14 Italian Beers To Know And Try

When you think of Italian drinks, your mind may instantly go to wine or coffee. However, for enthusiasts like myself, it's also the home of some fantastic beers. As someone who has spent many years drinking beer from countries all over the globe, Italian beers are ones I always go back to. While they produce other types of beer, Italy's lagers commonly have a crisp and refreshing taste but with a depth of flavor to go with it.

Here, I will give you a list of 14 Italian beers you need to know and try. This will give you a great introduction to what the country offers before you move on to microbreweries and craft distillers. All the beers here should be fairly easy to acquire and I have personally enjoyed them all myself. All you need to do now is join me on this journey and then start your own list of what Italian beers you need to buy.

We start with the most famous Italian beer of them all. I've seen a lot of snobbery with Peroni Nastro Azzurro over the last few years, which often happens when something gets popular. The reality is this is an excellent lager which acts as a good example of what you can expect from Italian beers. Nastro Azzurro translates to "blue ribbon" and has been brewed since 1963. The name comes from the Blue Riband award given to an Italian ocean liner in 1933, with Peroni inspired by its passion and flair. In the glass, this Peroni pours with a brilliant golden hue with a frothy white head. The aroma is crisp with a touch of citrus zest and herbal hops.

What I love about Peroni is how beautifully clean the first sip is. It's highly refreshing and one of those beers that shines brightest on the hottest days. It offers a great blend of both malty sweetness contrasted by a subtle bitterness. These flavors are added to by some floral and spicy undertones, which are subtle but add to the depth of flavor. The finish is smooth and a little dry. It has a wonderful ability to be both light while still having character. This makes it pair well with a huge variety of foods whether you want some hot pizza a spicy curry, or perhaps delicate seafood or salad. It's an elegant lager and the perfect place to start with Italian beer.

Birra Moretti L'Autentica is fast gaining on the heels of Peroni when it comes to popularity. The recipe has "remained almost unchanged" since 1859, making it one of Italy's most historic beer brands. Founded two years earlier by Luigi Moretti in Udine, it's another beer that has come to symbolize Italian lager. The bottles have a nostalgic touch as well in the world of modernized logos. The mustachioed man enjoying a frothy beer gives it a charming touch. Perhaps the first thing you'll notice about Moretti is its darker golden color when compared to other lagers. The froth also has more of a creamier tinge than the usual white. It gives a hint to the depth of flavor inside.

The nose gives you some fresh grains with a hint of grassy hops. On the palate, it is smooth but a touch heavier than the Peroni above. It has a biscuity character that goes well with the malt and hops. Floral and herbal undertones give it extra depth without taking anything away from its refreshing nature. It's a clean and mildly dry beer, with it mainly pairing well with meat-based dishes and pasta. It isn't quite as refreshing as Peroni, but it does have more depth. Which you prefer will always come down to personal preferences and mood. It's hard to say which is better between these two Italian heavyweights, the only solution is to try them for yourself.

Italian beer isn't just about Peroni and Moretti. Menabrea Bionda is one of many other options that, while not quite as well known, are still easily available. A blonde pale lager, it's suited to those who like a little more bitterness from their beer. The oldest continuous brewery in Italy, there is plenty of history and tradition that goes into these beers. Made in the Italian town of Biella, near the foot of the Italian Alps, Menabrea takes pride in the soft and pure water it uses for brewing. As with many blonde beers, it has a straw-gold hue in the glass along with a white head. The aroma is lovely as you'll get to enjoy a honeyed twinge to the malt along with baked bread and floral hops.

Upon drinking, it has a lovely mouthfeel and is quite sweet. After the initial sweetness comes a bitterness with a hint of citrus and light caramel. It's a hoppy beer that has plenty of nuances and a clean finish. It pairs well with a range of light dishes such as creamy pasta and grilled fish, but many will enjoy this as a standalone beverage. It's one of the most elegant beers on the list and a good example of Italian excellence.

Compared to Menabrea, Birra Baladin is a much more recent brand but has sold beer since 1996. Inspired by Belgian beers, the company started to make its own version with an Italian twist. The Isaac was created in 1997 and was named after the founder's son. You can immediately see its Belgian influence with the pale and hazy golden color which is similar to many beers from the country. The aroma is quite developed and gives you some fruity notes, especially orange.

There is also spice of coriander and clove contrasted by subtle floral notes. The fruits on the aroma transfer to the palate, but turn into a more general citrus taste. The beer is quite carbonated and light, which may not suit all tastes, but it remains easy to drink. The refreshing beer gives you some gentle spiciness with the Italian barley making it slightly tart. For those looking for a more innovative Italian beer experience, this is a great option.

Ichnusa Non Filtrata is an unfiltered lager that captures the rustic charm of the place it is made, Sardinia. There are plenty of beer lovers now who are looking for a fuller and more textured drinking experience. That's helped here not only by how it's brewed, but also by its unfiltered nature. As with these types of beers, it's hazy in the glass with a deeper color. That hazy appearance comes from the sediment left in the drink which is removed with filtered beers.

It helps to make the aroma more earthy and you'll get notes of toasted grains and fresh bread. There is a slight sweetness and you'll also nose a bit of its yeast. On the palate, the beer is quite intense. There is a honeyed sweetness upfront with the malt and yeast also being dominant on the palate. Due to being unfiltered, it has a fuller body than most Italian beers and offers a slightly bitter and dry finish. It pairs well with cheese, making this rustic beer another to add to your list.

Birra Angelo Poretti is another beer that has seemingly become more widely available in recent years. As with many on this list, while its popularity may be recent, the craftsmanship isn't. Founded in 1877 by Angelo Poretti, he was inspired by his travels to create his own beer. The brand's flagship lager gives you a beautiful deep golden color in the glass with a fine, white head. On the nose, you'll find a clean aroma without much character.

However, you do get some subtle floral and citrus tones. After your first sip, you'll enjoy how crisp the beer is, being one of the most refreshing on the list. It has a well-balanced profile with a light malty sweetness and a slight biscuit character. There is only mild bitterness and with its slightly dry finish, it's exceptionally drinkable. It's a great standalone beer and has a similar tasting profile to the Moretti above. It has that typical Italian gracefulness and won't leave you feeling full or bloated.

This is more of a unique beer. It's not the only one on the list, but there is a touch of salt added to this lager. Cristalli di Sale translates to "salt crystals" as Sicilian sea salt crystals used to give it a unique taste profile. Given its maritime history, it gives it a taste of Sicily and makes it a standout when it comes to Italian brewing. Founded in 1923, the Birra Messina brewery is now owned by Heineken but has been allowed to retain its independence.

There is nothing unique about its look, as you get the most common pale golden color with a frothy creamy head. The aroma is surprisingly delicate as you get a whiff of salty sea breeze but also some baked bread and malt. If salt in beer sounds disgusting, you'd be surprised. The salt is only subtle and enhances the beer's natural flavors and balances out the sweetness from the malt. The taste is rounded off by some slight fruitiness to give it plenty of depth. It pairs well with most Mediterranean dishes, but is delightfully refreshing on its own.

Birra del Borgo is one of the most unique breweries on this list. Situated 730 meters above sea level in the town of Borgorose, it is determined to use locally sourced ingredients to create a beer that is true to the area it was created. ReAle is one of its best offerings that showcase the combination of traditional Italian brewing with a modern approach. It's a well-balanced pale ale with a brilliant balance of flavors. It's heavily carbonated and the amber-gold appearance invites you into the tasting experience. The flavor profile is complex but without being too distinctive, allowing it to appeal to a wide audience.

There is plenty of fruitiness there, mainly in the form of citrus fruit, especially orange. There is also a pine influence along with a notable bitterness. One of Birra del Borgo's aims is for its beer to pair perfectly with food. ReAle ticks those boxes as it goes with many Italian classics such as pizza, pasta, and grilled meats. ReAle is more of an acquired taste than many on this list, but it's a great beer you could well fall in love with.

We looked at before how Cristalli di Sale translates to "salt crystals," well Sale di Mare translates to "sea salt". That sea salt is added to the brewing process here to give it a maritime touch. Again, it works well with the beer and gives it a much different profile than most other lagers. On the nose, you'll get a slight whiff of that salt, almost as if you were strolling by the ocean. When you add a light sweetness, this Moretti has a highly pleasant aroma.

Before supping the beer, you'll notice a slightly hazy appearance due to it being unfiltered. As with the regular Moretti, it will be crisp and refreshing once it hits your taste buds. It only has a slight bitterness and balances the malt and hop flavors well. The way the salt sits quietly in the background reminds me of a fine Scotch island whisky. It'll pair well with most cuisine, especially those enjoyed on a sunny day by the seaside such as seafood and fresh salads. Again, the salt and beer combination is an unexpected winner.

Castello Premium is symptomatic of what we've been talking about with Italian beers. It has that freshness and approachability without being too light on flavor. In the glass, it has a nice bright golden hue and presents with a creamy white head that dissipates nicely and slowly. On both the nose and palate, there isn't much excitement. You get floral and malty notes on the nose, but nothing too distinctive. On the palate, the taste doesn't go much beyond the malt and hops that you get with almost every beer.

Despite the lack of unique tasting notes, it's still a solid beer that will more than quench your thirst on a hot day. It's a smooth and clean lager that will go well with heavy meals when you want to avoid feeling bloated, such as meaty and fatty food. It's not the best beer on this list, but neither will it be the most expensive. It's the type of beer where it's not worth going out of your way to pick up a pack, but it's still good to try.

Gran Riserva couldn't be much different from the drink we just mentioned. It isn't as refreshing as many of the beers we've mentioned but it does have a lot more flavor. It provides a more refined and complex drinking experience for those looking for something different. In the glass, it pours with a deep golden color and a creamy white head. It has a multi-dimensional aroma and along with the expected notes you get some toasted bread and a hit of sweetness in the form of caramel.

On the palate, it doesn't quite have the full body of a heavy ale or stout, but it's much fuller than most lagers. The caramel sweetness from the nose blends into more of a toffee taste, and you get a mix of toasted malt and biscuit. Despite the depth of flavor, it's still refreshing and has a moderate bitterness. Its rich flavor will pair well with flavorful foods such as hearty pasta and aged cheese. It's one of the more expensive beers on the list and its fuller flavor may not appeal to everyone. However, if you want a premium Italian beer full of character, you can't go wrong here.

Here we step back into the lighter-tasting lagers. The color of a beer doesn't always equate to the depth of the taste, but it's a good indication here. It has a pale straw color which is indicative of its light flavor, with fuller-bodied lagers usually having a dark color. That lightness can be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. It's a smooth and well-balanced beer which is neither overly sweet nor bitter. Trying to pick out any distinctive tasting notes isn't easy, but it does have a hint of citrus fruit.

It's got a slight grass finish and can be compared to other light European beers, such as Amstel and Becks. It delivers a satisfying drinking experience without being overly complex. It's another that goes well with those carbohydrate-heavy Italian dishes. It's also perfect for those hot summer days when a cold beer is just what you need to cool your body down and relax.

Birra Morena came to life in 1999 when one of the many breweries owned by Heineken switched to the hands of the Tarricone family. It pours with a clean golden color and can be paired with pretty much any dish given its ability to quench your thirst and clear your palate. Once you take a sip, you'll instantly notice its smoothness without any one flavor immediately jumping out at you. No other notes develop other than the malt and hops but that helps towards its clean nature and there is no unpleasantness on the aftertaste.

It's a light-bodied lager that is easy to drink. Not many Italian breweries are independently owned, especially when they reach the size of Birra Morena. It makes this a tempting option for those looking to diversify their drinking experience away from the most established brands. It's another Italian beer that won't blow you away, but one you'll love on a sunny day.

Zona Cesarini is one of the harder-to-find beers on this list but one that is worth seeking out, as are all Toccalmatto beers. It's a highly hop-forward and malty beer and will be well-suited to those who love that taste. Despite it being an Italian beer, it has an American influence as it uses not only hops from the United States but also Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. At 6.6% ABV, it's a strong beer and comes has an orange tinge along with its mostly golden color. That color hints at the fruitiness you'll find on both the nose and palate.

There are aromas of both tropical and citrus fruits, as well as a hint of pine. The taste mirrors those aromas, along with giving you a subtle sweetness contrasted by sharper bitterness. The smooth mouthfeel makes it easily drinkable and able to be drunk with all types of meals, including spicier dishes. It hasn't got those classic Italian qualities of many beers on this list, but is well worth a try.