Italy: Young brewers on the rise Promotion: ERDINGER Alkoholfrei ...

CoVeR FeAtURe
OvERvIEW
Beer boom in <strong>Italy</strong>:
young <strong>brewers</strong> committed to traditional s
The beer-brewing world looks on <strong>Italy</strong> in amazement:
a quiet revolution has been taking place in
this classic wine-drinking nation for some years
now. The number of breweries is exploding,
young people are choosing beer over wine, and
Italian “birre artigianali” – beers created by
microbreweries using traditional skills – are
picking up one award after the other.
ERDINGER at a charity event on Jesolo beach. The takings
are used to help the victims of the terrible earthquake in
Emilia Romagna in spring 2012.
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In absolute terms, <strong>Italy</strong> is still not one of the big
players on the global beer market. With a
consumption of around 18 million hecto-
liters of beer, it is currently 28th in international
rankings. Around one third of all beer consumed
is imported – significantly more than the
EU average of 13%. Although annual per capita
consumption is rising slightly (2011: 29 liters),
beer still plays a relatively minor role in daily
life, as the country’s thousands of years of wine
drinking is still too strong a tradition. Whereas
wine offers an almost endless variety, <strong>Italy</strong>’s
brewing industry is one of the most highly
concentrated in Europe. The three major
suppliers, Heineken Italia, Birra Peroni
Industriale and Industrie Poretti, are all under
the roof of major multinational groups. With
their own brands and various licensed and
imported beers, they account for almost three
quarters of the market.
Gelateria “da Nico” in a dream location in venice.
Adventurous <strong>brewers</strong> reinvent <strong>Italy</strong> as
beer-drinking nation
Over the past few years, the Italian beer market
has been given a strong boost from within its
own borders. A generation of young <strong>brewers</strong> not
afraid to experiment has set itself the task of
revitalizing the Italian market. With their handcrafted
beer styles and creative interpretation of
the brewer’s skills, they have caused quite a stir
among the world’s beer experts. The number of
so-called microbreweries, which almost exclusively
supply the HORECA sector, is growing fast:
from seven in 1996 to 450 today. With a share of
total output of just two percent, they may still be
very much a niche product, but the approach of
these “wild young men” illustrates how Italians
can be attracted to beer consumption. They are
fully committed to excellent quality and not
afraid to use unusual ingredients such as
chestnuts, or leave beers to mature in barrique
barrels. These young <strong>brewers</strong> have made a
major contribution toward changing beer’s