Beers: the best in Italy in the Slow Food 2022 Guide

Increase the quality level of Italian beers. 38 those awarded with the Snail. Lombardy in the lead among the regions. The presentation in Rome on June 3 with a great tasting

How many are there in Italy excellent and slow beers for the quality? Guida alle Birre d'Italia 2023 tells us that after an extensive analysis of the brewing world of the boot it has identified some this year 38 rewarding them with the Snail which also represents a recognition of the constancy of the various producers, for the role played in the sector, for the identity values and for the attention to the territory and the environment. For the record the regions that have accumulated the maximum number of snails are in order Lombardy, Veneto and Marche. Furthermore, among snails – new this year – they have been attributed to as many cider producers.

In addition to the Snail, the Guide to the Beers of Italy 2022 attributes the symbol of excellence for companies that express a high average quality across their entire production. There have been some this year identified 87 throughout Italy, including 80 breweries and 7 cider producers.

The taste denominations of the different beers

In addition to offering a capillary snapshot of the Italian brewing world of excellence, the Guide to the Beers of Italy 2023 aims to reach an ever wider audience that involves not only industry experts, but also enthusiasts and the curious who take their first steps in the recognize a quality beer. In fact, to complete the story of each beer, simple and immediate descriptors have been introduced, to make tasting easier and more understandable: we therefore read of a beer sweet, easy to drink and malty, or bitter, complex, dry, fruity, spicy, herbaceous, floral, toasty or hoppy. A new method that allows beer to be read and consequently appreciated in an open language, not reserved for insiders. The places where you can buy and drink beer are told in a more extensive way, with a list of symbols that not only describe the gastronomic proposal, but also denote its excellence. Pizzas, cured meats and cheeses, snacks, excellent hot and cold dishes are therefore highlighted, but there is also an indication for those addresses that stand out in an all-encompassing way for the selection and service of beers, as well as for the hospitality.

On 3 and 4 June in Rome the presentation and tasting of 80 award-winning breweries

La official presentation of the Guide written by 90 collaborators led by the curators Luca Giaccone and Eugenio Signoroni (already available in all bookstores, on the Slow Food Editore online store) will take place 3 and 4 June in Rome in the City of the Other Economy – Ex Slaughterhouse of Testaccio with a big one tasting of beers from over 80 producers awarded by the Guide

Noteworthy this year the increase of reviewed breweries, which increased from 387 in the last edition to 456, as well as of the beers, which from 1917 become 2346, a sign of an interesting vitality of the sector. For the first time, the Guide also dedicates a section to cider producers and ciders, confirming that both the market and the culture and attention dedicated to fermented apples in Italy is growing rapidly, to the point of being able to count on high quality products and consolidated production traditions. With a strong presence in Trentino, Alto Adige Südtirol, Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont, among the 34 producers reviewed there is no shortage of excellent representatives from Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, but also Puglia and Tuscany.