Italy: Craft beer sector booming in Italy with 1,000 craft beer establishments registered at the end of last year

Craft beer consumption in Italy has tripled since 2012, reaching 17.5 million hectolitres in 2014, according to figures published by the Brewers Union (Unionbirrai).

This equals to a per capita consumption of 30 litres per year, compared with a European average of 80 litres. Overall, consumption of craft beers in Italy is now equal to 3 per cent of total beer consumption.

At the end of 2015, there were 1,000 craft beer establishments, including microbreweries, beer firms and brewpubs, compared to 872 in 2014.

Microbreweries (540 are currently registered, of which 494 fully active) are direct production plants, while beer firms (260) are structures that do not have their own factories, but that produce craft beer at third-party plants.

New technologies are also giving a boost to the sector, with business incubator Digital Magics launching WeBeers, an e-commerce platform that enables fans to buy their favourite beers with discounts and 48-hour delivery.

In addition, the service offers tips and advice on how to enjoy the beers proposed on the portal, as well as news from the Italian brewers.

However, high taxes remain the main challenge for the sector. According to the union, from January 2003 to January 2015, excise taxes grew by 117 per cent, one of the highest increases in Europe.

In addition, VAT increased from 20 to 22 per cent. These factors led to slightly lower consumption in 2015, although things were better in the second half of the year, when the heat of the summer months drove up consumption by 6.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2014.

02 March, 2016