Beer in Valchiavenna: A Story of Industry, Water and Mountains

Between 1820 and 1830, the first breweries were established in Chiavenna, supported by ideal natural conditions: pure water, mountain air and, above all, the crotti, remarkable natural environments that served as perfect refrigeration cellars for the brewing and maturation process.
During the period of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia under Austrian administration, brewers from across the Empire found in this valley the ideal place to start production. By 1844 there were already four breweries in operation, with significant output. Only a few years later, the number had grown to nine facilities, capable of covering an important share of national production.

The success, however, did not last forever. Changes in trade routes, competition from new industrial centres, supply difficulties and rising costs gradually led to a decline in the sector.
Despite these challenges, Chiavenna beer had already gained a reputation for its quality and character, particularly thanks to its bottom-fermented brewing method inspired by German traditions, known as the famous Birrone di Chiavenna.

In the early twentieth century, the breweries merged into the Spluga Brewery, which by the 1920s had reached significant production levels and employed more than one hundred workers. Yet the decline was already underway. In 1957, after a final attempt to relaunch the business and relocate production to the plains, operations came to an end, later continuing under new identities such as Splügen Bräu.
Thus ended, after approximately 135 years, the story of Chiavenna’s brewing industry: an important chapter marked by innovation, work and Alpine identity.
A story that remains as memorable as the fresh and authentic taste of a beer born among the mountains.