Lsummer is the perfect time to travel and enjoy a cold beer. Why not combine the two experiences? Beer-themed itineraries offer small “slow” trips, either by car, to drive relaxed through production areas, or real routes to reach the breweries on foot or by bike and refresh yourself with a good pint at every stop.
We have selected three of the best Beer Tours in Italy and Europe to give you some travel tips that will take you to explore microbreweries and producers in some of the most picturesque places in the Old Continent.
We will take you to taste the tastiest and most refreshing craft beers, from the shores of “that branch of Lake Como,” retracing the steps of monks among the oldest European abbeys, to the wild lands of Scotland and Iceland, among towering cliffs and vast moorlands.
Beer tour in Italy: itinerary in Lombardy
Italian beer is a world made up of hundreds of craft microbreweries, far from common routes. A slow tourism that follows the seasonality of products and the stages of beer production, among fields of malt and hops, fruit, vegetables, and spices. But above all, tastings of craft beers in places where passion for the world’s most popular alcoholic beverage grows. There are even books dedicated to Italian beer tourism, such as "Beer Tourism – A Guide for Travelers in Fermentation" by Luca Grandi.
Lombardy, for example, has a strong brewing identity: we recommend discovering it in all its charm through a unique route to visit some of the best craft breweries in the region. Each stop on the journey offers an unforgettable experience, combining the beauty of the Lombard landscape with the richness of its craft beers.
We start from the shores of the small Lake Pusiano, Lecco area – where the beauty of Brianza meets the brewing history of Birrificio Lariano – headquartered in the village of Sirone. The lake tour, passing through other charming towns like Eupilio or Cascina Gera, is a wonderful way to get thirsty!
Then we move to Curno, near Bergamo, where you can savor the products of Hop Skin, on the banks of the Brembo.
Even the plains of the Milan hinterland can be very charming, just think of the endless countryside in the Cassina de’ Pecchi area, where Birrificio War with its Farm is located.
To discover all the beers of Lombardy and the cities they come from, visit: https://maltese.beer/collections/birre-artigianali-della-lombardia.
Beer tour in Europe: discovering the Trappist Abbeys
Consider jumping in a car or renting a van and driving north, towards the heart of Europe: it is here that the main Trappist abbeys are located, religious places that have made beer production a ritual, ancient and full of poetry.
We are between the Netherlands and Belgium: the first we encounter is the Abbey of Notre Dame d’Orval with its namesake Brasserie d'Orval, on the border between Belgian territory and France, then heading up to the Abbey of Scourmont, where Chimay is produced, and Notre Dame de Saint Rémy, home to Brasserie de Rochefort. Further north, passing through Westmalle and Westvleteren, then crossing into the Netherlands to Koningshoeven, where you can taste the beers of La Trappe.
To discover all the Trappist beers and the cities they come from, visit: https://maltese.beer/collections/birre-artigianali-trappiste
Beer tour in England
For those with more time and the desire to travel by plane, it is possible to do an incredible beer tour in Anglo-Saxon land… because the English really know their beer!
The English brewing tradition is ancient and spans the entire territory: we propose a 3-stop itinerary to discover “minor” but very charming tourist spots.
We start at the gates of the splendid North York Moors National Park, home to Wold Top Brewery, a craft brewery known for excellent beers… and the modesty of its name! Moving slightly southwest, you reach near Leeds, where you can visit Magic Rock Brewing, a young brewery that is part of the new wave of English brewing. Then straight south to reach the coast facing the English Channel, opposite the famous Isle of Wight – a place known in international rock culture – where we find Vibrant Forest Brewery.
To discover all the beers of the Anglo-Saxon world, visit: England https://maltese.beer/collections/birre-artigianali-inglesi
