Birre d'Autore

A festival that talks about beer inside a library

Birre d'Autore is one of the most original cultural offerings in Salento: a festival that brings craft beer to the shelves of a library, transforming the tasting experience into a true moment of storytelling and deep exploration. The event takes place in Novoli, a small town in the province of Lecce, within the evocative Polo Biblio-Museale (Ex Asilo Tarantini) at Via Lecce 46, which houses the "Oronzo Parlangeli" Municipal Library and the Museum of Fire.

How the evening works

Each appointment revolves around a different theme and a guided tasting of three beers, presented alongside a guest brewery from the Apulian region and Southern Italy. The meetings are led by Aristodemo Pellegrino, an archaeologist and Beer Taster recognized by Unionbirrai, who guides the audience on a journey where the glass becomes a key to discussing literature, art, philosophy, local history, science, and sustainable tourism. It is not just a simple drink, therefore, but an experience that combines the culture of drinking with knowledge of the territory.

A grassroots project

The festival is organized by the Fucina Sociale Cultural Association, chaired by Simone Caricato, as part of the Sulle Vie della Birra project, with the support of the Municipal Library, the Museum of Fire, and the Municipality of Novoli. Launched in 2022 as a pioneering format in Italy, the event has grown year after year: over 200 attendees in 2024 and 290 reservations in 2025, confirming the growing interest in food and wine tourism and the storytelling of local territories.

Craft beer and Salento identity

One of the common threads of Birre d'Autore is telling the story of beer as a product capable of enhancing local agricultural supply chains and giving a voice to a drinking culture often overshadowed, in Puglia, by narratives linked only to wine. The evenings bring together craft breweries, producers, and enthusiasts in an intimate and convivial setting that makes each edition a small community laboratory.