Earlier this year, I held a presentation on Beer in Sardinia as part of our June online meeting at LAB. In preparation for this, I put together a master doc which was subsequently distilled down for time. As there isn’t much information on this topic in English, I’ve decided to repurpose this material as a post. I have named this as a first volume as I would think I’m likely to return to this topic over time.
Let me begin with the following statement:
Sardinia is the largest beer consuming region in Italy
I’ve heard this many times over the years in Sardinia, mainland Italy, and I think even in an episode of Stanley Tucci’s series on Italy.
But whilst researching this topic I’ve not observed any data that supports this claim in the way of consumption.
Instead, you’ll see Sardinia by region as one of the lowest in terms of individuals consuming beer, but as the second highest in terms of an increasing interest in beer. So if Sardinia is not a leader in terms of production or consumption, then what can we learn from it?
Typically we may not think of Italy as having a rich beer heritage, producing a handful of very similar macro brands. However, in Italy there are a large number of regional brands, such as Sardinia’s Birra Ichnusa, that leverage their locality as the core of their identity, much more like we would see with traditional brands in the UK or Belgium.
After visiting the region many times over the past 8 years I’ve seen a developing local beer scene. Whilst there is an obvious influence from the mainland and beyond, I feel the eclectic brewers and consumers have assembled something that is both unique and refreshing.
And lastly, I want to discuss the sense of place these beers have, the spaces they belong to and authenticity of beer in regions with a shorter brewing heritage.
Birra Ichnusa & Italian domestic brands
As much as I’d like to avoid talking about international pale lager, it is very necessary to paint the picture of beer in Sardinia.
In the UK we have a pretty good awareness of a number of Italian beer brands such Moretti and Peroni, and Poretti. Which you’ll find are often owned by huge international companies, in this instance Asahi, Heineken, Carlsberg respectively. On an international level these companies have a history of homogenising their identity resulting in a number interchangeable Italian beers in order to remain competitive.
However, on a domestic level there is a deeper history of beer brands leaning into the hyperlocalism of their products. In doing so they use their geography, culture, and history as points of difference. Furthermore, their heavier emphasis on quality and authenticity positions these brands much more in the way we might expect to see in a more artisanal product.
Messina and Raffo are two such famous examples of this. Where Sicilia’s Messina (owned by Heineken) incorporates Sicilian sea salt in Cristalli di Sale. Puglia’s Birra Raffo (owned by Asahi), proudly uses barley grown in the region. Both heavily reference their home regions with their branding to reflect how each of these regions perceive themselves.
Sardinia’s Birra Ichnusa (also Heineken owned) is another great example of this, with an image so intertwined with the region it could be juxtaposed with Guinness to Ireland. Ichnusa can be described as a pale, moderately bitter lager of 4.7%, but to Sardinia to it is the very notion of beer itself.
The story of Ichnusa mirrors that of many European breweries of the past century, you have the savior/entrepreneur character, war time disruption, post-war rise of pale pils, and a multinational acquisition.
In 1912, Antonio Birocchi and Aristide Giorgetti founded the brewery, naming it after the ancient Greek name for the island. Within the first year they run into financial difficulties, but fortunately a local entrepreneur named Amsicora Capra intervenes seeing the brewery’s potential.
Capra had previously been focused on the local wine sector as well as the export of wines and spirits from the island. He had a feeling that the beer trade would be synergic and not antagonistic with wine, but he also knew it would be necessary to expand the offering of alcohol in light of the explosion of phylloxera, which was particularly devastating to many Sardinian vineyards.
It is worth noting that Ichnusa predates both Messina (1923) and Raffo (1919), and as far as I’m aware is the oldest commercial brewery the island has had.
In 1915, Ichnusa would be incorporated into Capra’s company Vinalcool and is somewhat run autonomously, but by 1940 it became fully absorbed. Production at the brewery becomes hindered by the outbreak of WWII, so much so that the brewery is briefly used as an air raid shelter. After WWII production finally resumed with an increased demand in both Sardinia and in mainland Italy.
I haven’t seen any evidence for this, but I can’t help but imagine, like with many European breweries, US occupation and influence left a taste for pale pils. Furthermore, I am unsure how and if the beer itself changed in this time, but it wasn’t your typical pale lager before it would have been after this point.
In 1967 Birra Ichnusa moved into a new site in Assemini, this was apparently the first in Italy to integrate vertical conical FVs. Heineken would later acquire Birra Ichnusa in 1986. In doing so they gained the brand and the Assemini brewery which would now produce other Heineken owned beers too. Despite this ownership, Ichnusa is still only produced at the Assemini site.
Over the next thirty years Heineken would apply an emphasis of local identity to the Ichnusa brand, shaping their image as the ‘soul of Sardinia’ and incorporating the island’s Quattro Mori flag into their design.
In 2012 Ichnusa launched Ichnusa Cruda to celebrate their centennial, this is the first step in an expansion of the Ichnusa range that we see over the next decade. They emphasise that Cruda (raw) is unpasteurized, extra filtered and contains corn, but I’ve found it bland and dry. I think it might have been intended to be a premium version with an ABV of 4.9%, but I don’t know anyone who drinks it and I rarely see it outside the supermarkets.
Continuing to diversify their portfolio, in 2014 we see the launch of Ichnusa Limone.
I only recently tried this at the airport, and at 1.3% this is a very easy going radler. I’ve not seen much of an appetite for alcohol free beer in Sardinia, but what is quite popular are smaller 200ml bottles of beers like Ichnusa, Corona, and Nastro Azzurro. I suspect Ichnusa Limone falls into a similar gap, suitable for when you are driving.
Non-Filtrata is then brought to market in 2017. Personally this is my favourite of their range and probably their biggest success story. I think this achieves better what I expect they had tried to do with Cruda, celebrating a more rustic image but also feeling more ‘premium’ at 5%. They often emphasise it is made from pure barley as both Hoegaarden and Franziskaner are quite popular there too. Following this success, in 2019 Heineken initiated plans to increase production by 54% at the Assemini brewery
The roll out of new products cooled for a bit, but in 2023 Ichnusa launched Ambra Limpida.
This clear amber lager is their latest product also with a 5% ABV, and as well as being their darkest beer it’s the only one to use rice. I have yet to see this on the mainland, but I’m sure it is available.
The future looks pretty good for Ichnusa. Since I’ve been aware of the brand, it has grown its presence in mainland Italy, I think partly due to the introduction of Non-Filtrata which is available just as often as the regular version. There has also been something of a soft expansion into the UK with it being available in many restaurants, namely Pizza Pilgrims and Rudi’s.
In Heineken’s latest annual report they refer to Ichnusa as a ‘next-generation brand’, so there might be a further roll out into places where you wouldn’t now expect to see their other Italian brand, Birra Moretti.
Birra artigianale di Sardegna
Whilst you will still come across ‘craft beer’ in Italy, you’ll more likely see birra artigianale (artisanal beer) used in its place. The application of which is more broad but generally will refer to beers made in a region and for that region. With birra artigianale, I have typically seen a focus on producing a varied range of beers rather than specialising in a single particular style. Previously I saw a more traditional approach to using colour rather than style to describe beers, but this seems to be slowly phased out in favour of style names as they become more familiar.
In a number of books I’ve read on Italian beer they usually point to around 20 birrifici artigianali in Sardinia, however I expect there to be now a good number more than this. As you would expect these range in size and produce many different types of beer but almost entirely for the regional market. Generally the number of breweries has grown but I’ve found it quite hard to keep track of them all as their availability and distribution within the area I visit can change irrespective of their size. I’ve put together the following list of breweries that I am aware of that are actively producing beer, but this is by no means a comprehensive list:
North:
Trulla
Seddaiu
Sorres
Nora
Masko
Tredicizerouno
South:
Nuragica
Gattarancio
Tortoli
Whilst you’ll see the north has a slightly higher concentration of breweries, this is likely because I am more familiar with this region where I am usually based. This could reflect a preference with artisanal products to be from closer to home. Much like with wine and cheese, there is a great pride to be taken by bars, and restaurants selling something as local as possible. There is also a more independent approach to managing bars and specialist shops. so there is likely both a greater selective freedom and pressure to have something different and local.
I don’t believe there is one single unifying quality or style that you’ll find across these breweries. Rather, they are all very individualistic and try to make wildly different beers to each other. I think they share many smaller nuances that, similarly to the hyper localization of Italian macro brands, reflects the local culture itself. To expand on this I’ll be taking a further look at beers from 4 breweries to show the diversity and scale being produced but they are also all brewing beers to a high standard.
Trulla
Located in Nuoro in the central north of Sardinia, Trulla is a brewpub that I frequent. They have a core range of an ESB, a porter, an APA, and an IPA. Trulla’s ESB is a personal favourite, it has all the malt character you’d expect from the style but is somewhat reserved and clean in its yeast character, nonetheless it is very pintable and pairs lovely with their grilled meat menu. Their porter is equally lovable, on my most recent visit they had it pouring from a hand pump. Outside of their taproom I’ve only seen Trulla’s beers at local events and in one pizzeria.
Marduk
Marduk is a well established brewery from Irgoli on the north east of the island. Their core range includes easily recognisable modern styles such as pilsner, pale ale and IPA, they also always have a black IPA and altbier available too. Additionally as a flagship, they have a fruit pale ale that uses pompia, a regional citrus that is often used to flavour desserts and liquor. Marduk also produces seasonally an extra-dry pilsner for the summer and a fresh hop harvest ale in the autumn. I’ve found Marduk to be one of the better distributed breweries from the north, you can find their beer in a great deal of bars and restaurants.
Rubiu
Sat on the south west coast, Rubiu produces an array of top-fermented beers including an American porter, Belgian golden strong ale and dark strong ale. However, you’ll find that they’ve built their range more around colour and clarity rather than traditional styles. What I find particularly interesting is that this has led to half their core beers being considered amber, brown, and dark, which is really refreshing to see.
Nanumoru
Probably one of the smaller and lesser known breweries from the south but I think they are making particularly interesting beers. A lot like the other breweries we’ve looked at, they are making an array of styles some of which you might expect such as a WCIPA and a witbier but also a Russian imperial stout and a weizenbock. Nanumoru’s beers have been harder to find, I’ve only seen them in a few restaurants and at beer festivals. I think Nanumoru along with Mezzavia are producing the best examples of IPA locally.
The biggest trend I’ve been able to see is in the diverse range of beers Sardinian breweries produce and a lack of specialisation. Whilst there might be a taste for malt-forward beers, there certainly isn’t one particular style or even an approach that is common. Instead I like to think about how they could complement food and how they contrast with macro lager as a key element to their significance. Interestingly, whilst some breweries will include a lager in their core range, few have attempted to replicate or challenge Ichnusa Non-Filtrata with an unfiltered version, with the exception of Isola and 4 Mori.
Place, space & authenticity
Similarly to Ichnusa, many of the regional birrifici artigianali embrace their locality as a part of their brand identity.
This ranges from the subtle:
Rubiu uses the flamingo as their logo who nest in the island’s coastal waters.
To the more obvious:
Marduk’s design heavily referencing the island’s bronze age nuragic culture.
And the more expert:
Nanumoru is named after a mischievous spirit of local folklore.
Infact, I can’t find any example that doesn’t incorporate the local language, imagery, history or culture into their branding. This is particularly clever as, whilst human inhibition stretches back to Paleolithic, brewing is new to the region and this marrying of beer with the regional has developed something authentic but without having a long heritage.
An advantage birrifici artigianali generally has over craft beer elsewhere is the close proximity it shares with food. For instance, a brewery taproom can be as much a restaurant as it is a bar. As each region in Italy will famously pride itself on the uniqueness of its cuisine, you can expect this to be reflected in a taproom too. Here you’ll even find pairing suggestions on the menu with beer somewhat acting in place of wine.
Here are two examples I’ve had in Nuoro recently. At Zemyna’s bar you’ll find a simple but delicious selection of local cured meats and antipasti served with pane carasau and pane lentu. Meanwhile, in Trulla’s taproom has a similar range of cured meats, antipasti and bread but also a wider menu comprising grilled meats and vegetables.
Local cured meats and antipasti might be typical in most Italian taprooms, but pane carasau and pane lentu are very regional breads that you would unlikely see outside of Sardinia. Additionally, at Trulla the range of meats often incorporates mutton, goat and horse which are also very traditional in regional cooking. Whilst the styles of beers being served may be modern and not indigenous, the way they are so well presented and paired with traditional food will make you think otherwise.
I think another space in Sardinia where beer has a real sense of identity is the beach. As you would expect most beach bars are dominated by Ichnusa, but I’ve started to see Marduk and Zemyna gain representation in beach bars on the north east coast. I think this is particularly significant as often at the beach what we drink feels overlooked in favour of the location. But now the opportunity to drink locally is an increasingly enticing proposition to tourists too.
Overall, I think that Ichnusa and the birra artigianale of Sardinia are equally authentic and worthy of merit. Neither makes a pretence that brewing history has been shaped by the island, but rather a love for beer has been embraced and is used as an expression of Sardinia’s identity.
As you would have likely heard, Molson Coors needed a new competitive product for the UK market to rival Peroni and Moretti. But rather than acquire a regional brand and then launch it intentionally like Heineken has found great success in. Molson Coors instead fabricated an entire regional image, largely bypassing any real ties to Spain. Obviously this has been commercially successful and convincing to consumers. But as Peroni and Moretti are brewed in the UK, what does it matter that Madri isn’t even from Spain, does authenticity really matter at a macro level?
I think it has become harder to draw the line for consumers of where a brand ceases being authentic rather than where the product does. Of course we can say Peroni and Moretti are somewhat more authentic brands due to where they originated. But the product itself is largely not uniquely Italian anymore. So if Heineken moved production of Ichnusa away from Sardinia, would it lose the authenticity it has developed?
A similar thing happened to Heineken already with Birra Messina, after they acquired the company, production moved away from Sicily and eventually closed the plant. The plant was then bought by its previous owners, saving jobs for a short while until it finally closed. However, this would not be the end, as a cooperative of local employees returned to beer production starting the Birrificio Messina Cooperative. They ultimately developed the beer Cristalli di Sale and formed a partnership with Heineken to bring Messina back to its homeland.
This sort of fierce commitment from the community to rescue Messina is what we could expect if Ichnusa were to move. Understandably there could be commercial gains to be made on international scale, but to damage its case for authenticity would create a regional void only to be filled by either a macro-competitor, birra artigianale or a fusion of both. In conclusion, I think both the regional and independent brands will have to continue to affirm their authentic locality in their products to not only compete with each other but also keep an edge on any faux-authentic brands that enter their space.
Babette’s Yeast 
Leave a comment