Italy: AB InBev purchases Italian craft brewery Birra del Borgo

Italian craft brewery Birra del Borgo announced on April 22 that it has decided to partner with Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev). The partnership will give Birra del Borgo, one of the leading craft brewers in Italy, a unique opportunity to make the necessary investments for expansion while continuing to independently manage its business and define how to grow.

Founder Leonardo Di Vincenzo will continue to lead Birra Del Borgo as CEO of the company, the company said.

Birra Del Borgo was founded by Leonardo Di Vincenzo in Borgorose, a small town in the province of Rieti on the border between Lazio and Abruzzo, in 2005. Leonardo started brewing beer at home for enjoyment while at University studying biochemistry. He traveled frequently throughout Europe to explore the traditional beer styles; getting to know the German and Belgium master brewers was crucial to his education. One of Leonardo’s most formative experiences was brewing at the Starbess brewery in Rome, which later led to his conception of Birra del Borgo. Leonardo’s initial inspiration comes from English and Belgian beers, but he then reinvented the styles to root them in the Italian gastronomy culture.

The brewery currently produces ten beers year round. Other Birra del Borgo products include 4 seasonals inspired by local ingredients and several unique beers brewed with original techniques, under the “Bizzarre” family.

Simon Wuestenberg, Country Director for AB InBev Italia, said: “We have been very impressed by what Leonardo and his team have built since 2005. They have been at the forefront of redefining beer in Italy, bringing a unique mix of inspired innovation, quality and consistency. Leonardo’s vision for beer and his passion for brewing will be great inspirations to our whole team, and we’re very excited about partnering up and growing together. As a challenger on the Italian market, we have been successfully developing our business with a great portfolio of premium and specialty brands in the last few years. Today, that portfolio becomes even stronger with some of the best of “Made in Italy”.”

Through this transaction, Birra del Borgo will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of AB InBev.

Terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.

22 April, 2016