Birrificio Del Ducato

What Birrificio Del Ducato does

Birrificio del Ducato is an Italian craft brewery founded in 2007 in Roncole Verdi, in the Parma Food Valley, that produces and sells unfiltered, unpasteurized craft beers under its own Ducato brand and operates as the exclusive Italian distributor for the Belgian Duvel Moortgat portfolio (Chouffe, Duvel, Maredsous, Vedett). The company has been wholly owned by Belgium's Duvel Moortgat Group since 2016 (100% share acquisition completed in the 2017–2024 period) and currently operates two sites: the main brewery, offices, on-site shop and visitor tasting room in Soragna (Parma), and the original Roncole Verdi site, which since 2015 has been dedicated exclusively to the brewery's barrel-aged sour-beer and mixed-fermentation program using Brettanomyces wild yeasts and lactic bacteria.

Its core product is the Ducato craft line — flagship Italian Pilsner Viaemilia alongside Freeride (West Coast IPA), Machete (Double IPA), Onirika (Helles), Futura (Bock), A.F.O. (Session IPA), White Riot (Blanche), Paradox (Belgian Tripel) and Verdi Imperial Stout, plus limited editions such as Nebula DDH Hazy IPA. Production uses a state-of-the-art PLC-controlled brewhouse with a centrifugal separator, an isobaric rinsing/filling/capping line to minimise oxygen pickup, and a dedicated in-house quality assurance and control laboratory running physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory analysis on every batch. Hops are personally selected at harvest from Germany, the USA, the UK, Slovenia, Australia and Italy. The brewery claims more than 130 medals across Italian and international brewing competitions and was the first Italian beer ever to win an international gold medal abroad (Verdi Imperial Stout, 2008).

Revenue comes from five streams: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce via a WooCommerce webshop selling Ducato plus Duvel Moortgat distributed brands, glassware and merchandise, with Italy-only GLS delivery (free above €60), a 6-bottle minimum, and a points-based 'Luppoli' loyalty programme; (2) Italian B2B wholesale to grossists and regional distributors via dedicated account managers; (3) HoReCa direct sales to pubs, restaurants and beer shops with glassware/spillatura training and promotional materials; (4) ticketed on-site brewery tours and 4-beer guided tastings at €15 per person; and (5) inbound international export partnerships with importers, distributors and bars in Europe, Asia and the US. Pricing is unit-based (€1.50–€4.20 per bottle) with volume discounts of 15% on 24 bottles and 20% on 48 bottles, and the segment mix spans Italian craft-beer enthusiasts, HoReCa operators, regional wholesalers, international importers/bars and Food-Valley tourists.

Name

Birrificio Del Ducato

Legal name

BIRRIFICIO DEL DUCATO S.R.L.

Website

https://birrificiodelducato.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Birrificio del Ducato is an Italian craft brewery founded in 2007 in Parma that produces unfiltered, unpasteurized craft beers under its Ducato brand and serves as the exclusive Italian distributor of the Belgian Duvel Moortgat portfolio (Chouffe, Duvel, Vedett, Maredsous), selling to Italian consumers via its own webshop, to HoReCa and wholesalers via a dedicated B2B sales force, and to international importers via partner-led export.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (312120), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Italian craft brewery
• Beer wholesale distribution
• Brewery tours tastings
• Belgian beer imports

Headquarters

HQ city

Soragna

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct e-commerce beer & merchandise sales: Own webshop sells Ducato craft beers, Chouffe/Duvel/Maredsous/Vedett imported beers, branded glassware (pint, tulip, goblet), gift cards and merchandise (t-shirts, tote bags, keychains, magnets, bottle openers). One-time purchases shipped via GLS within Italy, free shipping above €60.
2. Brewery tour & tasting experiences: Ticketed guided tours of the brewery (mill, brewhouse, lab, control room) followed by guided tasting of 4 beers (20 cl each) at the on-site shop. Priced at €15 per person (free for under-18s with adult), bookable and payable online via Regiondo/Stripe. Gift voucher variant valid 3 years.
3. Wholesale / B2B distribution of Ducato and Belgian brands: As official Italian subsidiary of Duvel Moortgat, sells and distributes Chouffe, Duvel, Vedett and Maredsous plus Ducato's own range to Italian wholesalers, distributors, HoReCa venues and beer shops with exclusive conditions and dedicated account managers.
4. Gift cards (open-value digital vouchers): Sells Duvel Moortgat Italia digital gift cards (minimum €25, no expiry, email delivery, optional scheduled send) redeemable across the full webshop assortment.
5. Loyalty programme economics (Luppoli): 'Luppoli' points programme: 1 point per € spent, 10 points welcome bonus + 10 after first order, tiered bonus points above €100/€250/€500, points redeemable at 10 Luppoli = €1 discount, combinable with bulk 24-bottle (15%) and 48-bottle (20%) discounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Birrificio Del Ducato produces and sells its own craft beer portfolio (Viaemilia, Freeride, Machete, Onirika, Futura, A.F.O., White Riot, Paradox, Verdi) from its Soragna brewery using unfiltered, unpasteurized, mixed-fermentation brewing with oak-barrel aging. As the official Italian subsidiary of Duvel Moortgat, it also exclusively distributes the Chouffe, Duvel, Maredsous and Vedett Belgian brands across Italy and sells beer, glassware and merchandise through its own webshop, complemented by ticketed brewery tours and tastings.

Product overview

Birrificio del Ducato operates a single, integrated craft-brewing business combining in-house production with exclusive Italian distribution for the Duvel Moortgat Group, sold primarily through its own WooCommerce-based webshop (the Ducato Webshop & Gadget Store) and supplemented by on-premise experiences (Brewery Tours and Guided Tastings) at the Soragna plant. The in-house Ducato line is the company's own craft portfolio of unfiltered, unpasteurized beers — headlined by Viaemilia, Freeride, Machete, Onirika, Futura, A.F.O., White Riot, Paradox, Verdi and the limited-edition Nebula. The distributed portfolio adds four Belgian brands under the same Italian commercial umbrella: Chouffe (Belgian Strong/Dark Ales, IPA, fruit beers, alcohol-free), Duvel (Original, 666, Tripel Hop Citra), Maredsous (Blond, Bruin, Tripel abbey beers) and Vedett (Pilsner, Blanche, IPA). Supporting services include digital Gift Cards and the Luppoli Fedeltà loyalty program, all transacted through the same webshop, with payments handled via PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Viaemilia: Italian Pilsner, 5% ABV; the brewery's signature beer since 2007.
• Freeride
• Machete
• Onirika
• Futura
• A.F.O.
• White Riot
• Paradox
• Verdi Imperial Stout

Products and services

• Viaemilia Italian Pilsner (5% ABV) The brewery's flagship Italian Pilsner at 5% ABV and the first beer produced in 2007, sold across the Ducato webshop, B2B wholesale, HoReCa and on-site shop to consumers and trade buyers in Italy and international export markets.
• Freeride West Coast IPA (5.2% ABV)

Quantifiable outcome

• Italy's most awarded brewery with over 130 medals
• +6 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core annual industry event, flagship distribution partner brand, core local partner, core logistics partner, core ticketing partner, core gift-card vendor, core payment processors, supporting marketing vendor and supporting content partner.

• Italian Exhibition Group (Beer & Food Attraction, Rimini)core annual industry eventGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 February 2026Annual exhibiting partner at Rimini's Beer & Food Attraction fair (Pad. C5 – Stand 172 in 2025; 22 beers on tap in 2026), with Chouffe Party activations and an out-of-fair evening at Porta Galliana.
• Brasserie d'Achouffe (Chouffe)flagship distribution partner brandChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Since 1 January 2022 Birrificio del Ducato is the official Italian distributor of the Brasserie d'Achouffe (Chouffe) range — La Chouffe, Mc Chouffe, Chouffe Lite, Chouffe IPA, Cherry Chouffe, Chouffe Blanche, Chouffe Zero and N'Ice Chouffe — via its B2B sales team to pubs, restaurants and beer shops.
• Duvel Moortgat (Duvel, Vedett, Maredsous portfolio)flagship distribution partner brandChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Birrificio del Ducato is the exclusive Italian importer and distributor of the Duvel Moortgat portfolio — Duvel Original, Duvel 666, Duvel Tripel Hop Citra, Vedett Pilsner/IPA/Blanche, and Maredsous Blond/Bruin/Tripel — leveraging its nationwide B2B logistics and HoReCa network.
• Gufi Sport Club di Soragnacore local partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerYear-round sponsorship and co-organization partner for the Brezza Summer Fest held at Palagufi in Soragna (Via Trento 8C), combining 12 taps of Ducato beer, live music, mechanical surf Freeride challenge and family-friendly entertainment.
• GLS Groupcore logistics partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExclusive e-commerce shipping carrier for the Birrificio del Ducato webshop, providing 2–5 working day nationwide Italian delivery with tracking and climate-protect option; featured on the webshop footer.
• Regiondo (booking platform)core ticketing partnerTechnology or IntegrationOnline booking and ticketing system powering brewery tour reservations, self-service modification/cancellation, and gift-voucher management (3-year validity) for guided tours and tastings.
• Gift Upcore gift-card vendorTechnology or IntegrationProvider of the digital gift-card platform powering the Duvel Moortgat Italia open-value Gift Card (min €25, no expiry, email delivery, printable).
• Stripe / PayPalcore payment processorsTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partners for the webshop and tour bookings, supporting credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal-in-3 instalments.
• Mailchimpsupporting marketing vendorTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing platform for newsletter signup, new-beer announcements and exclusive event previews, including a 5% signup discount code.
• Tuduu (Emporion by Tuduu)supporting content partnerTechnology or IntegrationPowers the Recipes & Food Pairings hub on birrificiodelducato.it, including dietary/allergen filters (vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, etc.) and dish categories.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Birra del Borgo: Italian craft brewery (Borgorose, Lazio), founded 2005, now part of AB InBev's Italian craft platform. Comparable in style range experimentation, award activity and HoReCa-led GTM in Italy.
• Cantillon: Belgian family-run lambic brewery in Brussels, globally recognized for spontaneous/wild fermentation and oak-aged sour beers. Directly comparable to Ducato's Roncole Verdi barrel-aging program and mixed-fermentation philosophy.
• Birra Toccalmatto: Emilia-based craft brewery (Fidenza, Parma province) with a similarly broad style portfolio, on-site production and international medal track record; geographically and operationally adjacent to Birrificio del Ducato's Parma footprint.
• Birrificio Lambrate: Milan-based Italian craft brewery with an urban taproom-led model. Comparable in size and craft positioning, and a relevant peer for Italian on-trade distribution and city-level brand-building.
• Birra Baladin: Pioneering Italian craft brewery founded in 1986 by Teo Musso, headquartered in Piozzo (Cuneo). Closest comparable Italian craft peer with similar award-driven positioning, broad style portfolio, on-site hospitality and own-brand gastronomy ecosystem.
• Rodenbach: Belgian brewery (Roeselare) specializing in oak foeder-aged sour and mixed-fermentation ales. Highly comparable to Birrificio del Ducato on barrel-aged maturation and mixed-culture technique, and now part of the same Duvel Moortgat family.
• Theresianer: Italian craft brewery based in Friuli Venezia Giulia with a multi-style portfolio and HoReCa focus. Comparable as a regional-to-national Italian craft competitor with similar B2B/wholesale-led distribution.

Emerging players

• Mikkeller: Danish gypsy-turned-brick-and-mortar craft brewery with a globally distributed portfolio and brand-led, design-forward positioning. Comparable as a fellow internationally awarded craft peer chasing travel-retail and export-led growth.

Broad incumbents

• Birra Peroni (Asahi): Italy's mainstream lager incumbent, owned by Asahi Group. Relevant as the broad incumbent that defines the price ceiling and HoReCa tap economics against which all Italian craft breweries (including Ducato) compete.
• Birra Italy (Heineken): Heineken's Italian beer operations (including Ichnusa and Birra Moretti). Relevant broad incumbent shaping retail and on-trade competition, distribution terms and category-level brand spend in Italy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCo2Tk0OKwk8QPSLfYf1KVfQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/birredelducato
• LinkedInit.linkedin.com/company/birrificio-del-ducato
• Instagraminstagram.com/birredelducato

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Birrificio Del Ducato