by Dan. Nar.
Birralfina (Orvieto), Birrificio Flea (Gualdo Tadino), Centolitri (Baschi), Birra Perugia (Torgiano), Mastri Birrai Umbri (Gualdo Cattaneo). These are the magnificent 5 Umbrian craft breweries awarded for the eleventh edition of the Cerevisia Prize. The confirmation of the Award, which awarded a total of 27 breweries, goes hand in hand with the affirmation of the craft beer production sector which, just a few years ago, had only a few dozen microbreweries and today has almost a thousand. The presence of young people is notable. 140 labels from all over Italy will be competing. After Umbria, the most awarded region, Campania comes in second place (4), then Lazio and Veneto (3). Piedmont and Emilia Romagna follow with 2 and Trentino Alto Adige, Marche, Basilicata, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Puglia, Calabria, Lombardy and Friuli Venezia Giulia with 1.
The mayor Michele Toniaccini spoke at the proclamation ceremony of the winning breweries of “Cerevisia 2024”, in the council room of the Municipality of Deruta; Giorgio Mencaroni, president of the Umbria Chamber of Commerce and President of BaNaB, National Beer Tasting Bank; Paolo Fantozzi, vice president of BaNaB; Ombretta Marconi, director of CERB, Research Center for Beer Excellence of the University of Perugia; Dr. Angela Terenzi for the Umbria Region. President Mencaroni also brought greetings from Alfredo Pratolongo and Andrea Bagnolini, respectively President and Director of Assobirra, unfortunately unable to participate.
The “Cerevisia Prize”, a competition of absolute national importance, was established by the BaNAB – National Beer Tasting Bank – a committee created on 30 April 2013 by the will of the Chamber of Commerce of Perugia, now the Chamber of Commerce of Umbria, of the Umbria Region, of the CERB, Research Center for Beer Excellence of the University of Perugia, of the Municipality of Deruta and of AssoBirra, Association of Brewers and Maltsters. The Award enjoys the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry and of Aitbm, the Italian association of brewing and malting technicians which this year too has made its experts available to take part as panelists to the tastings of the beers in the competition.
Without a doubt, craft breweries, which produce quality beers according to artisanal processing methods, represent excellence in the national brewing world. The Cerevisia Prize was created eleven years ago precisely to support this phenomenon, especially the young ones, to support it in its growth, to support it in production paths inspired by quality, in which the Italian brewing tradition merges with innovation.
This year, 140 beers from different Italian regions were admitted to the final phase of the Award and competed for various types of prizes: from Excellence Award (for the beer that obtained the highest score among all) ai prizes for the first classified in geographical areas (North, Centre, South and Islands), come on awards based on stylesto the special prize for the most attractive design. At the moment only the names of the winning breweries have been revealed, which have deliberately not been associated with the individual awards, thus maintaining the suspense while awaiting the official awards ceremony, which will be held in Perugia on Thursday 20 June at 11 am, at the Chamber’s Congress Center of Commerce of Umbria.
The Cerevisia Award stands out from other sector initiatives for its scientific value, which guarantees the selection evaluation process (product evaluation of the beers conducted at the CERB and delivery of analysis certificates to the companies), for the competence of the National Jury of tasting, as well as, of importance, for its institutional nature which guarantees transparency and linearity in the procedures. To safeguard the prestige of the companies, the names of the participants are not disclosed to the public but only those of the winning companies.
After the inevitable decline recorded in the two-year period 2020-2021, signs of recovery for the sector arrived in 2022, with a clear increase in microbreweries and brew pubs with data that at a national level came close to a thousand companies, clearly improving the previous numbers. covid (ten years ago, in 2014, there were 585 microbreweries). Without a doubt these new businesses, which produce excellent beers according to artisanal processing methods, represent excellence in the national brewing world.
In 2024, 25 breweries were registered in the Business Register of the Umbria Chamber of Commerce, of which 14 with specific main activities (secondary: Beer Firm – absence of production plant -, agricultural companies, wineries and similar). The Umbria Region, with a law of October 2023, then provided for a series of measures for the valorisation of craft beer, in whose program of initiatives the Umbria Chamber of Commerce is also included, thus continuing its now consolidated and innate activity to undertake promotional paths that embrace the most significant products of the territory.
The presence of the youth phenomenon is notable: the Cerevisia Prize was created mainly to support this phenomenon, support it in its growth, support it in production paths inspired by quality, in which the Italian brewing tradition is based, with innovation. Beer is therefore an asset for the Italian economic fabric and for the agri-food industry and therefore must be supported and valorised so that it can grow.
