Bologna, Italy is a must see city for any beer lover travelling or living in the country. It is the unofficial beer capital of the peninsula and every year holds the premier beer festival for independent brewers in Italy and Europe called MicroBo. If you can’t make it to MicroBo (usually held in September), don’t worry – there are plenty of other amazing breweries (birrifici) and beer bars (birreria) for you to check out. In this article I’ll share a few of my favourite places to have a cold beer when visiting the wonderful city of Bologna.
Bologna
Bologna is one of the most culturally diverse and significant cities in Italy. It is located in the north of the country in the region of Emilia Romagna. The first inhabitants of the city were the pre-Roman Etruscan people who had a community there in the 6th Century BCE. Following this, the city was a significant Roman settlement with over 20,000 inhabitants. After the Romans, through the mediaeval and Renaissance eras, the fortunes of the city fluctuated due to wars and civil unrest but remained beautiful and cosmopolitan – with students and traders from across Europe, the middle east and beyond.
In more recent years, an unfortunate and tragic event was the decimation of many historical buildings and artefacts by 71 American B-17 bombers in September 1943. They were trying to attack a Nazi controlled railway marshalling yard but, due to thick cloud cover, accidentally and heavily bombed civilian areas resulting in massive loss of life and destruction of irreplaceable art and buildings. There was also a terrorist bombing of the train station in 1980 which killed 85 people and wounded over 200.
Despite some bloody and controversial events over the years, Bologna remains resilient and a wonderful place to visit. It boasts the oldest continually operating university in the world and truly breathtaking architecture and towers. Also I would be remiss not to mention the food: Emilia Romagna is the birthplace of Parmigiano Reggiano, Mortadella, Lambrusco and Tortellini al Ragu (just don’t call it Spaghetti Bolognese or you will be strung up in the piazza).
Where to drink beer in Bologna
There is no shortage of places to get a beer in Bologna. Whether you want a local beer, some bottled European varieties or even a Guinness at an “Irish” Pub, there’s something for every beer lover. With over 50 breweries and brewpubs in the region, you have an almost endless supply of great beers to sample. Keep reading to discover just a handful of the great locations to have a beer in the city.
If you are catching the train into Bologna, one of the first things you’ll see when walking into the old city is Porta Galliera. This massive ornamental gate was one of the entry points through the old walls of the city. In front of this porta is a large square or piazza. While the piazza itself is rather nondescript, the city regularly holds free events here – and no public event in Bologna is complete without at least one beer vendor. On my last trip to Bologna there was the “Pork, Peace and Music” festival which boasted 3 separate beer tents: a bavarian style lager tent and two tents showcasing Italian beer. I spent most of my time at the Birrificio Toccamalto tent drinking their Stria Chiara pilsner and eating greasy pork.
Further into the old city you’ll find a bunch of cool “hole in the wall” bars, one of the most famous being the Zapap Taproom. The taproom is an outpost for the brewery of the same name which is outside of the city itself and focuses on brewing beer using local ingredients. The taproom is small but inviting, the bartenders are knowledgeable and love talking all things beer.
Related: Reviewing Italy’s Supermarket Beers
For me, Birreria Popolare is a must visit in the city. It’s bigger than many of the other bars and boasts an impressive selection of Italian beers on tap. There is a decent sized cellar downstairs where you can sit at picnic style tables and enjoy one of their refreshing house pilsners. The crowd is an eclectic mix of bewildered tourists, university students and locals all with the same thing in mind – drinking great quality beer. They don’t have a kitchen here so if you want something more substantial than bar snacks you’ll need to grab some takeaway and bring it in.
Mutenye might be my favourite bar in the city. Despite being located in one of the most frantic student zones in the city it is pretty relaxed inside. The bar has British pub vibes which is pretty unique for Italy. The beers here are truly outstanding, while you can get some Italian brews they seem to focus more on European beers. There’s always something good on tap and last time I was there I drank grappa (strictly for digesting my heavy dinner) followed by a selection of German and Belgian brews.
Astral Beers Club is another bar which is on the smaller size but definitely punches above its weight for range of beer on offer. Their bottled beer selection is a mix of Italian and European beers which are also available for take away. The food here is also truly exceptional – whether you feel like a burger or something more traditional from the region.
In the university district you’ll find Piazza Verdi. This public square is a favourite hangout for students, locals and activists and the mood is always electric. There’s plenty of bars around (including an Irish pub and British pub) but I would recommend just grabbing a cold beer from one of the many mini-marts and sitting in the piazza and enjoying the atmosphere. You do need to be a little bit careful in Piazza Verdi – while it has been cleaned up in recent years there is still a bit of petty crime like pickpocketing that goes on there, so it pays to be aware of your surroundings.
Bologna is an awesome city and should definitely be on your list of places to visit if you’re in Italy (whether you’re a beer lover or not). The history of the city is rich and the food is arguably the best in the country. This list hasn’t even scratched the surface of awesome places to drink a beer in Bologna – they truly are a city of beer lovers. So whether you want a hyper local brew, a best bitter shipped over from London or a glass of something sour from Belgium, you’ll find it within the old walls of this beautiful, ancient city.
Cheers!