Italy
Two global groups brew about half of Italy’s beer: Heineken, with Moretti and Ichnusa, and Asahi, with Peroni. The largest Italian-owned brewers are regional, among them Forst in South Tyrol and Pedavena in the Dolomites. Craft brewing began in 1996 with Baladin, Birrificio Italiano and Lambrate, and Italian brewers gave the world two styles: the dry-hopped Italian pilsner and the Italian Grape Ale, brewed with wine grapes. Italian beer today tells the story.
Beer styles from Italy
Italian Pilsner
LagerItalian pilsner: a pale, dry lager dry-hopped with noble hops, first brewed as Tipopils in 1996. Strength, bitterness, history and classic examples.
Italian Grape Ale
AleItalian Grape Ale: beer brewed with wine grapes or grape must, first made in Piedmont and Sardinia in 2006–07. Strength, flavour, history and classic examples.
Breweries in Italy
Birra Forst
3 stylesBirra Forst, Lagundo near Merano: the South Tyrol brewery of 1857, family-owned since 1863 and owner of Menabrea.
Birra Peroni
Birra Peroni: the brewery Francesco Peroni founded in 1846, maker of Nastro Azzurro, owned by Asahi since 2016.
Baladin
1 styleBaladin, Piozzo: Teo Musso's brewpub of 1996, which bottled Italy's first craft beers and co-designed the Teku glass.
Birra del Borgo
1 styleBirra del Borgo: the Lazio craft brewery of 2005 that AB InBev bought in 2016 and closed in 2026.
Birra Ichnusa
Birra Ichnusa: Sardinia's beer since 1912, brewed at Assemini near Cagliari and owned by Heineken since 1986.
Birra Moretti
Birra Moretti: the Udine beer of 1859 with the moustached man on its label, owned by Heineken since 1996.
Birreria Pedavena (Birra Castello)
Pedavena: the Dolomites brewery of 1897 that a 44,000-signature campaign saved from closure, now Birra Castello's.
Birrificio Barley
4 stylesBirrificio Barley: the Sardinian brewery of 2006 whose BB10, made with Cannonau grape must, helped create the Italian Grape Ale.
Birrificio del Ducato
2 stylesBirrificio del Ducato: the Parma brewery of 2007 behind Viaemilia and Verdi Imperial Stout, controlled by Duvel Moortgat.
Birrificio del Forte
2 stylesBirrificio del Forte: a Tuscan brewery of 2011 whose Il Tralcio, finished like sparkling wine, is a classic Italian Grape Ale.
Birrificio Grado Plato
Grado Plato: the Turin-area brewery of 2003 behind Strada San Felice, a chestnut lager, which grows its own barley.
Birrificio Italiano
1 styleBirrificio Italiano: Agostino Arioli's brewpub of 1996, home of Tipopils, the beer behind the Italian pilsner.
Birrificio Lambrate
1 styleBirrificio Lambrate: the Milan brewpub of 1996 where the city's craft beer began, with labels in Milanese dialect.
Birrificio Montegioco
1 styleBirrificio Montegioco: Riccardo Franzosi's Piedmont brewery, which first brewed the Italian Grape Ale with Barley.
Ca' del Brado
3 stylesCa' del Brado: a Bologna 'beer cellar' of 2016 that ages most of its sour and wild beers in ex-wine barrels.