In 1846, Giuseppe Menabrea travelled to the town of Biella, in the foothills of the Italian Alps. There he discovered the perfect place to build his brewery.

For over 170 years the family have brewed their remarkable birre using their own recipe and only five simple ingredients: water, barley, hops, yeast and brewer’s maize.

Placed at the crossroads of Europe at the foot of the Alps, they source the finest ingredients available. The barley comes from Vitry-le-François in the heart of Champagne country, recognised as the premier barley producing region of France.

The hops come from Hallertau, Bavaria. Gently aromatic, but harder to grow than other varieties, they truly deserve their designation as ‘noble hops’.

The water flows naturally from pure Alpine glaciers straight to the brewery. Once sourced, the 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 subterranean caves, two storeys underground, in a unique maturation process known as ‘lagering’. This ensures all their 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.

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.

Italy’s only genuinely premium beer is now available on draught and in bottle in the UK.