Peroni beer’s crisp, refreshing character stems from its carefully selected plant-based ingredients. Understanding these components clarifies Peroni’s unique qualities. Barley, hops, and maize work together to create its distinctive flavor and body.
Barley: The Foundation of Beer
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is the primary grain in beer production, providing fermentable sugars for alcohol. Brewers use malted barley, steeped in water to initiate germination. This activates enzymes that break down starches into simpler sugars.
After germination, malted barley is dried, often in a kiln, to halt sprouting and develop flavors and colors. Malting prepares the barley’s structure, making its starches accessible for sugar conversion during brewing. Different malting methods influence the beer’s body, color, and flavor, from pale and sweet to dark and roasted.
Hops: The Flavor and Aroma Enhancer
Hops, from the female flowers of the Humulus lupulus plant, balance the sweetness of malt in beer. These cone-shaped flowers contribute bitterness through alpha acids, released during boiling. The boiling duration impacts bitterness.
Beyond bitterness, hops introduce aromas and flavors like floral, citrus, herbal, and spicy notes from their essential oils. Brewers add hops at different stages—early for bitterness, later for aroma—to achieve specific profiles. Hops also have natural antimicrobial properties, historically preserving beer and extending its shelf life.
Maize: Peroni’s Distinctive Ingredient
Maize, or corn (Zea mays), is an adjunct ingredient in Peroni Nastro Azzurro, distinguishing it from many other lagers. It supplements fermentable sugars from barley, contributing to a lighter body and crisper taste. This results in a cleaner, less malty flavor, characteristic of Peroni’s refreshing nature.
Peroni uses Nostrano Maize from Italian growers. Maize also contributes to the beer’s golden color and enhances clarity. Its role in Peroni is to achieve lightness and drinkability.
The Brewing Process: From Plant to Pint
The journey of these plant ingredients into finished beer involves several stages. Malted barley is milled and combined with hot water in mashing, where enzymes convert starches into fermentable sugars, creating wort. Maize, if used, is added during mashing.
The wort is then transferred to a kettle and boiled, where hops are introduced. Hops contribute bitterness and aroma during this boil, with timing affecting the flavor. After boiling and cooling, yeast is added to the wort in fermentation tanks, converting sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide, turning the liquid into beer. This combination of ingredients and techniques culminates in the refreshing Peroni pint.