Italian lager finds its niche
By Andrew Sangster
Despite the recent fuss about London being the "coolest" city on the planet, I would still rate the Italians as the world's most stylish and fashionable people.
Italy produces many great food and drink products, but one that is rarely associated with the country is beer. And yet the hip young things in Milan and Rome are shunning their native wines for beers, mostly from northern Europe.
It would be unfair to say the Italians have no brewing tradition, but even the most chauvinistic Italian would be hard pressed to argue they have the world's greatest range of beer styles.
Like other wine-producing nations, many Italians regard beer as a commodity product. Ask for a beer and it is assumed you want a bland, fizzy lager.
The most widespread Italian brand in the UK is known as Peroni. The name, however, refers to the brewer. The bottled beer, sold in the likes of Pizza Express, is actually called Nastro Azzuro. For me, there is little of appeal in this brew.
Slightly better on the taste front is Moretti, which is distributed by Whitbread and can be found in Pizza Huts. This is still a basic lager but it has just enough hops to make it mildly diverting. It has the characteristics of Italian lagers: a light colour, fizziness, and a slightly sweet aftertaste.
While these are the big boys of Italian lager in the UK, there is anew kid on the block. Poretti was launched this summer and is available through Carlsberg-Tetley, although initially just in the South-east.
Poretti is both the brewer and the name of the brand. It was launched in Italy on draught earlier this year but has been bottled exclusively for the UK market.
Poretti is best known in Italy for its brand Splügen Fumé. Sadly, the distinctiveness of these reddish-brown beers is not apparent in Poretti lager, but it will give Moretti a run for its money in the taste stakes.
Jim Winship, director of the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association, claims: "Everything Italian is in vogue at the moment." This has led restaurateurs offering Italian-style food to make sure all their products have the right note, including beer. Winship says that Italian eateries in the UK are now much more Italian than they were 10 years ago.
Carlsberg-Tetley's Clive Hunt agrees that demand has been fuelled by the popularity of Italian food. "The number of consumers eating out, especially in Italian eateries, has soared - and the Italian beer market has benefited from this," he says.
But he is not confining his hopes for this brand simply to the Italian restaurant market. "There are still niches that need to be filled," he argues. According to Carlsberg-Tetley, Italian beers have been growing rapidly, albeit from a low base. Year-on-year growth is something like 30%, says Hunt, and Italian beers now account for about 1.5% of the premium packaged lager market.
l Beer of the month: Poretti, 5% ABV. Available in cases of 24 x 330ml bottles at about £18. Tel: 0345 820820.
