A UK brewery has been branded ‘not very honest’ for marketing a popular beer as the ‘soul of Madrid’ – even though it is brewed in North Yorkshire.
Launched in the pandemic, Madrí Excepcional became the fastest growing major beer brand in the UK last year.
It is heavily promoted as a Spanish, using the slogan “El Alma de Madrid” (“the soul of Madrid”). Yet it is brewed at the Tower Brewery in Tadcaster by Molson Coors .
Now the boss of a real Spanish brewer has attacked the way the beer is marketed. Aitor de Artaza, international managing director of Estrella Galicia, told the Telegraph that it wasn’t fair on drinkers.
“There is a lack of transparency because they use a big famous city in Spain, but they don’t produce here. This is confusing for the consumer,” he said.
“They did a very nice job in terms of marketing, that’s for sure. But it’s a little bit tricky because people think they are drinking a Spanish beer but it’s not.
“They are not very clear and not, to my point of view, very honest.”
Estrella Galicia has been brewed in the Spanish region of Galicia in the Iberian Peninsula for more than a century.
Karen Albert, premium brands director at Molson Coors, told the Telegraph: “Madrí Excepcional was created through a unique collaboration between Molson Coors and La Sagra Brewery, which is based close to Madrid, combining the craft and skill of innovative Spanish brewer Carlos Garcia at La Sagra and our Molson Coors master brewers in the UK.
“Brewing Madrí Excepcional here in the UK enables us to deliver efficiently, quickly respond to demand and, crucially, to make our beers more sustainably.”
