Madri Excepcional: Marketed as a Spanish lager yet brewed in the UK

Several firms claim their beer to be from Spain or Italy, yet their beer is brewed in the UK. 

Madri Excepcional markets as a Spanish beer yet brews in the UK

Lager brand Madri Excepcional, self-described as “Madrid’s modern lager”, is actually brewed in the United Kingdom, in the county of Yorkshire, by Coors: a Canadian-American multinational drink and brewing company. 

Jacob Aarup-Andersen, the CEO of the Danish brew, Carlsberg, told The Telegraph that the growing popularity of Madri Excepcional is eating into the success of Carlsberg in the UK. 

Molson Coors records annual sales of more than 100 million from Madri alone

Along with making the Madri brew, “the soul of Madrid”, Molson Coors also owns Doom Bar, Carling and Blue Moon. 

According to data experts NIQ, Madri Excepcional brought in annual sales of €108.9 million last year, while in the second quarter of this year, Coors claimed to have generated the third-highest sales revenue among all lagers sold in UK venues. 

Carlsberg responds to Madri Excepcional’s competing figures

Jacob Aarup-Andersen, in response to these figures, told The Telegraph “We’re seeing a continued high competition in world beers. It’s a fierce battleground in the UK”.

Jacob went further to say, “There’s no doubt that one of the brands that is doing well in the UK is Madrí. If you look at the market share, they’ve done well. I think they found a good proposition there. So kudos, kudos to them.”

A number of experts attest Madri’s rapid rise in popularity to its marketing push, starting in early 2022, just as concerns around Covid-19 restrictions began to ease in the UK. 

Madri markets as a sun-soaked spanish beer, yet brews in the UK

Capitalising on the nation’s desire for free movement, Madri made itself synonymous with a sun-soaked, beach holiday, what many Brits dreamed of most after the seemingly endless lockdowns. 

Madri managed this best by associating its beer with Mediterranean Europe, where the sun is hot, the days are long and the atmosphere is relaxed; an alluring idea compared to raining Britain.

Many UK brewed beer brands market using European allure

The use of the so-called attraction of continental Europe as a marketing strategy is nothing new, for example, the popular Italian lager Birra Moretti is in fact brewed by Heineken, a Dutch ale, in Manchester for the UK market. 

Additionally, San Miguel, founded in the Philippines, is based in Spain but brewed in Northampton by Carlsberg, for its UK customers. 

Madri Excepcional is not all marketing, however, as it is connected through a partnership with La Sagra, a craft brewer in Spain that is also owned by Molson Coors.

Estrella Galicia disagree with Madri Excepcional’s marketing methods

The managing director of the classic Spanish brew, Estrella Galicia, expressed his concerns with Madri’s advertising, stating it isn’t “very honest”.

Aitor de Artaza, the managing director, claimed that although “They did a very nice job in terms of marketing”, he states “it’s a little bit tricky because people think they are drinking a Spanish beer but it’s not”.