Where is Mahou Cinco Estrellas brewed?
By Mark Porter Last checked 9 September 2026 How we check
The UK supply of Mahou Cinco Estrellas is split between imported stock and stock brewed in Britain. Check the small print on the pack.
Listed by Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Ocado and Waitrose when last checked. The product pages are among the sources below.
| Format | UK strength | Units | At home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 440ml can | 4.8% | 2.1 units a can | 5.5% |
| 4 x 330ml bottle | 5.1% | 1.7 units a bottle | 5.5% |
| 12 x 330ml bottle | 5.1% | 1.7 units a bottle | 5.5% |
| 10 x 440ml can | 4.8% | 2.1 units a can | 5.5% |
Every beer on the shelf by strength · How the units are worked out
More about the brand: rights, style, when it was created, where it is brewed at home
Verified
The three claims that matter, where the beer sold in the UK is brewed, its UK strength and who owns the brand, each rest on the brewer's own statement or on a seller's page transcribing the pack. Where the exact brewery is inferred rather than named, the page says so.
two Morrisons can listings disagree. The 4 x 440ml can is marked country of origin Spain, 'Brewed by Mahou S.A., Madrid, and canned by AB InBev UK Limited', while the 10 x 440ml fridge pack is marked country of origin United Kingdom, 'Brewed by AB InBev UK Limited'. Settled 6 September 2026: both listings were read again the same day and both stand. They describe two different packs, not one pack described two ways: the 4 x 440ml can is brewed in Madrid and canned in Britain, the 10 x 440ml can is brewed in Britain by AB InBev UK, and the 4 x 330ml and 12 x 330ml bottles are brewed and bottled in Madrid. The supply is split by pack, and every retail format has been read.
Owner and the Spanish strength are from Mahou's own pages; each format's origin and strength is from a retailer listing that transcribes the pack. The UK brewing site for the 10 x 440ml can is not named on the pack; AB InBev UK's plants are Magor and Samlesbury, and the site is recorded as inferred.
the two Morrisons can listings describe two different packs and both are still live. The 10 x 440ml fridge pack prints country of origin United Kingdom, 'Brewed by: AB InBev UK Limited' (Morrisons re-read; Bestway prints the same for the same EAN), and the 4 x 440ml prints country of origin Spain, 'Brewed by: Mahou S.A., Madrid, and canned by: AB InBev UK Limited', with United Kingdom as country of packaging. The supply is split by pack, not contradicted.
The small print on the base of a current can or bottle, giving the producer name and address, would settle this.
In short
The UK supply of Mahou Cinco Estrellas is split: some of what reaches the shelf is imported and some is brewed here. By format, the record says 4 x 440ml can: imported; 4 x 330ml bottle: imported; 12 x 330ml bottle: imported; 10 x 440ml can: brewed in Britain. The can in your hand could be either, so check the producer address in the small print. In Spain the same beer is 5.5%. Here it is 4.8%, which is 0.7 percentage points weaker. The brand belongs to Mahou San Miguel.
This page is about the packs sold in supermarkets. Draught in pubs can come from a different brewery, and this page does not cover it unless a format table says so.
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.
| Format | Supply | Label text |
|---|---|---|
| 4 x 330ml bottle | Imported | Country of origin: Spain. Mahou S.A., Madrid, Spain. Importer: AB InBev UK Limited. |
| 12 x 330ml bottle | Imported | Country of origin: Spain. Brewed and bottled by: Mahou S.A., Madrid, Spain. Importer: AB InBev UK Limited. |
| 4 x 440ml can | Imported | Country of origin: Spain. Brewed by: Mahou S.A., Madrid, Spain, and canned by: AB InBev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN. |
| 10 x 440ml can | Brewed in Britain | Country of Origin: United Kingdom. Brewed by: AB InBev UK Limited (earlier Morrisons reading). |
Who has brewed it here
| Years | Brewer | Site | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 to 2021 | Carlsberg UK (UK brewing and distribution) | Northampton | None recorded |
| 2021 to now | Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I took exclusive UK sale, marketing and distribution from 19 July 2021 | AB InBev UK | betterretailing.com |
What changed
- 9 September 2026: verification notes were rewritten (source)
- 6 September 2026: verification level was partly verified, now verified (source)
- 6 September 2026: details by pack format was not established, now 4 x 440ml can: imported, 4.8%; 4 x 330ml bottle: imported, 5.1%; 12 x 330ml bottle: imported, 5.1%; 10 x 440ml can: brewed in Britain, 4.8% (source)
- 5 September 2026: supermarket notes were rewritten
Questions people ask
Where is Mahou Cinco Estrellas brewed?
The UK supply is split between imported stock and stock brewed in Britain.
Is Mahou Cinco Estrellas 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 Mahou Cinco Estrellas really Spanish?
Only partly. Some UK stock is brewed in Britain and some is imported, so it depends which pack you pick up.
Who owns Mahou Cinco Estrellas?
Mahou Cinco Estrellas is owned by Mahou San Miguel, headquartered in Madrid, Spain. In the UK the brand is handled by Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I under licence.
What strength is Mahou Cinco Estrellas in the UK?
Mahou Cinco Estrellas is 4.8% ABV in the UK. In Spain it is 5.5%. A UK pint is 2.7 units.
Is Mahou Cinco Estrellas weaker in the UK than in Spain?
Yes. The UK version is 4.8% against 5.5% in Spain, 0.7 percentage points weaker.
See also
Every beer sold as Spain · Every brand owned by Mahou San Miguel
Sources
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Mahou Lager Beer Cans 10 x 440ml, re-read 2026-09-06: 4.8; Country of Origin United Kingdom; 'Brewed by: AB InBev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN. Mahou S.A. InBev Belgium, Bd Industriel 21, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.'
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Mahou Beer Cans 4 x 440ml, re-read 2026-09-06: 4.8; Country Of Origin Spain; 'Brewed by: Mahou S.A. Calle Titán, 15 Madrid, Spain. and Canned by: AB InBev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN.'; country of packaging United Kingdom.
- Sainsbury's (sainsburys.co.uk), 5 September 2026: 4x440ml cans: 4.8% ABV; country of origin 'Spain (Packed in United Kingdom)'; 'Brewed by: Mahou S.A. Calle Titan, 15 Madrid, Spain. and Canned by: AB InBev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN.'
- Waitrose (waitrose.com), 5 September 2026: cans: 4.8% ABV; country of origin Spain; brewed by Mahou S.A., Calle Titan 15, Madrid; canned by AB InBev UK Limited
- Ocado (ocado.com), 5 September 2026: 4x330ml bottles: country of origin Spain; 'Mahou S.A., C/ Titan no 15, Madrid, Spain'; 5.1% ABV, i.e. the imported bottle is a different and stronger product from the 4.8% UK cans
- Mahou (brand owner) (mahou.com), 5 September 2026: Mahou's own English brand page gives Cinco Estrellas as 5.1% Vol
- Better Retailing (betterretailing.com), 19 July 2021: Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I took exclusive responsibility for the sale, marketing and distribution of Mahou in the UK across retail and hospitality from 19 July 2021
- Just Drinks (just-drinks.com), July 2024: AB InBev took over UK distribution for Mahou Cinco Estrellas in 2021, and San Miguel joined it from 1 January 2025
- Untappd (untappd.com): a separate database entry exists for 'Mahou Cinco Estrellas (UK 4.8%)' attributed to AB InBev UK, distinct from the Spanish Grupo Mahou-San Miguel entry (secondary source, lead only)
- Ocado (ocado.com)
- grocerytrader.co.uk
- mahou.es
- mahou-sanmiguel.com
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Mahou 4 x 330ml bottles: 5.1%; country of origin Spain; Mahou S.A., C/ Titan 15, Madrid; importer AB InBev UK Limited.
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Mahou Beer Bottles 12 x 330ml: 5.1%; country of origin Spain; 'Brewed and bottled by: Mahou S.A., C/ Titan 15, Madrid, Spain.'; importer AB InBev UK Limited.
- Bestway (bestwaywholesale.co.uk), 9 September 2026: 10 x 440ml can, read 2026-09-09: 4.8%; Country of Origin United Kingdom; 'Brewed by: AB InBev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN. Mahou S.A. InBev Belgium, Bd Industriel 21, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.'
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