Nastro Azzurro

Tasting Notes

Nastro Azzurro pours with a light, grainy malt character up front, with faint floral and grassy hop notes in the background. The flavor is clean and neutral, leaning on soft corn-like sweetness with minimal bitterness. The body is light and the carbonation is fairly lively. The finish is short and dry, leaving little aftertaste, which is very much the point for this style of adjunct-influenced European lager.

About the Brewery

Birra Peroni was founded in 1846 in Vigevano, Italy, and is one of the country's oldest and most recognized brewing operations. The brewery is headquartered in Rome and is best known internationally for Nastro Azzurro, which became a flagship export brand. Peroni has been owned by Asahi since 2016, following a prior stint under SABMiller. Their portfolio is centered on accessible, mainstream lagers rather than specialty or craft offerings.

Food Pairings

This beer pairs well with a margherita pizza because the clean, neutral malt doesn't compete with the tomato and fresh mozzarella. Fried seafood — calamari especially — works because the dry finish cuts through oil without clashing with delicate brine. A plate of cured meats and mild cheeses finds a natural companion here, as the beer's low bitterness lets the salt and fat lead. Pasta with a light cream sauce also fits, where a more assertive beer would overwhelm the dish.

Style Guide

European pale lager is defined by its clean fermentation profile, light body, and restrained bitterness, typically falling between 4.5% and 5.5% ABV. The style originated in central Europe in the mid-19th century, with the Pilsner tradition out of Bohemia as its root, though Italian lagers like this one tend to be softer and less hop-forward than their Czech or German cousins. What separates this style from an American adjunct lager is a marginally more pronounced malt character and a slightly drier European hop presence, though the differences are subtle in commercial examples.