Beer in Italy is built around the table and the beach more than the pub. At seaside chioschi up and down the coast, the standing order is a birra alla spina, poured ice cold straight from the tap into a small frosted glass, meant to be finished in a few minutes between swims rather than nursed all afternoon. In town, the same instinct shows up at aperitivo hour: a small glass of lager alongside olives or a plate of salumi before dinner, not a session drink. That is why the everyday Italian lagers on this list, Moretti, Peroni, Menabrea, all sit in a similar light, dry, food-first register, with Moretti La Rossa the one deliberate exception built for sipping rather than a quick cool-down.
Italian beer is built to sit next to food, crisp and dry rather than heavy or bitter, though the country also brews a genuine double malt dark lager once you look past the everyday export pilsners. Here are the best Italian beers stocked on Saucey. Most fall into the pale lager and pilsner family, if you want to see how Italy’s picks stack up against the wider style, see our best pilsner beer guide. Not sure what a term like Vienna lager or double malt means, our beer glossary covers it.
Best Italian Beers, Ranked
| 1. Birra Moretti | Italian pale lager since 1859. 4.6% ABV. |
| 2. Peroni Nastro Azzurro | Premium export pale lager since 1963. 5.1% ABV. |
| 3. Menabrea Ambrata | Amber Vienna-style lager from Italy’s oldest active brewery. 5.0% ABV. |
| 4. Birra Moretti La Rossa | Double malt Munich dunkel dark lager. 7.2% ABV. |
Birra Moretti
Italy’s most recognizable lager, brewed since 1859 and marketed as L’Autentica. A little maltier and more balanced than the lightest imports, with a clean, food-friendly character.
Italian pale lager, 4.6% ABV, Birra Moretti
Read the Full Review →Check Saucey →Peroni Nastro Azzurro
Birra Peroni’s premium export lager, dry and crisp with a distinctive Nostrano hop character that separates it from generic macro lagers.
Italian pale lager, 5.1% ABV, Birra Peroni, Rome/Bari
Read the Full Review →Check Saucey →Menabrea Ambrata
From Birra Menabrea, founded in 1846 in Biella and recognized as the longest continuously active brewery in Italy. Full-bodied and malt-forward for its ABV.
Vienna-style amber lager, 5.0% ABV, Birra Menabrea, Biella
Read the Full Review →Check Saucey →Birra Moretti La Rossa
The dark, double malt sibling to the standard Moretti lager, in the Munich dunkel/doppelbock family. Caramel and roasted malt depth make it a much bigger beer, built to sip rather than session.
Double malt dark lager, 7.2% ABV, Birra Moretti
Read the Full Review →Check Saucey →More Italian Beers Worth Trying
Two more names come up constantly if you spend any time drinking in Italy, even though neither is currently stocked on Saucey for US delivery.
Ichnusa
Sardinia’s own lager, brewed in Assemini since 1912 and now owned by Heineken. At 4.7% ABV it is the beach beer of the island, the one you get at nearly every chiringuito-style beach kiosk from Cagliari to the Costa Smeralda. Lighter and slightly sweeter than Moretti, built for hot weather over complexity.
Poretti 3 Luppoli
From Birrificio Angelo Poretti, founded in 1877 in Valganna near Varese in Lombardy, one of Italy’s oldest breweries. The 3 Luppoli (three hops) is a 4.8% ABV pale lager with a breadier malt character than the southern Italian pale lagers, closer in style to a German helles.
FAQs
What is the best-selling beer in Italy?
Peroni and Birra Moretti are Italy’s two most recognized lager brands both domestically and internationally.
Are Italian beers usually lagers?
Yes, the mainstream Italian beer market is dominated by pale lagers, though craft breweries have grown significantly in the last two decades, and Moretti also brews the much stronger La Rossa dark lager.
What food pairs with Italian lager?
Crisp Italian lagers like Peroni and Birra Moretti are classic pizza and pasta pairings; a fuller amber or dark lager like Menabrea or Moretti La Rossa suits cured meats and richer dishes.
