THE OPINION OF EXPERTS
IL PIONIERE
From its origins, craft beer has changed completely, having become
convinced, in the wake of the great and rapid expansion that has
taken place over the last twenty years, that from a grand should
become “industrial”, thus losing its roots. In the meantime, industry
has realized that to win over a rapidly changing public it should have
started to produce beers similar as much as possible to craft; causing
an overall distortion and great confusion. The industry makes beer, artisans make
craft beer. It is important to be able to maintain the perception that these are differ-
ent products. And this diversity, as well as sensory, lives on a consistent ideological
part! Working on the small, working not only for profit, working with ingenuity and
discovery, with love for the product and for the world and the people who gravitate
around it, are all key aspects of craftsmanship as we understand it. Ideology, if we
want “poetry”, is necessary and natural because craft beer is a product with a high
content of passion.- Agostino Arioli, Birrificio Italiano
THE BLOGGER
Since I have been managing Cronache di Birra, Italian craft beer has
changed. The tastes of consumers have changed, the way breweries
propose themselves on the market, the format of the theme events.
Even the pub has lost its traditional connotations to reinvent itself in
a new and different way, just as the methods of administration have
changed. In more general terms craft beer has gone beyond the con-
fines of the limited circle of enthusiasts to become a concept of public domain, if
not a fashion. It has entered places and contexts previously considered very distant,
fueling much enthusiasm but also some contradictions. Probably the future of Ital-
ian craft beer will be characterized by a reduction in the number of microbrewer-
ies operating in the sector and by a consolidation of those with greater resources.
The distribution will be more “sustainable” and will focus on the development of
communities of local consumers, also thanks to the diffusion of tap rooms (local
breweries). It will be an increasingly competitive market, to emerge in which it will
be essential to stand out from the competition and start with clear projects, as well
as produce good beer.- Andrea Turco, Cronache di Birra
THE GUIDE
Although the problem of Italian craft beer is primarily the consequence
of a new and more aggressive presence of industry on the Italian
market, there is no doubt that a very fragmented system that is not
always inclined to move collectively does not help. The craft beer
movement should return to investing most of its energy in informa-
tion and training, in breweries, pubs, obviously in specialized courses,
but also in all those more pop places (maybe even supermarkets) where it is easier
to meet those sections of the public that are more distant and less interested in the
subject but which are fundamental to grow and consolidate. It is only by fighting the
communication made of empty slogans that one can sow in the long run and really
change the deep perception that Italy has of beer- Luca Giaccone and Eugenio Signoroni, Birre d’Italia di Slow Food
THE UNIVERSE OF CRAFT BEERindustrial products disguised as artisanal,
the so-called “crafty” beers (ed: see the vari-
ous Regional Moretti or Poretti’s hops series
just to mention two examples) and acquire
control of craft breweries. In a few months we
had to collect the sale to multinationals of im-
portant brands such as Birra del Borgo (AbIn-
bev), Birrificio del Ducato (Duvel Moortgat),
Birradamare (Molson Coors) and Hibu (Dibe-
vit, Heineken group). Clearly these operations
seriously jeopardize the survival of the entire
sector, because suddenly some brands find
themselves enjoying the boundless power of
the industry, upsetting the balance of a field
that is still relatively young and certainly very
fragile». And perhaps it’s no coincidence
that, shortly after the acquisition, Birra del
Borgo opened its first flagship restaurant in
Rome, Osteria di Birra del Borgo, followed
by two other restaurants in Rome, as well
as Birradamare launched into Na Biretta
Social Club project, always in Rome and al-
ways after the acquisition.