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

Where is Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale brewed?

By Mark Porter Last checked 9 September 2026 How we check

Origin not confirmed

We have not yet confirmed where the Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale sold in the UK is brewed.

Brewed for the UK in
Not confirmed
Not confirmed
Sold as a beer from Sicilian city name, Italian pack copy, sea salt crystals story
Brewed in (country)
Not confirmed
Brand owner HQ: Amsterdam, Netherlands
UK strength
Not confirmed
Strength at home (Italy)
5.0%
2.8 units a pint. Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale is 5.0% ABV in Italy. No UK mainstream retailer listing was found to establish a UK specification.
What the UK label says
We have not yet read the wording on a UK pack or listing.
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
Lager
Brand created
1923, Italy
Brewed at home in
Italy (Heineken Italia; Messina and Massafra, Sicily/Puglia)

What we have not confirmed

We have not found a UK supermarket listing, a brewer statement or a trade report for Birra Messina. The owner, Heineken Italia, is well established, but we have not confirmed how it reaches the UK, its UK strength or whether any is brewed here. When we last looked (9 September 2026), Morrisons, Asda, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Bestway did not list it; it is sold by Italian specialist shops.

If you have a can or bottle to hand, the producer's name and address in the small print would settle it.

In short

We have not been able to establish where the UK supply of Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale is brewed. It is sold as a beer from Italy. What is known and what is still open is set out in the verification box above. A photo of the small print on a current can or bottle would settle it.

Questions people ask

Where is Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale brewed?

We have not yet confirmed where the UK supply is brewed. What we do know is set out on this page.

Is Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale brewed in the UK?

We do not know yet. No source we have found says where the beer sold here is brewed.

Who owns Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale?

Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale is owned by Heineken N.V. (Heineken Italia S.p.A.), headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In the UK the brand is handled by Heineken UK Limited.

Which beers are similar to Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale?

Other beers sold as Italian in the UK include Birra Ichnusa, Birra Mapelli Italia Premium Lager and Birra Menabrea Bionda.

See also

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

Last checked 9 September 2026. How we check.

Sources

  1. BeerAdvocate (beeradvocate.com), 5 September 2026: Birra Messina Cristalli di Sale attributed to Heineken Italia at around 5% ABV

Spotted an error?Tell us what the pack says and we will check it. mark@pretendpint.com