Where is San Miguel Especial brewed?
By Mark Porter Last checked 9 September 2026 How we check
San Miguel Especial is sold as a beer from Spain. It is brewed in Britain by AB InBev UK Limited; the pack names the company, not the brewery.
What to drink instead 6 beers on the same shelves that are what they say
Listed by Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons when last checked. The product pages are among the sources below.
| Format | UK strength | Units | At home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 440ml can | 5.0% | 2.2 units a can | 5.4% |
| 620ml bottle | 5.0% | 3.1 units a bottle | 5.4% |
| 4 x 568ml can | 5.0% | 2.8 units a can | 5.4% |
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
In short
Everything about the packaging of San Miguel Especial says Spain: Spanish name, Iberian imagery, 'Spain's original premium lager' positioning. Since 2025 it has been brewed in Britain by AB InBev UK Limited; before that Carlsberg UK made it. The pack names AB InBev UK Limited, not the brewery; its plants are Magor, Monmouthshire, South Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire, and the site is inferred. In Spain the same beer is 5.4%. Here it is 5.0%, which is 0.4 percentage points weaker. The brand belongs to Mahou San Miguel. On the recipe: Brewed in Britain under licence at a lower strength than the Spanish original.
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.
Formats on record
Every pack format read so far says the same thing. This is what each one says, so you can check the one in your hand against it.
| Format | Supply | Label text |
|---|---|---|
| 620ml bottle | Brewed in Britain | Brewed in the UK by AB InBev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN on behalf of Cervezas San Miguel S.L.U. InBev Belgium, Bd Industriel 21, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium. Premium Lager Beer. 620ml. Alc 5.0% vol. |
| 10 x 440ml can | Brewed in Britain | Country of Origin: United Kingdom. Brewed by: AB Inbev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN. On Behalf of: Cervezas San Miguel S.L.U., Inbev Belgium, BD Industriel 21, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium. |
| 4 x 568ml can | Brewed in Britain | Country of origin: United Kingdom. Brewed by: AB InBev UK Limited. InBev Belgium, Belgium. |
Who has brewed it here
| Years | Brewer | Site | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 to 2020 | Carlsberg UK | Northampton | carlsbergmarstons.co.uk |
| 2009 to 2024 | Carlsberg UK, later Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company | Northampton | carlsbergmarstons.co.uk |
| 2020 to 2024 | Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company | Northampton and Wolverhampton | carlsbergbritvic.co.uk |
| 2025 to now | AB InBev UK Limited (Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I) | AB InBev UK breweries (Magor / Samlesbury) | mahou-sanmiguel.com |
| 2025 to now | Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I (AB InBev) | not established in this research | morningadvertiser.co.uk |
What changed
- 9 September 2026: details by pack format was "no pack format on record", now "620ml bottle and 10 x 440ml can: both 5.0%, both brewed in the UK by AB InBev UK Limited; the bottle read in hand, best before July 2027"
Questions people ask
Where is San Miguel Especial brewed?
The beer sold in the UK is brewed in Britain by AB InBev UK Limited. The pack names AB InBev UK Limited, not the brewery; its plants are Magor, Monmouthshire, South Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire, and the site is inferred.
Is San Miguel Especial brewed in the UK?
Yes. The pack names AB InBev UK Limited, not the brewery; its plants are Magor, Monmouthshire, South Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire, and the site is inferred.
Is San Miguel Especial really Spanish?
The branding is Spanish, but the beer sold in Britain is brewed in the UK. The pack names AB InBev UK Limited, not the brewery; its plants are Magor, Monmouthshire, South Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire, and the site is inferred.
Who owns San Miguel Especial?
San Miguel Especial 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 San Miguel Especial in the UK?
San Miguel Especial is 5.0% ABV in the UK. In Spain it is 5.4%. A UK pint is 2.8 units.
Is San Miguel Especial weaker in the UK than in Spain?
Yes. The UK version is 5.0% against 5.4% in Spain, 0.4 percentage points weaker.
See also
Side by side with Madrí Excepcional.
Every beer sold as Spain · What else is brewed at Magor, Monmouthshire · Every brand owned by Mahou San Miguel
Sources
- Mahou San Miguel (mahou-sanmiguel.com), 2 July 2024: agreement announced 2 July 2024, effective 1 January 2025, covering San Miguel Especial, 0.0 and Gluten Free
- Just Drinks (just-drinks.com), July 2024: CMBC licence ends 31 December 2024; AB InBev takes UK production and distribution from 1 January 2025; AB InBev already had Mahou since 2021
- Food Manufacture (foodmanufacture.co.uk), 3 July 2024: CMBC produced and distributed San Miguel in the UK under exclusive licence for more than 15 years, ending 31 December 2024
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 5 September 2026: 5.0% ABV, country of origin United Kingdom, brewed by AB InBev UK Limited on behalf of Cervezas San Miguel S.L.U.
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 5 September 2026: same AB InBev UK brewing statement on a second SKU
- Sainsbury's (sainsburys.co.uk), 5 September 2026: legacy data: 'Carlsberg UK Ltd, Northampton, NN1 1PZ', country of origin United Kingdom, 5.0% ABV
- Carlsberg Britvic (carlsbergbritvic.co.uk)
- The Drinks Business (thedrinksbusiness.com)
- petebrown.net
- Tesco (tesco.com)
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 9 September 2026: 4 x 568ml can, read on 9 September 2026: 5.0%; Country Of Origin United Kingdom; 'Brewed by: AB Inbev UK Limited'.
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 9 September 2026: 620ml bottle, read on 9 September 2026: 5.0%; Country Of Origin United Kingdom; 'Brewed by: AB Inbev UK Limited', matching the bottle read in hand.
Spotted an error?Tell us what the pack says and we will check it. [email protected]