Matera may be famous for stone, bread and peperone crusco, but beer deserves a place at the table too. At Materia Prima Bistrot, we like bottles with a story behind them: local when possible, independent, distinctive, and never chosen just to fill a fridge. 

So if you are looking for beer in Matera, beyond the obvious lager, this is where our selection starts.

Matera beer, as local as it gets

We do not see beer as an alternative for people who do not want wine. It is its own thing.

A Saison with focaccia. A Pale Ale with our mini tacos. A crisp Blanche with seasonal vegetables. An IPA next to something richer. The fun is in trying combinations rather than following rules.

Our menu changes with the seasons, and the beer selection can evolve too. That is part of the point: keeping things interesting, for you and for us.

Here are our favorites of the moment – new entries, but full of meaning (and flavor too!).

Three beers from the Murgia

Our latest additions on the beer list come from Birrificio degli Ostuni, a craft brewery based in Poggiorsini, in the Murgia area.

What made us choose them?
First, the territory. We like to serve products that can tell you something about where you are.
Then, the production method: their beers are made without pasteurisation or microfiltration, following a 100% natural production approach.

We currently serve three different styles:

Baluff – Pale Ale, 5.5%
Fresh, aromatic and easy to approach. A good choice if you want character without going too heavy.

Comare – Saison, 6%
Drier and slightly more complex, this beer has hints of herbs and spices. The kind of beer that works particularly well with food and rewards curious drinkers.

Sckattosa – Blanche, 5%
Lighter and citrusy, with the freshness you expect from a wheat beer. An easy match for a summer aperitivo on a warm Matera afternoon.

Three styles, three different moods, same territory behind them.

Chelinda: a beer made in Matera

If you want to drink a truly local Materan beer, start here.

Chelinda, a German Ale at 4.5%, is produced by Birrificio79, a Matera craft brewery whose production facility is just outside the city.

It is exactly the kind of beer we like having on the menu: local, independent and connected to the place you are visiting. Because tasting a city should not stop at its traditional dishes: sometimes it comes in a 33 cl bottle.

Something for everyone

Whatever your taste, whatever your needs, we are pretty sure that our beer list has something for you. Here are some more examples.

IPA, lager and something stronger

Our Matera beer selection does not stop with local breweries.

For hop lovers, there is Gaina by Lambrate, an IPA at 6%. If you prefer something richer, Paulaner Salvator, a 7.9% Bock, takes things in a deeper, maltier direction. And if what you want is simply a crisp lager, Arte in Lattina by Menabrea keeps things uncomplicated.

Different styles matter to us. Your beer should depend on your mood, your food and, sometimes, how many kilometres you have just walked through the Sassi.

Gluten-free beer? Of course!

Going gluten-free should not mean being handed the only bottle nobody else wanted. 

Our current option is Alchemy by Vertiga, a 5.1% gluten-free India Pale Lager. It has its own identity and earns its place on the menu for what it is, not simply for what it does not contain.

That is how we think inclusive menus should work.

And if you do not drink alcohol?

You can still get a beer.

We serve Forst 0.0, a non-alcoholic lager for anyone who wants the ritual and refreshment of a beer without the alcoholic part.

Maybe you are driving. Maybe it is lunchtime. Maybe alcohol is simply not your thing. No explanations required!

Looking for Matera beer? Take a seat

You will find us in the center of Matera, a few steps from the Sassi but away from the busiest flow.

Come for an aperitivo, stay for dinner, or just stop for a beer after a day of climbing stone staircases. You will find local craft beers, gluten-free and non-alcoholic options, natural wines and a food menu that does not like clichés.

Matera in the glass can be unconventional too: book your table now and find out yourself.