Brits love beer, there’s no doubt about that.
But if you ask someone about the quality of the stuff that is produced on UK soil, chances are, they won’t have a lot of nice things to say about it – despite the fact that some of the most popular pints are brewed here.
Baffling, right?
Who doesn’t love a good pint? (Getty Stock Image)
That’s exactly how these 2,019 adults felt when they were informed that the ‘foreign’ tipples they favoured over British booze are actually made here, rather than being bottled abroad and shipped over as many people seem to believe.
Clever advertising has left a lot of punters presuming that the nice cold beer they are sipping on came a long way before ending up in their hand.
However, a lot of brands have set up breweries all over the world to keep the good stuff flowing and the costs down.
For example, the Canadian lager Carling is canned in Burton-On-Trent, while Foster’s is whipped up in Manchester, rather than Down Under.
However, seven in ten people in the UK believe that our nation produces poor quality beer, according to research conducted by Scottish beer-maker Innis & Gunn.
A survey found that 80 percent of ale lovers aged under 34 thought British beer was way below par in comparison to other countries, while 15 percent of respondents of various ages said that the UK ‘produces nothing well at all’.
This is despite the fact that the infamous Italian beer, Birra Moretti, and what people reckon is one of Spain’s finest creations, Madrí Excepcional, aren’t brewed in their countries of origin.
But shockingly, only one in 10 participants were actually aware that these brands don’t brew the stuff on their home turf.
Hilariously, half of the respondents aged 28 to 43 boasted that they were happy to stump up more money to guzzle a premium ‘continental’ beer, rather than anything made in Britain.
Little did they know, Moretti – which was crowned the UK’s most popular pint this year after outdoing Carling – is made in Manchester.
The original Birra Moretti dates back to 19th century Italy, but the firm got bought out by Heineken in 1996.
And if you were wondering who that dapper-looking chap on the label is, it’s a real guy who was spotted in a restaurant by the founder’s nephew and agreed to become the face of the brand in return for a bottle of beer.
A Heineken UK spokesperson previously told the BBC that the beer is ‘brewed all over the world to the same ‘l’autentica recipe, using the same ingredients and crafted to the same quality standards’, while the global master brewer makes sure ‘that the beer tastes just as it should’.
Brits were left baffled after finding out Birra Moretti is brewed in the UK (ANP via Getty Images)
“Quality and taste are incredibly important to us and the millions of people who also enjoy a Birra Moretti,” they added. “There are also a number of other benefits to brewing in the UK – it is more sustainable, and it provides UK jobs both in the brewery and the wider supply chain, and, therefore, contributes to the British economy.”
Meanwhile, although Madrí Excepcional might say a sip will give you a taste of modern Madrid, it’s actually brewed in Yorkshire.
Coors produce the stuff with some input from their Spanish brewery subsidiary in Toledo La Sagra and it is one of the ten best selling lagers in the UK.
Despite the intensive branding and the company’s slogan being ‘the soul of Madrid’, Madrí’s actual home is in the market town of Tadcaster.
Karen Albert, Premium Brands Director of Molson Coors Beverage Company, previously revealed why the beer is made in the UK.
She said: “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.
Madrí isn’t as Spanish as you might think, either (Instagram/@madriexcepcional)
“Our partnership with Carlos and La Sagra is built on celebrating this fusion of British and Spanish culture, taking inspiration from the vibrancy and diversity of modern Madrid,” Albert continued.
“We’ve brought events to major cities across the UK, with performances from Spanish and British musicians, street food celebrating both cultures and murals created by Madrid street artists in collaboration with British artists.
“Brewing Madrí Excepcional here in the UK enables us to deliver efficiently, quickly respond to demand and, crucially, to make our beers more sustainably. Brewing in the UK reduces the miles travelled from brewery to bar or shelf and all our beers in the UK are produced using 100 percent renewable electricity through a power purchase agreement.”
The founder and master brewer at Innis & Gunn, Dougal Sharp, reckons the results of the research show Brits need to fall back in love with the UK-brewed beer scene.
He said: “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 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.”