Peroni is a popular Italian lager, first brewed in 1846 at a brewery in Vigevano, Italy. In 1963 Peroni launched their premium pilsner lager, Peroni Nastro Azzurro which went on to take its place as the 7th most popular beer brands in the world.
Peroni is loved for being crisp and refreshing, boasting notes of citrus and spice all blended over a well-balanced bitterness. But there’s always more to discover, so here is my list of the top 10 beers like Peroni for you to try.
I’ve matched these new beers up with the Peroni traits you know and love, starting with the classics, before moving on to some beers you may not have come across before. Saluti!
Heineken Original
Let’s kick off this list with a timeless classic – Heineken’s original pure malt lager.
What with their massive portfolio you certainly have a lot of options from Heineken, but for that Peroni taste, stick to their original lager.
This beer was first brewed in 1873 by Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam and uses barley, hop extract and A-yeast to give that classic Heineken flavor. Their lager pours a clear, pale gold color with 5% ABV making it a great session lager. The aroma is of honey, new leather and a slightly floral tone with a good fruit to bitterness balance.
Stella Artois
The oldest beer on this list, Stella Artois can trace its roots back to 1366 when the original Den Hoorn brewery was founded in Leuven, Belgium. This brewery was eventually renamed Artois Brewery and the Stella prefix was only added in 1926 when the brewery released a special Christmas beer—hence the name Stella, or Star.
This pilsner-like lager is a great alternative to Peroni as it boasts a clean and crisp flavor, low to medium bitterness, and slightly sweet, malted barley.
Birra Moretti L’Auntenica
Birra Moretti was founded in 1859 by Luigi Moretti, and still use the same brewing methods to this day. Their L’Auntenica is a bottom-fermented, traditional, Italian lager with a bitterness balanced against hoppy and fruity notes.
Sitting at 4.6% ABV and accompanied by a satifying, clean, aftertaste – this Peroni alternative makes a great session lager for hot summer evenings.
They also have a very popular 0.0% ABV version, so you don’t have to miss out on the L’Auntenica flavors just because you’re avoiding alcohol.
Corona Extra
This Mexican lager barely needs an introduction as in 2021 Corona was the 5th most popular beer in the world, prized for its refreshing taste, 4.5% ABV, and smooth finish.
This pilsner-style lager was first brewed at Grupo Modelo brewery, Mexico City in 1927. By 1933 Corona Extra was being exported to the US and nowadays has found its way to over 150 countries.
Should you be so inclined, you could even try a Coronarita cocktail, which is simply an upended bottle of Corona Extra in a Margarita – who’d have thought?
Hollandia Premium
We’re going to travel back overseas for this next beer – Hollandia, heralding from the Netherlands.
This traditional northern European lager is crisp and easy drinking with a light golden color and soft hoppy flavors. Its modest 4.7% ABV is balanced with sweet malt and citrus aromas.
Of all the beers on our list, this one is probably the closest to the Peroni taste but at a fraction of the price.
LISA, by Birra del Borgo
We’ve included this innovative Italian lager on our list for its modern take on all the Peroni features we know and love. LISA is a classic golden lager from Birra del Borgo brewed with Cappelli wheat, an ancient Italian grain from the Puglian countryside.
The Cappelli wheat is blended with hops, malted barley, yeast and orange peel to give a refreshingly crisp 5% ABV lager with hoppy and floral aromas.
The orange peel adds a lovely zesty citrus flavor and picks LISA out as a must-try for all lager lovers.
Forst Premium Lager
Forst lager was first brewed in 1857 at a brewery deep in the Italian alps and went on to become a true Italian classic. This beautiful light gold lager has aromas of grass, grains, and citrus followed by an unmistakeable floral note.
It is this floral note which sets it apart from Peroni and helps round it into a delicious lager-wheat beer cross over with a very drinkable 4.8% ABV.
Leikeim
Leikeim is an excellent example of a traditional German pilsner, brewed by the family-owned Andreas Leikeim GmbH & Co KG brewery in Upper Franconia, Germany.
Where Peroni is an Italian pilsner, triple hopped Leikeim represents the best of Germany with its dry and perfectly bitter finish. A fine citrus flavor cuts through the soft bitterness, making this refreshing pilsner a perfect lager for a day at the beach.
Karlovačko
Karlovačka Pivovara brewery was established in Croatia in 1854. One of the first lagers they produced was Karlovačko – the recipe for which has remained unchanged for the past 167 years. Heineken International acquired the brewery in 2013 but stayed true to the roots of this traditional Croatian lager.
Karlovačko is fresh, clean, and with a silky drop that makes it a great session lager. The use of hops, malted barley, and yeast gives this lager a refreshing bitterness that avoids it being too overwhelming.
If you can get your hands on some in time for summer, this European classic lager makes the perfect accompaniment to a summer afternoon.
Bear Beer Lager
For our final beer on this list, we’re heading back up north to Denmark. Craft Danish beers are slowly getting the recognition they deserve on the global stage, following the lead of breweries like Bear Beer. Bear Beer were established in 1974, eventually going international in 1980.
Today they are stocked in pubs and bars in over 60 countries. Of their 8 speciality beers including wheat beers, stouts, and IPAs – their lager will hit the spot if you’re looking for a Peroni alternative. This 5.0% ABV lager has a clean and slightly grassy aroma supported by a balanced hop presence and malty aftertaste.
