it's immediately a post-industrial atmosphere

The atmosphere of the interiors of Rock, in the artisanal area of Modica, is typical of the post-industrial atmosphere of Western metropolises, where design is functional to the use of materials such as iron, chrome steel, and concrete, chosen for this project by architect André Thomas Balla. An interior design that focuses on large windows, on the orange-black combination reflected on the steel tables, on the reinforced concrete running along the counter, and on the corrugated sheets of the back counter. Outside, while umbrellas and curtains take us into the heart of German beer gardens, a platform set up with the creative recovery of beer barrels will become the stage where bands will perform. Yes, because "Rock - The new sound of the beer" is also a space open to welcoming musicians, with a program scheduled to host artists.

The microbrewery becomes a stage for artists

"A multifunctional place where we not only serve excellent beer and food. There will also be the opportunity to visit the brewery during production, participate in guided tastings, beer appreciation courses, or beer-food pairing," says Luca Modica, owner and brewmaster of the brewery.

"Rock - continues Luca Modica - is an opportunity to introduce curious people to the brewing world and experience this new form of hospitality." The real common thread is rock music because - explains Luca Modica - it is a democratic, inclusive music, open to numerous variations, capable of innovating and diversifying." Tarì thus reveals its rock soul. Or rather, its other side. That of the "tarì," a coin of Arab origin used in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in the nineteenth century, replaced first by the lira and then by the euro, which has become the symbol of the Modican microbrewery.

Photo by Giuseppe Casaburi e Francesco Ruta

Rock – The new sound of the beer, contrada Michelica, zona artigianale, Modica (RG) - Tel. 0932 903701 - rockmodica.it