Ritual Lab: The Brewery Rewriting Italian IPAs
There is a brewery on the outskirts of Rome that in recent years has built a solid and well-deserved reputation in the Italian craft scene. It is called Ritual Lab, based in Formello, Lazio, and produces some of the most interesting hopped beers in the national craft landscape. It’s no coincidence that their Ritual Pils won 2nd place as Beer of the Year 2025 and the Slow Food Chiocciola Brewery 2025 recognition. But Ritual Lab is much more than an award-winning Pils.
Who is Ritual Lab
Ritual Lab was born in Formello, a small town north of Rome, with a clear vision: to make technically flawless beers, with a strong stylistic identity and a meticulous focus on raw materials — especially hops. Their catalog ranges from classic IPAs to Hazy, from Session to fruity Sour, including characterful Gose and Pils. Each beer is a chapter of a coherent project, where experimentation is never an end in itself.
The Slow Food Chiocciola recognition is no small detail: it certifies a production approach that puts quality, territory, and respect for raw materials at the center of every choice.
The Philosophy: Hops as a Language
If there is a common thread in Ritual Lab’s work, it is the obsession with hops. Not in the sense of bitterness at all costs, but aromatic complexity: new generation hops, advanced technologies like Cryo and HyperBoost, rare varieties like the New Zealand Nectaron. Each beer is an exploration of what a hop can do when treated with respect and expertise.
Beers Not to Miss
Ritual Pils · €5.30 — The Award Winner
The mandatory starting point. A bottom-fermented Pilsner, golden yellow color, noble German hops releasing notes of baked bread, honey, and flowers. Pronounced but rounded bitterness, cold dry hopping for additional floral and herbal scents. 2nd Beer of the Year 2025. If you haven’t tried it yet, start here. Order Ritual Pils →
Kush · €5.10 — American IPA with Citra and Mosaic
The most beloved hopped duo in the craft scene: Citra and Mosaic in a clear and bright American IPA. Grapefruit, lime, mango, passion fruit — balanced bitterness and a dry, clean finish. The flagship IPA of the Ritual Lab catalog. Order Kush →
Dwight IPA · €5.10 — White IPA
The hybrid style that blends the spicy freshness of Witbier with the hoppy liveliness of a modern IPA. Citrus notes of lemon and orange, soft and rounded base, lively carbonation. An IPA that wins over even those who usually avoid them. Order Dwight IPA →
Modern Mosaic · €5.10 — Single Hop IPA
A technical challenge: a single hop — Mosaic — used in three different forms (flowers, resin, and extract) for layered aromatic complexity. Mango, papaya, passion fruit, blueberry. The beer to truly understand what a great hop can do. Order Modern Mosaic →
Rituals Ville Vol.26 · €5.70 — Modern IPA 6.5%
The latest chapter in Ritual Lab’s experimental series: HyperBoost Mosaic + Citra Cryo, two cutting-edge technologies for off-the-charts aromatic intensity. Tropical, resinous, enveloping — well-integrated 6.5%. For those who want to push further. Order Rituals Ville Vol.26 →
Astro Session IPA · €5.10 — Session IPA with Nectaron
The New Zealand hop Nectaron — mango, pineapple, peach, apricot — in a light and drinkable Session IPA. Low alcohol, high aromatic complexity: the everyday IPA that never gets tiring. Order Astro Session IPA →
Gose Ritual Lab · €4.90 — Bergamot Gose
The Italian reinterpretation of one of the oldest German styles: lively lactic acidity, sea salt, coriander and — a stroke of genius — Calabrian Bergamot peels instead of orange. Golden, hazy, refreshing. Perfect as an aperitif. Order Gose Ritual Lab →
Juice Party Vol.1 · €5.60 — Fruited Sour with Raspberries
A generous and colorful Fruited Sour, with an extraordinary amount of fresh raspberries defining its color, aroma, and taste. Reddish, fresh, lively and drinkable lactic acidity. The first chapter of a series — and already a classic. Order Juice Party Vol.1 →
Where to Start?
If you are new to the world of Ritual Lab, start with the Ritual Pils to understand their technical precision, then move on to Kush for the hoppy soul. If you love fruity and sour beers, Juice Party Vol.1 and Gose Ritual Lab are your go-to choices. For adventurous palates, Rituals Ville Vol.26 is the ultimate test.
