10 Refreshing Beers Like Peroni You Should Try
Are you a fan of Peroni Nastro Azzurro and looking to explore similar flavors? You’re in the right place! Just like a world of diverse cuisines, there’s a variety of beers similar to Peroni waiting to be discovered. Before we look at these beers that are like Peroni, we must first establish what Peroni is like.
Peroni Nastro Azzurro is an Italian lager in the Pale Lager category, featuring an Alcohol By Volume (ABV) of 5.1%. Known for its clean, crisp character, this beer exhibits a slightly bitter finish, balanced by a light to medium body and mild malty flavors. A hint of citrus and a modest hoppy aroma add to its complexity. Generally well-carbonated, it pairs well with lighter foods such as fish, chicken, pizzas, or salads.
With that important information out of the way, it’s time to reveal the 10 beers like Peroni that you absolutely have to try. While some are Italian beers, just like Peroni, others come from further afield. Each of them, however, is guaranteed to quench your thirst for something both familiar and new.
Beers Like Peroni
Stella Artois
Stella Artois is a Belgian Euro Pale Lager known for its golden-yellow color and clean, crisp flavor. It shares similarities with Peroni in that they are both Euro Pale Lagers with a comparable ABV range, making for a crisp and light drinking experience. Where it diverges is in its slightly maltier, “breadier” taste, which offers a nuanced difference from Peroni.
Heineken
Heineken is a Dutch lager that’s globally recognized for its bright golden hue and slightly skunky aroma. Like Peroni, Heineken is a pale lager with a crisp finish, catering to a broad range of tastes. However, Heineken has a more pronounced bitterness and a characteristic skunky aroma that sets it apart from the cleaner finish of Peroni.
Kronenbourg 1664
Kronenbourg 1664 is a French pale lager that is light golden in color. It offers a balance of a somewhat sweet, malty profile with a pleasant bitterness. Similar to Peroni, it’s a pale lager with a crisp finish. However, Kronenbourg tends to lean towards a slightly sweeter, maltier taste compared to Peroni’s cleaner profile.
Birra Moretti
Birra Moretti is another Italian lager that comes close to Peroni in terms of its roots and general flavor profile. It has a light, golden color and a malty, grainy flavor. The similarities with Peroni are evident in its origin and the lager style, but Birra Moretti generally has a more malty and grainy profile that offers a richer experience.
Menabrea
Menabrea is an Italian lager with over 150 years of brewing history. It has a light golden color similar to Peroni and offers a crisp, balanced taste with a slight hoppy bitterness. Both being Italian lagers, Menabrea and Peroni share a natural heritage and general crispness, but Menabrea offers a bit more complexity in terms of hops and bitterness.
Peroni Gran Riserva
Peroni Gran Riserva is essentially a “big brother” to Peroni Nastro Azzurro. It is a stronger and more full-bodied Italian lager, with a higher ABV of around 6.6%. While it maintains the crisp and clean character of Peroni Nastro Azzurro, it brings in richer, maltier flavors and a deeper golden color, offering a different, more intense experience.
San Miguel
San Miguel is a pale lager originally from the Philippines but also brewed in Spain. It has a crisp and light body similar to Peroni. Both beers are refreshing and suitable for a wide range of occasions. San Miguel, however, tends to be a bit lighter in both flavor and alcohol content compared to Peroni.
Pilsner Urquell
Pilsner Urquell is a Czech Pilsner that has a slightly darker golden color and a more bitter, full-bodied taste. Like Peroni, it offers a crisp and balanced flavor profile but diverges with its richer malt character and a more pronounced hop bitterness, characteristics typical of Czech Pilsners.
Becks
Becks is a German pilsner that has a light, crisp, and mildly bitter taste profile. Its lightness and crispness make it similar to Peroni, making it a good alternative for those who like European lagers. However, being a German pilsner, it has a slightly more robust hop character that distinguishes it from Peroni.
Ichnusa
Ichnusa is another Italian lager, originating from Sardinia. It has a light straw color and a mildly hoppy, somewhat malty profile. In terms of similarities with Peroni, both are Italian lagers with a light, easy-drinking character. Ichnusa, however, has a more pronounced maltiness and a regional character that offers a twist on the typical Italian lager.
These beers not only offer diverse flavors but also share the crisp, clean profile and lighter body that make Peroni Nastro Azzurro so popular. So the next time you’re craving a beer like Peroni but want to try something new, refer to this list and you can’t go wrong. Cheers!
