That’s likely because we don’t see too many Italian craft beers here in Australia.

We do get bottles from places like Birra del Borgo, Birra Baladin or Brewfist but that’s pretty much it.

But there’s a lot more going on over there than those three places. It’s just that, like breweries all over world, they’re mainly smaller operations looking to keep their local market happy before sending product over to foreign shores.

Wollongong outfit Bottega di Verona has been heading over there looking to see which craft beers they can snaffle for the Australian market.

One such brewery is Birrificio Mastino, located near Verona in the north of Italy.

The brewery was set up by two brothers who started mucking about with beers more than a decade ago in a room in their family restaurant.

In 2013 they moved to their current location in the north of Italy, where they make five different core beers as well as four seasonals each year.

At the moment Australia and New Zealand are Birrificio Mastino’s only export market – the bulk of their product stays in Italy.

Among their core range is a Helles lager called Cangrande and an amber ale called Monoco Ambrata.

The Helles lager is nice and dry with a slight aroma of honey. That honey character comes through on the palate too, which is slightly sweet.

While lagers aren’t generally my thing, this could go well on a warm afternoon.

The amber ale comes with some pleasing nutty, biscuity characteristics.

Curiously, to me the beer tasted higher – and perhaps richer – than the stated 5.5 per cent.

Cellarbrations at Warilla and Thirroul Cellars are stocking the beers, which are also available direct through Bottega di Verona.

Glen Humphries is the 2016 AIBA Australian Beer Writer of the Year.