AB-InBev buys prestigious craft brewer Birra del Borgo

So now it’s Italy. Having almost “rolled up” the U.S. craft beer industry, AB-InBev has turned its attention to Italy, where it clinched a deal with Birra del Borgo, one of the most well-known craft breweries in Italy. The transaction was confirmed by AB-InBev on 22 April 2016. No financial details were disclosed.

Birra del Borgo, located in Borgorose, 100 km to the east of Rome, was founded in 2005 by Dr Leonardo di Vincenzo, 39, a biochemist by training. Together with Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head) and Teo Musso (Birra Baladin), he forms a trio called the Birreria Brothers, who act as advisors to the Eataly chain of gourmet foods and restaurants with 26 outlets around the world, including one in Chicago and one in New York City.

For several years now craft beer has enjoyed quite some interest in the Italian beer market, dominated by international brewers like Heineken, SABMiller (soon to be Asahi), AB-InBev and Carlsberg, with the number of craft breweries shooting up to about 600.

Incidentally, Birra del Borgo’s sale made a few waves among Italian beer lovers, unlike the sale of SABMiller-owned Peroni to Asahi, which had been completed two weeks previously.

Birra del Borgo is among the larger Italian craft beer players, producing about 10,000 hl beer annually. Thanks to AB-InBev’s investment, production is to increase to 50,000 hl beer by 2020. Mr di Vincenzo is to remain with the company he founded.