# La Birra Peroni: 180 Years of Italian Beer

- Link: https://www.samovar-tool.ru/en/2026/10/10/la-birra-peroni-180-years-italian-beer/
- Published: 2026-10-10T10:00:00+03:00
- Author: kosoj.diy

# La Birra Peroni: 180 Years of Italian Beer

**Since 2016, every October 9 has been International Pizza and Beer Day.** This 
holiday was dreamed up by enthusiasts from New York, people who know a thing or 
two about pairings. But pizza is an Italian creation, and beer from the same country
deserves a separate conversation.

Or did you think they don’t drink beer in Italy?

## A start in Lombardy

The town of Vigevano, in the province of Pavia in Lombardy. The area is known for
its rice paddies and soft water from Alpine glaciers, which is ideal for brewing.

In **1846** Francesco Peroni founded _Birra Peroni_ here, a small brewery with an
adjoining pub where locals could try fresh beer. Italy was not yet a single state,
and Risorgimento movements were raging across the country. But the beer found its
way.

![Peroni Nastro Azzurro](https://i0.wp.com/www.samovar-tool.ru/wp-content/uploads/
2026/05/peroni_inline1.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1)

## The move to Rome

In **1864** production moved to Rome, six years before the city became the capital
of unified Italy. Francesco opened a second brewery near Piazza di Spagna, in the
very heart of Roman high society. His eldest son, Giovanni Peroni, was put in charge
of it.

The entrepreneur’s instinct did not fail him: Rome became a springboard to the central
Italian market. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Peroni became one of the
largest brewing companies of the young kingdom.

## An industrial leap

**1901** brought a merger with Rome’s largest ice factory. Beer and ice, cold and
heat: a synergy that worked. In **1907** the joint-stock company _Società Anonima
Birra Peroni Ghiaccio e Magazzini frigoriferi_ was born, and in the Porta Pia district
the “cittadella Peroni” grew up, a whole industrial quarter woven into the fabric
of the city.

In **1924** a plant opened in Bari, giving access to the south of the country. Later
came acquisitions of breweries across Italy: Dormisch in 1952, Framia in 1961, Wührer
in 1988 (the oldest Italian brewery, founded in 1829).

## The Blue Riband

In **1963** the world saw _Peroni Nastro Azzurro_, a premium lager named after the“
Blue Riband”, the award for the fastest Atlantic crossing. From 1933 to 1935 this
title was held by the Italian ocean liner _Rex_, and it was her victory that inspired
the creators.

In **1965** Nastro Azzurro took first place in its category at the World Beer Competition.
The nautical theme became a hallmark of advertising campaigns: models in sailor 
uniforms, sails, endless blue.

## Change of owners

In **2003** the British SABMiller acquired Peroni. In **2016**, to avoid problems
with European antitrust law over the merger of AB InBev and SABMiller, Peroni was
sold to the Japanese group **Asahi Breweries** for 2.9 billion dollars.

Today the company belongs to the Japanese, but it remains deeply Italian in spirit.

## What is brewed now

**Peroni’s own brands:**

 * **Peroni** (since 1846) — a fresh, light, smooth lager with notes of hops, corn,
   wheat and dry grass. A lingering aftertaste with hop bitterness.
 * **Peroni Nastro Azzurro** (since 1963) — pale golden and refreshing, with a delicate
   balance of bitterness and citrus, and a long aftertaste.
 * **Raffo** (since 1919) — a lager, moderately bitter, slightly smoky.
 * **Itala Pilsen** (since 1970) — a classic pilsner with a light hop aroma, moderate
   bitterness and a clean, refreshing taste.
 * **Wührer** (since 1829) — 4.7% ABV, an “everyday” beer with a delicate fruity
   aroma and a pale color.
 * **Crystall** — a 5.6% pale lager.
 * **Peroni Gran Riserva** — a 6.6% strong lager.
 * **Peroni Leggera** — a 3.5% light lager.
 * **Capri** — a 4.2% ultra-light lager.

![Peroni beer lineup](https://i0.wp.com/www.samovar-tool.ru/wp-content/uploads/2026/
05/peroni_inline2.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1)

**Asahi brands distributed in Italy:**

 * **Pilsner Urquell** — heavyish, with an ale-like fruity note and pronounced bitterness.
 * **Meantime Brewing Company** — British craft, roasted malt, dark fruit, coffee
   and chocolate.
 * **Tourtel** — a non-alcoholic fruity beer.
 * **Grolsch** (founded in 1615) — dry, fresh, hoppy, with notes of malt and herbs.
 * **Asahi** — Japanese rice lagers.
 * **St. Stefanus** — a Belgian strong ale.

**Discontinued brands:** Dormisch (acquired in 1952), Framia (acquired in 1961).

## The Italian way of life in numbers

Today Birra Peroni has three production plants in Italy (Rome, Bari, Padua), a malting
plant in Salpo di Pomezia and more than **6 million hectoliters** of beer a year.
More than 2 million go to export: to the UK, the USA, Australia, Japan and Canada.

In **2024** the company entered the Ministry of Enterprises’ register of “Historic
Brands of Italy”. Blockchain traceability of Italian malt was introduced. Nastro
Azzurro sponsors _Scuderia Ferrari HP_, continuing the tradition of sports partnerships
begun with _Aston Martin F1_ in 2021.

And it all began with a small brewery in Vigevano and an entrepreneur who believed
that Italians could learn to love beer too.

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