Italian Beer
Although wine is still the staple of the Italian liquid diet, beer is becoming more popular. As well as the supermarket brands like Peroni and Moretti, there is an increasing number of artisanal beers on the market.
In 2009, Baladin opened a bar in Rome, stocking around 140 different Italian beers, as well as a range of imports. Called Open Baladin, it's good a place as any to start exploring what's available.
Supermarket Brands
The beers you're most likely to come across on a trip to Rome are Peroni, Nastro Azzurro, and variations on the Moretti brand.
Peroni
Peroni is probably the best known of Italian beers, along with its premium sister-beer Nastro Azzurro. They also make a handful of other beers, including the 6.6% Gran Riserva.
www.peroniitaly.com
Moretti
Owned by Heineken since 1996, Moretti make around half a dozen beers, identifiable by the moustachioed Alpine-looking gentleman on the label.
Their main product is simply Birra Moretti, but you're also likely to spot the strong, dark La Rossa, the double-malted doppio malto, and the premium Baffo d'Oro. They offer an alcohol-free drink under the name Moretti Zero.
www.birramoretti.com
Artisanal Beers
Artisanal beers are rapidly gaining popularity in Italy, where makers include Baladin, Cittavecchia, Almond, and 32 Via dei Birrai. The beers they produce are often strong, and tend to come in large bottles: 66cl or even 75cl is the norm.
Baladin
It's a bit off-putting that Baladin bottles look like props from a Harry Potter movie, but fortunately the contents are often rather good. They also make a respectable cider.
www.baladin.it
Almond '22
Based in Pescara, Abruzzo, Almond'22 takes their name from the confetti (sugared almonds) that were once made on the site of the brewery.
www.birraalmond.com
Cittavecchia
The beers we've tried from the Triest-based Cittavecchia brewery have had a slightly disappointing, thin taste, but we're informed that this may be due to instability resulting from the brewing process. They're popular so maybe still worth a try, but it would be best to track down a bottle that's as fresh as possible.
www.cittavecchia.com
32 Via dei Birrai
The bottles from this brewery are immediately identifiable by the bright colours of the labels and the large '32' logo. They also have an elaborate corking system that allows them to be resealed, which is handy as 32 Via dei Birrai use 75cl bottles.
www.32viadeibirrai.com
