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
Peroni Gran RiservaBest Overall#318 worldwide
Birra Peroni · Strong Lager · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
Theresianer Premium Lager#373 worldwide
Theresianer Antica Birreria di Trieste · Lager · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
Birra Moretti Doppio Malto#383 worldwide
Birra Moretti · Euro Strong Lager · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
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Peroni Nastro Azzurro#410 worldwide
Birra Peroni · Lager · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
5
Theresianer Premium Pils#416 worldwide
Theresianer Antica Birreria di Trieste · Pilsner · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
Ranks 6–10
6
Theresianer Vienna#471 worldwide
Theresianer Antica Birreria di Trieste · Vienna Lager · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
7
Moretti L'Autentica#518 worldwide
Birra Moretti · Lager · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
8
Forst Kronen#640 worldwide
Birra Forst · Czech Pilsner · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
9
Moretti Baffo d'Oro#720 worldwide
Birra Moretti · Lager · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
10
Forst Premium#824 worldwide
Birra Forst · Lager · Italy
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… Ranked here for style-fit against the Lager reference and award history in Lager-specific categories.
11
Birra Perugia Chiara
Fabbrica della Birra Perugia·Italian Pilsner · 5%·Noticeably bitter·pale gold 4·#989 worldwide
14
Birra Messina Classica
Birrificio Messina·European Pale Lager · 4.7%·Lightly bitter·pale gold 2
16
Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale
Birrificio Messina·European Pale Lager · 5%·Lightly bitter·pale gold 2
The taste landscape
Of the 29 top beers, 20 lean malt-forward and 6 lean hop-forward.