Birra Moretti and Peronithe story of Italy's two famous lagers, on tap and by the bottle at Fiena, King's Cross

Birra Moretti was founded in 1859 by Luigi Moretti in Udine, in Friuli. At the time Udine was still part of the Austrian Empire, and the business started out as a "Beer and Ice Factory". The first bottles went on sale in 1860, and the brewery was expected to make about 250,000 litres a year, enough for the local province.

The famous label has a story of its own. According to the company, in 1942 Commendatore Lao Menazzi Moretti spotted an elderly gentleman with a moustache at a table in the old Boschetti trattoria in Tricesimo, near Udine, and asked if he could photograph him. The man's price, in the Friulian language, was "Che al mi dedi di bevi, mi baste": "Give me to drink, enough for me." Another version says the photo was taken in 1939 by the German photographer Erika Groth-Schachtenberger, of a farmer from the Tyrol. Either way, the moustachioed gentleman became the face of Birra Moretti.

By the late 1980s Moretti was Italy's third-largest brewery. Heineken bought it in 1996, and today the beer is brewed in several places, including Manchester. The main Birra Moretti is a pale lager first launched in 1859. Background from Wikipedia's Birra Moretti page.

Peroni is even older. It was founded by Francesco Peroni in Vigevano in 1846. Business was so good that a second brewery was built in Rome, and Giovanni Peroni moved the company there in 1864, six years before Rome became Italy's capital. According to Assobirra, the Italian brewers' association, Peroni is the best-selling beer in Italy.

Its premium lager, Nastro Azzurro, was launched in 1963. The name means "Blue Ribbon", in honour of the Blue Riband won by the Italian ocean liner SS Rex in 1933. In the 1960s, its adverts focused on the sea and sailing. There's an alcohol-free version too. Background from Wikipedia's Peroni page.

On our drinks menu, you'll find:

• Draft Moretti, by the pint.
• Peroni, in 330ml bottles.
• Peroni 0%, in 330ml bottles, if you're not drinking.
• London Pride ale (500ml), for something British.
• Magners Irish cider (568ml).

See our posts on alcohol-free drinks and whisky, bourbon and tequila.

Pizza and a cold beer is hard to beat. From our main menu, try a Margherita with fior di latte and basil, the Diavola pepperoni with spicy nduja, or the Capricciosa with ham, mushroom, olives and artichokes. The Fiena burger, with smashed beef patties, caramelised onions and American cheese, comes with chips. And for sharing, the Mixed fried seafood, Garlic bread cheese, Padron peppers and Zucchini frite all go nicely with a pint.

See our posts on pizza Margherita, pizza Capricciosa, nduja and the Diavola and the Fiena burger.

Beer lovers have noticed. James, who used to run a pub, wrote: I used to run a real ale pub so I'm a bit of a stickler for a good pint. (James, Google review) His verdict on the night: delicious food, and excellent fresh beer. (James, Google review)