“El Alma de Madrid” Brewed in Britain: Spanish-Style โBeer takes the UK by Storm
London, UK โ- A curious trend is sweeping British pubs: a surge in the popularity of “Spanish” beer.โฃ But a closer look reveals a surprising โขtwist – muchโข of this Iberian-inspired brew isn’t actually from Spain.
The phenomenon centers around Madrรญ, a beerโ that โขhas become the UK’s most prosperous beerโ launch โคin history, reaching top sales figures in under five years. According to Heineken data released in late 2023, overall sales of “Spanish” beers in England jumpedโ aโ remarkable 73% in 2022.
“[BottlesofโbeerarelineduponthecounterofaBritishpubโฃon the label, a virile ‘chulapo’ [a typical character from the working-class neighborhoods of Madrid] andโ a slogan written in Spanish: โค’El alma de Madrid’โข [‘The soul of Madrid’]. In very small print, it readsโ ‘Discover the soul of โขMadrid’, as if brands around the world have lost their minds and are using Spanish words โto give themselves a complex air],” reports Spanish daily โฃ El Mundo.
Historically,Spain hasn’t been โrecognized asโ a โขbrewingโฃ powerhouse,often associated with โค”easy-drinking and low-alcohol” beverages,as noted by The Times. Yet, โคa 2024 study by Scottish brewer Innis &โ Gunn revealed a striking shift in perception: 38% of Britons now believeโ Spain brewsโ the best beer in โthe world.
This preference is translating into spending, with Brits willing toโ pay a premium for a “continental” experience. “One in five pints served in British pubs is now of Spanish origin,”The Times reports, a boon for pub owners.
Aโ Paradoxical Pint
However, the authenticity is largely an โคillusion.The wildly popular Madrรญ, despite its evocative branding and Spanish slogans, isn’t โbrewed in Spain at all.It’s produced exclusively for the British โmarket in Tadcaster,Yorkshire,and Burton-on-Trent,Staffordshire – by British brewers.
Molsonโค Coors,โค the american-Canadian brewing giant behind โขMadrรญ, claims a connection to Spain throughโค a small brewery it owns