The day is not known, but the official year is: 1912. When the Titanic sank and the Chinese Republic was proclaimed in Nanjing, in Sardinia people began to talk about beer; but above all to do it, with the birth of the first production plant in Cagliari, with an evocative name: Ichnusa (i.e. “footprint”, the ancient Greek name which was based on the shape of the island). One hundred and twelve years later, that beer is one of the symbols of Sardinia. Obviously, its founder is no longer here, Amsicora Caprawith a name that couldn’t be more Sardinian, and the company is not even in the hands of any of his descendants: in 1986, in fact, the brand was acquired by the multinational Heinekenat the time Dreher, who in addition to the original recipe also maintained the factory, which since 1963 has been located Asseminion the outskirts of Cagliari, between the salt pans and the Monte Arcosu natural park, in an area particularly rich in aquifers (which are part of the success of the product: Ichnusa beer is made up of 92-95% water, which comes directly from the Sulcis mountains).
100 employees, but with related activities there are 5,300 jobs
Today, in the Assemini factory, among the plants surrounded by green spaces cared for with almost obsessive attention (as well as the indications and protocols for safety), exactly 100 people work, mostly islanders. But if we consider the entire supply chain and related industries there are over 5,300 jobs “touched” by the presence of the beer with the 4 Moors on the label, with an impact on the island, according to a study by Althesys, of approximately 455 million euros in 2019. Those who work in the plant do not hide their pride in being part of a piece of the island’s history. A story that doesn’t need to be asked so that everyone starts telling it, through memories and anecdotes (like the recent discovery that the oldest scale in the factory has always been there: during maintenance, in fact, the date on the back of which everything was started, 1912).
Returnable empties, a practice that has not disappeared in Sardinia
But Ichnusa bottles also tell their own special story: of recycling and respect. They do this by showing the signs of the passing of time. Glass bottles are “returnable”, the format that Ichnusa has dedicated to consumption outside the home and which allows the same bottles to be reused up to 100 times. How to recognize them? With the characteristic green cap, the budget collar and the circles, one at the base and one near the neck, where the glass has worn slightly over time due to rubbing. The initiative «Empty Ichnusa with Good Performance»which started in 2019, brings one bottle out of three back to the Assemini plant. Thanks to an innovative ultrasound machine, the glass is analyzed to exclude chipped glass and sterilized before being reintroduced into the bottling cycle. In the name of the circular economywhich reduces the quantity of glass and greenhouse gas emissions, a bottle that returns to the brewery is one less bottle to be disposed of or, worse, that risks being abandoned on the street or on the beach.
The decalogue of respect
Obviously, it is also a saving for the company and, in fact, the initiative, in order not to make a loss, is limited to Sardinia only. After all, the island is the Italian region that records the highest per capita consumption of beer (60 liters compared to the national average of 30), consumption which occurs mainly outside the home. So the phenomenon of the abandonment of glass outdoors in Sardinia can record worrying phenomena. And so, with a decidedly counter-current claim, Ichnusa decided to cover the island, from the airport to the ports, from the seafront to the nightlife venues, with posters with the photo of some beer bottles abandoned on beaches and sidewalks and the writing «If it has to end like this, don’t even buy it». An initiative “of respect and pride”, they explain at the Assemini plant, which for years has been bringing the same people from the brewery, together with Legambiente volunteers, to take to the field in days dedicated to collecting glass abandoned in the streets, on the beach and in the parks of the main meeting points in the coastal areas of the island. Again with Legambiente, Ichnusa has also drawn up a Decalogue of Respect for islanders and tourists, available here, on the website www.birraichnusa.it and in the areas of greatest tourist influx and has introduced special bins for the collection of glass, designed by Sardinian artists.
Heineken’s investments
Meanwhile, the Dutch group Heineken has decided to support the growth of beer production in Sardinia. Two years ago he announced a 73 million euro investment plan aimed at modernizing and expanding the Assemini brewery. Some planned interventions (a new refrigeration plant, CO2 storage systems, cooling towers, etc.) will lead, as the director of the brewery, Matteo Borocci, explains, to a reduction in the consumption of water, electricity and a further reduction in emissions «for a concrete commitment to reducing the impact on the environment”; while a large part of the energy used already comes from renewable sources. According to data provided by Ichnusa, in the last year alone (2023 vs 2022), the brewery cut CO2 emissions by 24%.. While the consumption of water, the main ingredient used to produce beer, marks a cut of 29% compared to 2022.
