The well-known beer ingredient, hops, was initially used in Italy as a gastronomy ingredient (risotto, frittatas etc.). The name of this ingredient varied by the region they were growing – bruscandoli or luperi or utizon, for English speakers called wild hops. To build on this tradition, and to add hops to the local beer ingredients of barley and malt, agricultural researchers, academics and brewers are rediscovering Italy’s hop growing history. Such an endeavor is the 2016 national research project financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, focused on hop cultivation in Italy. This led to further investment in this area, such as the launch of an innovative hop company founded by a young engineer in 2018 and with more to come.
