Between 1820 and ´30, the first breweries started up together with cotton mills in Chiavenna, giving birth to the local industry. When Valchiavenna belonged to the Austrian Lombardo -Veneto Reign, Austrian craftsmen opened their factories in the area inspired by good air and water as well as by famous crotti, perfect cold storage for beer.
In 1844 breweries in Chiavenna were four, and produced 390 hectolitres of beer; a few years later they were nine and produced the 20% of national beer. A falling-off in trade (moved towards tunnels in Piemonte), competition with other breweries elsewhere, troubles in buying raw materials and transiting goods, the high manufacturing taxes and mistaken business provoked a big crisis. Factories started slowly to close even if their low alcoholic fermentation beer, brewed following the German method, had become famous as "Birrone di Chiavenna" (big beer from Chiavenna) all over Italy. After 1911 breweries merged into Spluga brewery: in 1923-24 the company had 112 workers and quadrupled the production; it then closed in 1957 after trying to renew and moving to the lowland where it was called Splugen Brau and Splugen Bock. After 135 years tradition the brewery closed in Chiavenna.

(Source: Appunti sui Birrifici di Valchiavenna (1820-1957), Guido Scaramellini, Circolo Culturale Collezionistico Chiavennasco).

Beer is still produced today as it was once, at the beginning of last century. After fifty years blackout two micro-breweries has opened proposing again beer tradition.  It is now possible to taste different types of natural beer, made according to special recipes, outcome of passion and personal research. Beer of strong taste are today available as a result of past brewery technics and skills recovery.