HOPIQ SCORE
The Best Italian Lagers
29 beers from 17 breweries · Ranked by style authenticity — not marketing
These rankings are dynamic. As more people rate, match and like beers on hopIQ, community signals will increasingly shape the results alongside style authenticity and award recognition.
Italy's craft beer revolution began with lager, not IPA. When Agostino Arioli opened Birrificio Italiano in 1996, his flagship Tipopils — a bright, aggressively hopped Pilsner — became one of the most influential single beers in European craft brewing. Two decades later Tipopils remains a cult reference for what a modern Italian craft Pilsner should taste like: firmer bitterness than a German Pils, more assertive aroma, brewed with a level of technical care that made "Italian Pils" a recognised subcategory in the international beer world.
The hopIQ ranking places Tipopils alongside the mainstream: Peroni, Moretti, Nastro Azzurro — pale industrial lagers designed for the aperitivo table. It also surfaces the second and third wave of Italian craft brewers — Baladin, Toccalmatto, Del Ducato — who have expanded the country's lager range into Helles, Vienna Lager, and Bock territory. Italy is not a traditional lager country; that lack of tradition is arguably why the craft scene here felt free to reinvent the style.
How this ranking works
The hopIQ Score weights style authenticity (80%), user engagement (10%), notability (10%), and award history. Active, in-production beers only — non-alcoholic excluded. No paid placement — order follows the data alone. Ranking spans 29 beers from 17 breweries.
Top 5 of 29
Theresianer Premium PilsBest Overall#327 worldwide
ABV
5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Colour
pale gold 3
A Bohemian-style Pilsner from the brewery that evokes Trieste's historic crossroads of Italian and Central European culture. Pale straw gold with a persistent white head; spicy Saaz hop aroma, clean barley malt base and a firm, dry bitter…A Bohemian-style Pilsner from the brewery that evokes Trieste's historic crossroads of Italian and Central European culture. Pale straw gold with a persistent white head; spicy Saaz hop aroma, clean barley malt base and a firm, dry bitter finish. Slow Brewing certified and a multiple international medallist — proof that a Triestine pilsner can rival the Czech and German originals.
Peroni Gran RiservaMost Distinctive#389 worldwide
ABV
6.6%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
pale gold 4
Peroni's premium strong lager — Gran Riserva is a step up from the flagship Nastro Azzurro in strength and body. Brewed with high-quality Saaz hops and lagered for longer, Gran Riserva has a fuller malt character, gentle warming finish and…Peroni's premium strong lager — Gran Riserva is a step up from the flagship Nastro Azzurro in strength and body. Brewed with high-quality Saaz hops and lagered for longer, Gran Riserva has a fuller malt character, gentle warming finish and a more complex flavour profile than the standard. The Gran Riserva is Peroni's answer to the premium lager category: still crisp but with more presence at 6.6%.
Theresianer Premium Lager#462 worldwide
ABV
4.8%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
pale gold 2
The flagship lager from the brewery that carries Trieste's Hapsburg brewing heritage — clean, light golden and effortlessly refreshing. Brewed to the Slow Brewing standard with quality imported hops and slow cold conditioning for a…The flagship lager from the brewery that carries Trieste's Hapsburg brewing heritage — clean, light golden and effortlessly refreshing. Brewed to the Slow Brewing standard with quality imported hops and slow cold conditioning for a polished, dry finish. Theresianer Premium Lager is distributed across Italy and exported to over 40 countries as the country's benchmark for premium lager.
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Birra Moretti Doppio Malto#476 worldwide
ABV
7.2%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
golden 5
Birra Moretti's premium strong lager, built around a double malt bill that delivers rich caramel sweetness and a noticeably full body. Deep golden amber with a thick, creamy head; the nose is biscuity and warming, with bready malt and…Birra Moretti's premium strong lager, built around a double malt bill that delivers rich caramel sweetness and a noticeably full body. Deep golden amber with a thick, creamy head; the nose is biscuity and warming, with bready malt and faint toffee. Smooth on the palate with balanced bitterness and a clean, warming finish — proof that Italian industrial brewing can produce a genuinely satisfying strong lager.
5
Peroni Nastro Azzurro#510 worldwide
ABV
5.1%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
pale gold 4
Italy's most internationally recognised beer — the 'Blue Ribbon' lager that became the global face of Italian style. Brewed with Saaz and Hallertau hops and Italian maize for a distinctly clean, crisp and refreshing character. Light golden…Italy's most internationally recognised beer — the 'Blue Ribbon' lager that became the global face of Italian style. Brewed with Saaz and Hallertau hops and Italian maize for a distinctly clean, crisp and refreshing character. Light golden and ultra-clear with a mild bitterness and a dry, elegant finish. Nastro Azzurro is as much a lifestyle brand as a beer: Italian minimalism in a glass.
Ranks 6–10
6
Theresianer Vienna#583 worldwide
A Vienna Lager from the city that was once the empire's most important Adriatic port — Theresianer's Vienna is a natural expression of Trieste's deep cultural ties with Austria. Amber-copper with a toasty, bready malt character, gentle…A Vienna Lager from the city that was once the empire's most important Adriatic port — Theresianer's Vienna is a natural expression of Trieste's deep cultural ties with Austria. Amber-copper with a toasty, bready malt character, gentle caramel sweetness and a clean, balanced finish at 5.3%. One of Italy's finest amber lagers, drawing on the same noble tradition as the great Viennese originals the Theresianer name recalls.
7
Moretti L'Autentica#641 worldwide
Birra Moretti's flagship lager — 'L'Autentica' ('The Authentic') is the standard Moretti pale lager: clean, light golden and refreshingly crisp with a gentle bitterness and mild grain sweetness. The mustachioed man on the label has been…Birra Moretti's flagship lager — 'L'Autentica' ('The Authentic') is the standard Moretti pale lager: clean, light golden and refreshingly crisp with a gentle bitterness and mild grain sweetness. The mustachioed man on the label has been the face of Italian beer in pubs across the UK and North America for decades. Moretti L'Autentica is Italy's approachable everyday lager.
8
Forst Kronen#806 worldwide
Birra Forst's Czech-influenced pilsner — 'Kronen' ('Crown') is a crisp, Saaz-hopped pilsner from the South Tyrolean Alpine brewery. Brewed to the Czech tradition with Bohemian-style hops and a clean, dry finish at 4.7%. Forst Kronen is the…Birra Forst's Czech-influenced pilsner — 'Kronen' ('Crown') is a crisp, Saaz-hopped pilsner from the South Tyrolean Alpine brewery. Brewed to the Czech tradition with Bohemian-style hops and a clean, dry finish at 4.7%. Forst Kronen is the lighter, more sessionable alternative to the Premium in the Forst range: precise, refreshing and very drinkable.
9
Moretti Baffo d'Oro#909 worldwide
Moretti's premium stronger lager — 'Baffo d'Oro' translates as 'Golden Moustache', a direct reference to the iconic Moretti mascot. A step above L'Autentica at 6.7% ABV with a slightly fuller malt character and a warming finish. Baffo…Moretti's premium stronger lager — 'Baffo d'Oro' translates as 'Golden Moustache', a direct reference to the iconic Moretti mascot. A step above L'Autentica at 6.7% ABV with a slightly fuller malt character and a warming finish. Baffo d'Oro is positioned as the premium occasion lager within the Moretti range: when the standard pint isn't quite strong enough.
10
Forst Premium
Birra Forst's flagship lager — brewed with Alpine spring water from the Adige valley and German hops in the South Tyrolean tradition. Clean, crisp and refreshing with a gentle malt character and a balanced, dry finish. Forst Premium…Birra Forst's flagship lager — brewed with Alpine spring water from the Adige valley and German hops in the South Tyrolean tradition. Clean, crisp and refreshing with a gentle malt character and a balanced, dry finish. Forst Premium reflects the brewery's Alpine heritage: a lager that sits between the Italian crisp style and the German full-bodied tradition. The most recognisable Forst beer in northern Italy.
The taste landscape
Of the 29 top beers, 20 lean malt-forward and 6 lean hop-forward.