Where is Desperados brewed?
By Mark Porter Last checked 9 September 2026 How we check
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, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons when last checked. The product pages are among the sources below.
| Format | UK strength | Units | At home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 x 330ml bottle | 5.9% | 1.9 units a bottle | 5.9% |
| 12 x 250ml bottle | 5.9% | 1.5 units a bottle | 5.9% |
| 650ml bottle | 5.9% | 3.8 units a bottle | 5.9% |
| 10 x 330ml can | 5.9% | 1.9 units a can | 5.9% |
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
What we have not confirmed
The supply is split, and we have read every retail pack: the 12 x 250ml and 650ml bottles (Morrisons) and the 10 x 330ml can (Asda) are marked country of origin United Kingdom with Heineken UK's Edinburgh address, and the 3 x 330ml bottle (Morrisons) is marked Netherlands. All are 5.9%, the same as the French original on Heineken France's own page. No pack names the brewery, and the UK-marked packs carry both a Heineken UK and an Amsterdam address, so we do not name a UK brewery. Reports of production at the Karlovacko brewery or in Ivory Coast concern other markets. The 1995 French launch and the Heineken France origin come from general brand history rather than a source we cite.
The 12 x 250ml bottle is marked United Kingdom at Morrisons and Asda (both read 9 September 2026) but Netherlands at Sainsbury's, whose listing prints 'Brewed in: Heineken Brouwerijen BV, Amsterdam'. Either two batches of that pack exist or one listing is out of date. Two listings to one say Britain, so that is what we show until we read the pack ourselves. The 3 x 330ml bottle is Netherlands at all three chains and the 650ml bottle United Kingdom, so the supply is split either way.
If you have a can or bottle to hand, the producer's name and address in the small print would settle it.
In short
The UK supply of Desperados is split: some of what reaches the shelf is imported and some is brewed here. Pack by pack: 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 brand itself was created in France, not Mexico. 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. Here is what each pack says.
| Format | Supply | Label text |
|---|---|---|
| 12 x 250ml bottle | Brewed in Britain | Country of origin: United Kingdom. Heineken UK Limited, 6 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD. HBBV, Tweede Weteringplantsoen 21, 1017 ZD Amsterdam, NL. |
| 3 x 330ml bottle | Imported | Country of origin: Netherlands. Distributor: Heineken UK Limited, 3-4 Broadway Park, Edinburgh, EH12 9JZ. |
| 650ml bottle | Brewed in Britain | Country of origin: United Kingdom. Heineken UK Limited, 6 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD. |
| 10 x 330ml can | Brewed in Britain | Country 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
| Years | Brewer | Site | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 to now | Heineken UK | Not confirmed | tesco.com |
Questions people ask
Where is Desperados brewed?
The UK supply is split between imported stock and stock brewed in Britain.
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 Britain and some is imported, so it depends which pack you pick up. The brand itself was created in France, not Mexico.
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%. A UK pint is 3.4 units.
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.
Last checked 9 September 2026. How we check.
Sources
- Tesco (tesco.com), 5 September 2026: 5.9% vol, brewed by Heineken UK Limited, country of origin United Kingdom
- petebrown.net
- famvandermeer.com
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Desperados Tequila Lager Beer Bottles 3 x 330ml, re-read 6 September 2026: 5.9; country of origin Netherlands; distributor Heineken UK Limited, 3-4 Broadway Park, Edinburgh, EH12 9JZ.
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Desperados Original Beer Lager Bottles 12 x 250ml, re-read 6 September 2026: 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.'
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Desperados Tequila Lager Beer Bottle 650ml, re-read 6 September 2026: 5.9; country of origin United Kingdom; Heineken UK Limited, 6 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD.
- 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).
- 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).
- Heineken France (heinekenfrance.fr), 6 September 2026: Heineken France's nutrition page for Desperados Original: 'ALCOOL 5,9% vol'.
- Asda (asda.com), 6 September 2026: Desperados Original Beer Lager Cans 10 x 330ml, product page read 6 September 2026: 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.'
- Sainsbury's (sainsburys.co.uk), 9 September 2026: 12 x 250ml bottle, read on 9 September 2026: 5.9%; country of origin Netherlands; 'Brewed in: Heineken Brouwerijen BV, Tweede Weteringplantsoen 21-1017 ZD, Amsterdam, Netherlands.'
- Sainsbury's (sainsburys.co.uk), 9 September 2026: 3 x 330ml bottle, read on 9 September 2026: 5.9%; country of origin Netherlands.
- Sainsbury's (sainsburys.co.uk), 9 September 2026: 650ml bottle, read on 9 September 2026: 5.9%; country of origin United Kingdom; Heineken UK Limited, 6 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh.
Spotted an error?Tell us what the pack says and we will check it. mark@pretendpint.com