Until recently virtually no one was interested in making beer in Lazio. However, in 2005, Leonardo Di Vincenzo arrived and started shaking things up with his 'Birra del Borgo', shooting to the head of this nascent market. The brew was the result of years of experiments in his small town on the border between Lazio and Abruzzo (indeed, some of his beers are named after the National Park of Monti della Duchessa near where he lived). Passion, talent, quality and brilliant marketing are the keys to the success of beers like the already 'classic' Reale, the Duchessa, the Enkir and the Keto Reporter (made with Tuscan tobacco leaves). Then there are the seasonal varieties (four of them, including gentian and buckwheat), and the 'rarities' (there are about a dozen, including one with chestnuts), produced only once a year and during a specific month. In addition to being able to buy them directly at the brewery, La Birra del Borgo has a shop in Rome and manages an often-packed modern eatery here as well. Today, Birra del Borgo is part of the AB Inbev group.
