women4beverages: Giovanna Merloni, founder of the farmhouse brewery IBeer

From passion to business 

Brewer, farmer, creative entrepreneur 

Giovanna Merloni has a remarkable clarity: "I wanted to turn my passion into a profit," she says when asked why she became a brewer. She used to spend hours brewing at home. So it made sense to turn it into a business, she says. So in 2015 she founded IBeer, a brewery on her farm in the hills of Fabriano, a small town in province of Ancona. Yes, you read that right: Giovanna Merloni is also a farmer - but first and foremost a creative and an entrepreneur. 

Before starting her own business, she worked as a marketing director for a multinational kitchen appliance company. When her great-grandfather's fields were looking for a new tenant, she decided to take over the farm (6 hectares of arable land). That was in 2013. Merloni started growing barley, wheat and hemp, and trained as a wine sommelier. "My dream was to make wine," she says. When she realized it would take about 20 years for new vines to produce good yields, she let it go. A friend inspired her to start homebrewing. 

Malting barley from own cultivation 

"I love to create things with my hands. And I'm fascinated by fermentation, the chemical reactions between yeast and ingredients," she says. Brewing beer is a lot like making wine. Merloni says, "Brewing matches my passion and my agriculture.” Since then, she has been delivering her own barley - the German Steffi (!) variety - to a malting plant. And she has confidently channeled her creativity towards "beer", training as a brewmaster and then as a beer sommelier, both at the Doemens Academy in Munich. With flying colors! Immediately after graduating in 2019, she became Italian Beer Sommelier Champion. 

The original five hectolitre system has now been replaced by a fully automated 20 hectolitre brewhouse. IBeer produces about 2,000 hectoliters a year and has 14 very different beers in its portfolio. "We mainly focus on English and German styles because they are low in alcohol and easy to drink," says Merloni. For example, German pilsner, English mild, English red ale, as well as a honey beer, an Italian grape ale (IGA) with grapes, a sour ale with beetroot, a hemp beer, and a few IPA variations. All ingredients are home-grown or locally sourced whenever possible. "Maybe next year we'll start growing hops on a small acreage," says Merloni. 

Entrepreneurship 

"Being an entrepreneur is quite a weight on your shoulders," she says. She also attributes this to the female role model: "As a woman in Italy, you're responsible for the children." There's no sharing of duties, she says. Merloni knows this all too well; she is divorced and a single parent with three children. She has to manage her time well. “As a woman," she advises, "you have to define your goals, set your priorities and be determined to follow them.” Delegating is also important, she says, because business responsibilities are broad: People management, finances, politics and socio-cultural events. As a result, Merloni now has ten employees, three of whom work in the brewery. She has also hired a brewery manager to represent her at public events. Merloni admits, "I am confident in my work. But I am not so good with people.” At the brewery, she continues to work on recipe development and quality control. 

Future plans 

Her biggest goal is "to have enough time to have new experiences.” At first, this sounds purely personal. But because for Giovanna Merloni the professional is also personal, it translates as follows: "I want to continue my business completely independently and well organized, so that I can go on long trips. I also want to add the element of hospitality - to create a place that combines everything I do - Giovanna style," she says with a laugh. She has in mind to add a country hotel to her farm and brewery – with offers for wellness and well-being. Merloni is also a yoga instructor. 

Establishing the craft brewery may not have been easy. As Merloni tells it, she had to explain to people the brewing process, the different styles of beer, and the new drinking occasions. It was all foreign at the time, she says, and even more foreign with a woman at the helm. "I am proud to still be here with IBeer after ten years," she says. She still cherishes the old dream of growing grapes. Maybe she can take over vineyards, just as she took over her great-grandfather's fields. Then – we can be sure – that this passion of hers will also turn into a profitable business. 

Are you also one of the women who want to help shape the world of beverages? At BrauBeviale women4beverages on Stage will meet on November 28, 2023 in the Forum BrauBeviale in Hall 1 from 3:30-4 p.m. and afterwards for a casual get together where the focus will be on exchange, networking and mutual inspiration. Be part of it!