From ancient Rome’s legendary Falernian to modern Super Tuscans, Italian wine has been famous for thousands of years. But when it comes to beer, Italy has only crept into the world’s consciousness over the last couple of decades. It might not be quite as celebrated as countries with longer brewing traditions, but Europe’s big boot is starting to be seen as a land with a compelling craft culture of its own, including a remarkably diverse beer market, fueled by a fan base of extremely knowledgeable beer lovers.
For Agostino Arioli, brewer and owner of Birrificio Italiano, one of the country’s first small producers, that’s a big change from when he started out 30 years ago. At the beginning, his own customers didn’t believe his claims. “They thought I was lying when I said that I was brewing my beer right there in the same pub where we were pouring it,” he says. “Now everything has changed, and people know a lot.”
