It's said that the first Italian beer was created in pre-Roman times. Well, whoever first got the barrel rolling; it was the Menabrea family who endeavoured to perfect the craft.

In 1846, Giuseppe Menabrea travelled to the town of Biella, in the foothills of the Italian Alps. The incredibly pure water and cold fresh air of the region made it the perfect location to build a brewery.

Should you visit Biella today, you'll still find Menabrea brewing their award-winning beer on the same site, made in the same way, by the same family, with the same ingredients, passion and care.

So if true mastery of one's craft can take a lifetime to acquire, Franco, head of the family-owned brewery, benefits from five generations worth of experience.

Menabrea is the oldest continuously producing brewery in Italy. For over 170 years the family have brewed their remarkable birre using their own recipe and only five simple ingredients: water, barley, hops, yeast & brewer's maize.

Placed at the crossroads of Europe at the foot of the Alps, we source the finest ingredients available.

Our water flows naturally from pure Alpine glaciers straight to our brewery. Once sourced, our ingredients are meticulously brewed using a combination of traditional craftsmanship and innovative modern day techniques under the supervision of Menabrea's master brewer.

The resulting birra is then gently aged for at least 30 days in a unique maturation process, known as 'lagering'. This ensures all our birra acquires its signature taste - complex, malty and hoppy with citrus undertones.

Then, and only then, can it be considered of adequate quality to become Menabrea.