Luigi Moretti’s “Beer and ice factory” was founded more than a century ago in Udine, in the Friuli region. At that time, Udine was a sleepy little town, surrounded by stone walls that had been built by the local community as far back as 1350. Within those old town walls, the people of Udine worked hard for generations, intent on commerce and craftsmanship. It was at an important time during the unification of Italy.
The whole region was still annexed to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and patriotic uprisings in the city were frequent. It is no coincidence that an Austrian garrison was stationed in the castle that dominates Udine, and that cannons were placed in the main square.
It was during this very climate of unrest that the then 37-year-old Luigi Moretti—in the same year as the famous battles of San Martino and Solferino—looking to the future with conviction and confidence, decided to build his brewery.
Born into a family of wealthy merchants, Luigi Moretti was at that time already familiar with wholesale trading in cereals, wine, spirits, foodstuffs and—naturally—even beer, which his family purchased from nearby Austria. At the time his small factory was inaugurated, its founder certainly could not have imagined how it would grow in the future.
The first bottle of BIRRA MORETTI was sold in the summer of 1860. Even if it looked a little different to today’s bottles, the quality of the product has certainly remained the same.
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