Peroni Brewery () is a

brewing company A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of beer ...

, founded by Francesco Peroni in

Vigevano Vigevano (; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Avgevan) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Pavia, Lombardy in northern Italy. A historic art town, it is also renowned for shoemaking and is one of the main centres of Lomellina, a rice-growing a ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

in 1846. It is probably best known worldwide for its

pale lager Pale lager is a very pale-to- golden-colored lager beer with a well- attenuated body and a varying degree of noble hop bitterness. The brewing process for this beer developed in the mid-19th century, when Gabriel Sedlmayr took pale ale bre ...

, ''Nastro Azzurro'' (5.1%

ABV Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...

), which was the 13th best-selling

beer in the United Kingdom Beer in the United Kingdom has a long history, and has quite distinct traditions. Historically the main styles were top-fermented Bitters, Porters, Stouts and Milds, but after World War II lagers took over half the market by volume. The Campaign ...

in 2010. By 2016, Peroni was owned by Miller Brands U.K. of

SABMiller SABMiller plc was a South African multinational brewing and beverage company headquartered in Woking, England on the outskirts of London until 10 October 2016 when it was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Prior to that date, it was the world ...

. As part of the agreements made with regulators before

Anheuser-Busch InBev Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, commonly known as AB InBev, is an American-Belgian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium. AB InBev has a global functional management office in New York City, and regional headquarters ...

was allowed to acquire SABMiller, the company sold Peroni to

Asahi Breweries is a Japanese global beer, spirits, soft drinks and food business group headquartered in Sumida, Tokyo. In 2019, the group had revenue of JPY 2.1 trillion. Asahi's business portfolio can be segmented as follows: alcoholic beverage business ( ...

on 13 October 2016. Peroni Nastro Azzurro 3

Foundation and early history

Foundation by Giovanni Peroni & Vigevano

The Peroni company was established under the founding family name in the town of Vigevano, Italy, in 1846. Due to booming business, a second brewery was built in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The company was moved to Rome by Giovanni Peroni in 1864, six years prior to Rome becoming the Italian capital in 1870. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the company became one of the most prominent brewing companies in the newly unified Italian nation.

Advertising

In the 1960s and through their expansion, Peroni Nastro Azzurro launched numerous successful advertising campaigns, keeping a strong focus upon the sea and sailing world; each campaign featuring a model styled in a sailor outfit and hat. In February 2021,

Aston Martin F1 Team Aston Martin is a British car manufacturer that has participated in Formula One in various forms. The company first participated in Formula One during the 1959 season where they debuted the DBR4 chassis using their own engine but it failed to ...

announced a partnership with Peroni to promote the Peroni Libera 0.0% alcohol free beer brand.

Acquisition and expansion

By the 1990s, both the Peroni brand name and product line were distributed and known worldwide. The London-based brewing giant

bought the company in 2003, making it one of the few international brands in its portfolio. Peroni was bought from SABMiller by the Japanese brewing giant Asahi in February 2016.

Brands

Beers under the Peroni brand include: ''Crystall'', a 5.6%

abv Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...

; ''Peroni Gran Riserva'', a 6.6% abv

strong lager Pale lager is a very pale-to- golden-colored lager beer with a well- attenuated body and a varying degree of noble hop bitterness. The brewing process for this beer developed in the mid-19th century, when Gabriel Sedlmayr took pale ale brewin ...

; ''Peroncino'', a 5% pale lager; ''Peroni Leggera'', a 3.5% pale lager. The company also produces the ''Wuhrer'' brand – a 4.7% pale lager launched in Brescia in 1829. The main brands are ''Peroni'' and ''Nastro Azzurro''.

Peroni

''Peroni'' is the Peroni company's original brand. According to Assobirra, it is the best selling beer in Italy. It is 4.7%

and made with

barley malt Malt is germinated cereal grain that has been dried in a process known as "malting". The grain is made to germinate by soaking in water and is then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air. Malted grain is used to make beer, whi ...

, maize, hop pellets and hop extract. By the 1950s and 1960s, ''Peroni'' was the most recognized brand of beer throughout the Italian peninsula and in 2019 was one of the five most popular Italian beers in the world.

Nastro Azzurro

''Nastro Azzurro'' is a 5.1%

alcohol by volume Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol ( ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) ...

. Launched in 1963, it is the Peroni Brewery's premium lager brand. The name means "Blue Ribbon" in Italian, in honor of the

Blue Riband The Blue Riband () is an unofficial accolade given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the record highest average speed. The term was borrowed from horse racing and was not widely used until after 1910. ...

won by Italian

ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...

SS ''Rex'' in 1933.
Peroni Nastro Azzurro Campaigns. Retrieved 4 April 2013. Nastro Azzurro has also sponsored teams in

Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...

. In 1997 they sponsored a 125cc

Aprilia Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded immediately after World War II in Noale, Italy, by Alberto Beggio. The company started as a manufacturer of bicycles and moved on to manufacture scooters and small-capacity motorcycles ...

team with rider

Valentino Rossi Valentino Rossi (; ; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed ''The Doctor'', he is widely considered to be one of the greatest motorcyc ...

, who won the championship in that season. In 2000 and 2001 they sponsored a 500cc

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

team, again with Rossi as the rider.

References

External links

Birra Peroni websitePeroni Nastro Azzurro Facebook Page

Peroni Nastro Azzurro International Site

Nastro Azzurro Homepage

Fashion designer Antonio Berardi's art direction for Peroni Nastro Azzurro's Russian advertising campaign, JCReport.com

Emporio Peroni Press Release, 2005
{{Coord, 41, 53, 55.75, N, 12, 28, 48.87, E, type:landmark, display=title Beer brands of Italy Breweries in Italy Asahi Breweries Food and drink companies based in Rome Manufacturing companies based in Rome Manufacturing companies established in 1846 Food and drink companies established in 1846 1846 establishments in Italy