The official beverage of soccer bars and pizzerias, beer is a ubiquitous beverage in Italy, with brands like Peroni and Moretti dominating the market. More recently, the country has also become an exciting frontier for craft beer — but this didn’t come without resistance. Italy’s craft beer revolution only truly started in 1996, gradually earning a place alongside Italy’s celebrated artisanal wines. Today there are over 700 craft breweries in Italy.
This evolution presents a fascinating history of how craft beer has grown in a culture renowned for its culinary excellence. Learn about the rise of craft beer in Italy and discover what brands, and breweries, you should check out on your next trip.
What is “Craft Beer”?
Craft beer is distinct from industrial beer thanks to its emphasis on freshness and quality, targeted at a smaller market rather than mass production. By law, Italian craft beer (birra artigianale) must be unpasteurized and unfiltered, resulting in beers with richer flavors and a more complex mouthfeel. This artisanal approach creates a “living” product, akin to cheese, and contrasts sharply with the homogeneous nature of industrial beers.
Craft beer is pricier than its industrial counterparts. A macro lager might cost around €5 for a six-pack, whereas a pint of craft beer at a pub typically costs about €6. This price difference reflects the premium ingredients and extended production times involved in craft brewing, which can span up to two years for certain styles, compared to just six weeks for industrial beer.
The focus on quality also extends to proper storage and serving. Unlike industrial beer, which can sit at room temperature on store shelves, craft beer requires refrigeration and proper serving conditions to maintain its delicate flavors. As such, it requires trained staff, dedicated consumers and specialized craft beer pubs to provide the ideal environment for enjoying these beers.
Historically, Italian beer has been synonymous with lagers like Moretti and Peroni. However, the craft beer movement has introduced a diverse range of styles and innovations. Today’s Italian craft beers represent a blend of craftsmanship, cultural respect, and innovative techniques, thanks to pioneering brewers who challenged traditional beer perceptions and created new markets for their products.
Italy’s Craft Beer Revolution: A Brief History
The story of Italian craft beer is inseparable from the visionaries who redefined beer’s role in Italian culture and industry. Innovators like Teo Musso of Birra Baladin, Agostino Arioli of Birrificio Italiano, and the founders of Birrificio Lambrate, spearheaded this revolution. They promoted the idea that beer could sit comfortably next to wine on Italian dining tables, made with the same dedication to quality and capable of complementing fine cuisine.
Teo Musso, for instance, introduced his craft beer in wine-like bottles to make beer a more accepted and appreciated dining choice. Birra Baladin’s Belgian ales are easily recognizable by their distinctive labels and playful designs reminiscent of a French traveling circus. Agostino Arioli’s creation, Tipopils, became the first Italian-style pilsner, marrying German pilsner characteristics with English dry-hopping techniques for a unique flavor profile.
Birrificio Lambrate, founded by four enthusiasts with no prior brewing experience, drew inspiration from European beer halls to establish a craft beer bar in Milan’s Lambrate neighborhood. This venture close to the university and major transport hubs contributed significantly to Milan’s craft beer culture.
A New Wave of Italian Craft Beer
Today’s craft beer scene in Italy is marked by a new generation of brewers who continue to expand and innovate. Crak Brewery in Padua, established in 2015, cultivates its own barley and fruits for sour ales, offering a range of beers including the celebrated Guerilla IPA — recognizable by its bright red label and fists in the air.
Rebels Brewery in Rome was founded by four friends who “rebelled” by leaving their traditional careers to pursue their passion for beer. Their most popular beer is a West Coast IPA called Parrot Invasion, inspired by Rome’s parrot population (whose noisy squawks create the unofficial soundtrack of Roman parks).
In Vicenza, Ca’ del Brado focuses on the Grape Ale style, a unique fusion that highlights wild fermentation and long aging processes, resulting in complex and distinctive flavors. The name Ca’ Del Brado comes from Ca’, the vicentino dialect for house; Brado from Bradus, a Greek word for slow; and the word play of Stato Brado, which translates to “been wild” — or a wild state for the wild fermentation used in making their beer.
Where to Drink Craft Beer in Italy
Italy offers numerous craft beer destinations across its cities:
- In Turin, visit Edit Torino, a modern pub and brewery with live music and events during the weekends, or LoSfuso BeerShop, for a quick draft or for takeaway.
- Milano’s Birrificio Lambrate is the epicenter of craft beer in the North.
- In Venice, it may be hard to imagine that a craft beer hall fits into the medieval stature of the Island, but Santo Bevitore craft pub is a staple spot. There are bills in all currencies stamped on the wall and a full line-up of brass taps to choose from.
- Take the train to Florence and visit Archea Brewery, in the Santo Spirito neighborhood. Before, or after the train, have a beer in their dark and hidden pub; you’ll appreciate the medieval atmosphere and fantastic beer.
- All roads lead to Rome, and there are too many original and famous locations to choose from. Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà is the godfather of craft beer halls. Today, you’ll find that after 20 years, almost every neighborhood in Rome is home to at least one craft beer bar. Many are near major train stations. Luppolo Station in Trastevere serves burgers, and beer. The craft beer pub, Artisan is walking distance from Termini and next door is Farina, a grain-focused pizzeria. Jungle Juice is a full-production brewery near Roma, Tuscolana.
Looking for more?
An entire list of places that serve craft beer in Rome can be found here Where to Drink Craft Beer in Rome.
Italy Beer Country: The Story of Italian Craft Beer written by Bryan Jansing is the first and most comprehensive book about Italian craft beer and tells the stories of the brewers mentioned in this piece. If you are planning your next trip to Italy, I highly recommend participating in his craft beer walking tour of Rome.
