Italy is considered to be part of the

wine belt Alcohol preferences in Europe vary from country to country between beer, wine or spirits. These preferences are traditionally associated with certain regions. Hence, the Central European pattern of alcohol consumption is associated with bee ...

of Europe. Nevertheless, beer, particularly mass-produced pale lagers, are common in the country. It is traditionally considered to be an ideal accompaniment to

pizza Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...

; since the 1970s, beer has spread from pizzerias and has become much more popular for drinking in other situations. In the seventh century BC in Sicily, the Phoenicians traded and consumed beer. In Piedmont, Pombia, Province of Novara, an archaeological investigation found tombs from the Golasecca culture, including a tomb from 560 BC containing traces of beer. Ancient Rome knew of beer and produced small amounts, but the systems of production were destroyed in various barbarian invasions. The first medical school, the Schola Medica Salernitana, praised the substance stating that it "supports old age, flows through the veins, increases well-being, and strengthens the blood." On the occasion of his wedding,

Ludovico Sforza Ludovico Maria Sforza (; 27 July 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (; "the Moor"). "Arbiter of Italy", according to the expression used by Guicciardini,

distributed beer freely to the Milanese. At this time, it was referred to in Florence as "barley wine". The first brewery in Italy, according to Hermes Zampollo, was "Spluga" in

Chiavenna Chiavenna ( lmo, Ciavèna ; la, Clavenna; rm, Clavenna or ''Claven''; archaic german: Cläven or ''Kleven'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is the centre of the Alpine ...

, which opened in 1840. However, the company Wührer stated that its brewing commenced in Brescia in 1829. The first person in Italy to cultivate hops for beer brewing was in 1847. In 1983, the country consumed of beer. As of 2010, Italy has a beer consumption of per capita per year.

Breweries and brands

One of the oldest and most widespread breweries in Italy is Peroni, today owned by the Asahi group, which also owns the popular brand Nastro Azzurro. Other known breweries and beer brands are: * Beba * Birra del Borgo (owned by InBev) * Birra Raffo (owned by Asahi) * Birrificio Baladin * Birrificio Italiano * Castello * Dreher (owned by Heineken) *

Forst Forst may refer to: Communities In Germany *, in the district of Aachen *Forst (Baden), in Baden-Württemberg *Forst (Lausitz), in Brandenburg * Forst (Unterfranken), part of Schonungen, Bavaria * Forst, Altenkirchen, in the district of Altenk ...

* Ichnusa (owned by Heineken) * Menabrea (owned by Forst) * Birrificio Dr. Barbanera * Birra Messina (owned by Heineken) * Birrificio Lambrate * Birra Morena * Moretti (owned by Heineken) * Opperbacco * Birra Pedavena (owned by Castello) * Peroni (owned by Asahi) * Poretti (owned by

Carlsberg Carlsberg may refer to: Places * Carlsberg (district), a district in Copenhagen, Denmark ** Carlsberg station, its train station * Carlsberg, Germany, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany * Carlsberg Fjord, Greenland Other uses * Carlsbe ...

Breweries and brands

See also

References

Bibliography

External links