“Aniti,” a Community Beer that Tastes Good and Does Good
16 September 2022
It is called Aniti Beer, and it is the first collaborative beer ever produced in Calabria. The product was launched in cooperation between the company Birrificio Reggino and Impronte a Sud – Welfare Lab project, supported by the CON IL SUD Foundation and Fondazione Peppino Vismara, and aims to help people who are facing economic and social difficulties. In fact, when purchasing this beer, you contribute to the mutual fund established by the 16 partner associations.
The fund acts on health and education poverty issues and reaches both those who are unable to access healthcare and social welfare services and children or minors who are unable to freely pursue their educational abilities and aspirations.
Coincidentally, Aniti’s mission statement is already inscribed in its name. In the dialect of Reggio Calabria (the Reggino dialect), the city where the beer is brewed, “Aniti” means “united”. United as the associations that have established this fund through a series of meetings and discussions, and united as the people who choose to make a purchase which will help those most in need within the community. Since Aniti Beer is produced by a for-profit company in the Reggio Calabria community, it is also an example of good practice of unity and collaboration between the third sector and the for-profit sector.
But the special flavour of this beer also lies in its ingredients. Aniti is a pumpkin beer made with pumpkins that are harvested from the mafia confiscated lands in Placanica (Reggio Calabria). The beer production is managed by the social cooperative Demetra, where the employed migrants through their work participate in the life of the community.
Aniti beer shows that in order to build a collaborative product that is good for all and can benefit everyone, there is a need for participation not only from third-sector entities, but also from for-profit companies, institutions, and citizens who have shared principles and values. In short, there is a need for community.
The beer is a limited edition and is available at the fair trade store Le Botteghe delle Terre del Sole on 89 Via del Torrione, Reggio Calabria, or can be ordered by writing to marketing@consorziomacrame.it
