PretendPint

Which beers sold as foreign are brewed in Britain, and what to buy instead

Work in progress. We are still reading cans and settling where listings disagree. Seen a beer whose small print contradicts its label? Tell us.

Where is Desperados brewed?

Mixed supply Verified Last checked 6 September 2026

The UK supply of Desperados is split between imported stock and stock brewed in Britain. Check the small print on the pack.

Listed by Tesco, Asda and Morrisons when last checked. The product pages are among the sources below.

UK strength by format
FormatUK strengthAt home
3 x 330ml bottle5.9%5.9%
12 x 250ml bottle5.9%5.9%
650ml bottle5.9%5.9%
10 x 330ml can5.9%5.9%
Brewed for the UK in
Mixed: some imported, some brewed in Britain
Mixed supply
Sold as a beer from Tequila flavour, Spanish name, Mexican and Latin party imagery; actually a French-created brand
Brewed in (country)
Mixed
Brand owner HQ: Amsterdam, Netherlands
UK strength
5.9%
Strength at home (Mexico)
5.9%
5.9% on every UK pack read. The French Desperados Original is 5.9% per Heineken France's own nutrition page, so the strength is the same whichever country a pack comes from.
What the UK label says
“Country of origin: United Kingdom. Heineken UK Limited, 6 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD. HBBV, Tweede Weteringplantsoen 21, 1017 ZD Amsterdam, NL.”
Source: groceries.morrisons.com
More about the brand: rights, style, when it was created, where it is brewed at home
UK rights held by
Heineken UK Limited (owned)
Style
Tequila-flavoured lager
Brand created
1995, France
Brewed at home in
France (Heineken France)

In short

The UK supply of Desperados is split: some of what reaches the shelf is imported and some is brewed here. By format, the record says 3 x 330ml bottle: imported; 12 x 250ml bottle: brewed in Britain; 650ml bottle: brewed in Britain; 10 x 330ml can: brewed in Britain. The can in your hand could be either, so check the producer address in the small print. It is the same strength here as at home: 5.9%. The brand belongs to Heineken N.V. (created by Fischer/Brasseries Heineken France).

It depends which one you pick up

The bottles, cans and draught version of this beer do not all come from the same place, or are not all the same strength. This is what the record says per format.

FormatSupplyLabel text
3 x 330ml bottleImportedCountry of origin: Netherlands. Distributor: Heineken UK Limited, 3-4 Broadway Park, Edinburgh, EH12 9JZ.
12 x 250ml bottleBrewed in BritainCountry of origin: United Kingdom. Heineken UK Limited, 6 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD. HBBV, Tweede Weteringplantsoen 21, 1017 ZD Amsterdam, NL.
650ml bottleBrewed in BritainCountry of origin: United Kingdom. Heineken UK Limited, 6 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD.
10 x 330ml canBrewed in BritainCountry of Origin: United Kingdom. Heineken UK Limited, 3-4 Broadway Park, Edinburgh, EH12 9JZ. HBBV, Tweede Weteringplantsoen 21, 1017 ZD Amsterdam, NL.

Who has brewed it here

YearsBrewerSiteSource
2008 to nowHeineken UKNot establishedtesco.com

What changed

Questions people ask

Where is Desperados brewed?

The UK supply is split between imported stock and stock brewed in Britain. The imported share comes from France.

Is Desperados brewed in the UK?

Partly. Some UK stock is brewed in Britain and some is imported, so it depends which pack you pick up.

Is Desperados really Mexican?

Only partly. Some UK stock is brewed in Mexico and some in Britain.

Who owns Desperados?

Desperados is owned by Heineken N.V. (created by Fischer/Brasseries Heineken France), headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In the UK the brand is handled by Heineken UK Limited.

What strength is Desperados in the UK?

Desperados is 5.9% ABV in the UK. In Mexico it is 5.9%.

Is Desperados weaker in the UK than in Mexico?

No. It is 5.9% in both the UK and Mexico.

See also

Every beer sold as Mexico · Every brand owned by Heineken N.V.

Sources

  1. Tesco (tesco.com), 5 September 2026: 5.9% vol, brewed by Heineken UK Limited, country of origin United Kingdom
  2. second research pass (petebrown.net): cited by second research pass
  3. second research pass (famvandermeer.com): cited by second research pass
  4. Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Desperados Tequila Lager Beer Bottles 3 x 330ml, re-read 2026-09-06: 5.9; country of origin Netherlands; distributor Heineken UK Limited, 3-4 Broadway Park, Edinburgh, EH12 9JZ.
  5. Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Desperados Original Beer Lager Bottles 12 x 250ml, re-read 2026-09-06: 5.9; country of origin United Kingdom; 'Heineken UK Limited, 6 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD. HBBV, Tweede Weteringplantsoen 21, 1017 ZD Amsterdam, NL.'
  6. Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Desperados Tequila Lager Beer Bottle 650ml, re-read 2026-09-06: 5.9; country of origin United Kingdom; Heineken UK Limited, 6 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD.
  7. Asda (asda.com), 6 September 2026: Original Beer Lager Cans 10 x 330ml: Country of Origin United Kingdom (product index record; the listing's producer block was not shown).
  8. Asda (asda.com), 6 September 2026: Original Beer Lager Bottles 3 x 330ml: Country of Origin Netherlands (product index record; the listing's producer block was not shown).
  9. Heineken France (heinekenfrance.fr), 6 September 2026: Heineken France's nutrition page for Desperados Original: 'ALCOOL 5,9% vol'.
  10. Asda (asda.com), 6 September 2026: Desperados Original Beer Lager Cans 10 x 330ml, product page read 2026-09-06: 5.9; Country of Origin United Kingdom; 'Heineken UK Limited, 3-4 Broadway Park, Edinburgh, EH12 9JZ. HBBV, Tweede Weteringplantsoen 21, 1017 ZD Amsterdam, NL.'

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