A new survey has revealed that more than 90% of Brits have been misled by the marketing of beers like Madri Excepcional, with only 8% of respondents aware that “Madrid’s Modern Lager” was invented in Burton-on-Trent a few years ago and is brewed by Molson Coors Brewing Company in the UK.
The survey also found just 27% of Brits believe the country produces good beer – which drops to 20% for those under 34.
In the eyes of the public, this puts homegrown beer below British cheese (46%), whisky (42%), film/TV (41%), and clothes (28%), with 15% of Brits of the belief that the country produces nothing well at all.
The research conducted by Opinion Matters among a sample of 2019 UK Adults was commissioned by Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn out of curiosity at the popularity of beers like Madri.
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The Mediterranean-style beer’s launch was one of the most successful in UK brewing history, but Innis & Gunn founder and master brewer Dougal Sharp believes evoking the “spirit of Madrid”, with a Spanish chulapo man on the bottle and a Madrid-inspired logo, is a mirage.
Dougal, who has worked in breweries since he was a teenager and founded Innis & Gunn in 2003, said: “Look, the beers we are talking about here are all great beers from great companies.
“But consumers are drawn in by the image and the promise of continental beer.
“They end up paying a premium price for them because of that marketing and the image. To me, it feels like a scandal.
“There’s no need to look to the continent for great beer when we’re producing award-winning homegrown lagers across the UK.
“And there’s no surely no need to be duped by supposedly continental lager. Our flagship lager recently won gold at the World Beer Awards, and British beers are among the best in the world; there’s so much quality here and consumers should wake up to that.”
While 50% of Millennials are willing to pay more for continental beer – compared to 38% of all Brits – only 12% of this age group know that Madri is brewed in the UK. A total of 34% prefer continental beer for its “unique and exotic flavours”.
The survey shows a further generational divide, with 37% of Millennials placing importance on a beer’s country of origin when making purchasing decisions, compared to just 29% of the general population and 21% of baby boomers.
To put these perceptions to the test even further, the Scottish brewer conducted an experiment at Teuchters Landing, a pub in Leith, Edinburgh.
They disguised their own lager with a vaguely Spanish label, and customers eagerly purchased it, assuming it was a continental brew.
When informed that they were actually drinking an Innis & Gunn lager, many were shocked – proving once again how branding influences consumer choices.
Madri’s rapid rise can be traced back to its 2020 launch during the COVID-19 pandemic, when British consumers, unable to travel abroad, sought out the taste of Spain at home.
The result has been a surge in sales of so-called “continental” beers, with Madri now one of the most popular beer brands in the UK.
Dougal added: “When I read the survey results, it did make me feel like I’ve been shouting into an empty keg for the last 20 years – but I won’t stop.
“Homegrown lager is a movement worth getting behind and It’s time to give the incredible beer being proudly produced right here on our doorstep its time in the sun, as it were.”
