Peroni Libera

The Peroni Brewery is certainly the most successful Italian brewer in history, and probably sit on the same pedestal as the rest of the world’s top beer producers. Founded by the Peroni family of Vigevano in 1846, their brand is know world-wide and it would be strange not to find a Nastro Azzurro for sale in any Italian restaurant, no matter the country. Now the property of the Japanese Asashi Breweries, they still remain a fashionable brand name.

Peroni Libera was let loose upon the beer drinkers of the UK at the start of 2019 (probably in attempt to cash in on Dry January) and, according to data from Neilsen, was the best-selling new beer product launched in that year, with around £3 million worth of sales between launch and the end of December. The company markets Peroni Libera as a drink for the quieter times of life, such as “a mid-week night out with friends, or during those working lunch occasions”. Implying that you should save your proper boozing for weekends maybe?

Pouring the lager into a glass you get a pale gold liquid with good carbonation, and a slight frothy head which recedes within seconds. The distinctive Peroni flavour comes from their use of maize, specifically the Nostrano dell-Isola variety, which adds a sweetness to the beer, and you certainly get a whiff of corn on the nose.

The sweetness continues into the taste, which is rather fruity, with malt also coming through. The beer is apparently ‘triple-hopped’, but I found sweetness to be the predominant flavour. In fact, I’m not actually sure that Peroni Libera has been fermented! Supposedly a ‘dedicated yeast strain’ is used, and I suspect this is a strain that dies off pretty quickly.

Despite the lack of hop fragrance and the abundant sweetness, the flavour is still pleasant and crisp, with no discernible metallic aftertaste that often pollutes non-alcoholic beers. Certainly refreshing when chilled, it would of course be a great accompaniment to Italian cuisine. Salute!

Nutritional Information (per 100ml)

0.0% alcohol by volume
22 calories energy
0g fat
5.3g carbohydrates
3.0g sugar
0.2g protein

(taken from the side of the bottle)

Ingredients

Water, Barley Malt, Hops, Italian Maize, Hops, Natural Flavourings