Where is Modelo Especial brewed?
By Mark Porter Last checked 11 September 2026 How we check
The UK supply of Modelo Especial is split between imported stock and stock brewed in Britain. Check the small print on the pack.
Listed by Tesco, Asda and Morrisons when last checked. The product pages are among the sources below.
| Format | UK strength | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 355ml bottle | 4.5% | 1.6 units a bottle |
| 620ml bottle | 4.5% | 2.8 units a bottle |
| 4 x 440ml can | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
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 split by pack comes from The Grocer, reporting Budweiser Brewing Group's own breakdown, which names Magor, and two packs at Morrisons (read 6 September 2026) bear it out: the 12 x 355ml bottle prints Country of Origin Mexico with Cervecería Modelo's address, and the 620ml bottle prints Country of Origin United Kingdom with AB InBev UK's address, both at 4.5%.
We have since read a 355ml bottle ourselves (11 September 2026). It says 'Pilsner Type Beer / Cerveza. Produced in Mexico by Cervecería Modelo, S. de R.L. de C.V., Lago Alberto, Anáhuac, 11320, CDMX, México', on a label in English and Spanish, which agrees with both listings. The strength was not legible on our photo, so the 4.5% for that bottle still rests on the Asda and Morrisons listings.
What we have not confirmed: the 4 x 440ml can, whose Tesco listing gives no strength, origin or producer, and the strength sold in Mexico. We have not read the 620ml bottle or the can ourselves.
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 Modelo Especial is split: some of what reaches the shelf is imported and some is brewed here. Pack by pack: 355ml bottle: imported; 620ml bottle: brewed in Britain; 4 x 440ml can: brewed in Britain. The can in your hand could be either, so check the producer address in the small print. The UK version is 4.5%; we have not confirmed the home-market strength. Ownership of the brand is split by territory: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (Grupo Modelo; US rights held separately by Constellation Brands).
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 355ml bottle | Imported | Country of Origin: Mexico. Brewed in: Zacatecas, Tuxtepec, Mérida, Ciudad de México, Mexico. By: Cervecería Modelo de México, S. de R.L. de C.V., Lago Alberto 156, Colonia Anáhuac, Mexico City 11320, Mexico. |
| 620ml bottle | Brewed in Britain | Country of origin: United Kingdom. AB Inbev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN. Inbev Belgium, BD Industriel 21, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium. |
| 4 x 440ml can | Brewed in Britain | The Tesco listing states no strength, origin or producer (read 6 September 2026). |
Who has brewed it here
| Years | Brewer | Site | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 to now | Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I; part imported, part brewed at Magor | Magor, South Wales and Mexico | thegrocer.co.uk |
Questions people ask
Where is Modelo Especial brewed?
The UK supply is split between imported stock and stock brewed in Britain. The British share is brewed at Magor, Monmouthshire, South Wales.
Is Modelo Especial 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 Modelo Especial really Mexican?
Only partly. Some UK stock is brewed in Britain and some is imported, so it depends which pack you pick up.
Who owns Modelo Especial?
Modelo Especial is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (Grupo Modelo; US rights held separately by Constellation Brands), headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. In the UK the brand is handled by Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I under licence.
What strength is Modelo Especial in the UK?
Modelo Especial is 4.5% ABV in the UK. A UK pint is 2.6 units.
What does the Modelo Especial label say about where it is brewed?
The UK label text on record reads: "4 x 355ml and 12 x 355ml bottles: Country of Origin: Mexico. Produced by: Cervecería Modelo, S. de R.L. de C.V., Lago Alberto 156, Colonia Anáhuac, 11320 CDMX, Mexico. 620ml bottle: Country of origin: United Kingdom. AB Inbev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN."
See also
Side by side with Corona Extra.
Every beer sold as Mexico · What else is brewed at Magor, Monmouthshire · Every brand owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV
Last checked 11 September 2026. How we check.
Sources
- The Grocer (thegrocer.co.uk), 2025: 355ml glass bottles imported from Mexico; 620ml glass bottles and 4x440ml cans brewed at BBG's Magor brewery in Wales; low-key grocery launch in late 2024
- The Beerhive (thebeerhive.co.uk), 5 September 2026: 355ml UK stock described as brewed in Mexico and imported, 4.4% ABV (secondary source)
- Asda (asda.com), 5 September 2026: Modelo Especial Mexican Lager Beer Bottles 4 x 355ml: alcohol by volume 4.5; Country of Origin Mexico; manufacturer 'Produced by: Cervecería Modelo, S. de R.L. de C.V., Lago Alberto No. 156, Col. Anáhuac, 11320 CDMX, Mexico.' A separate 620ml bottle appeared in the same search.
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Modelo Especial 12 x 355ml: 4.5; Country of origin Mexico; 'Brewed in: Zacatecas, Tuxtepec, Mérida, Ciudad de México, Mexico. By: Cervecería Modelo de México, S. de R.L. de C.V., Lago Alberto 156, Colonia Anáhuac, Mexico City 11320, Mexico.'
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 6 September 2026: Modelo Lager 620ml: 4.5; Country of origin United Kingdom; 'AB Inbev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN. Inbev Belgium, BD Industriel 21, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.'
- Tesco (tesco.com), 6 September 2026: Modelo Especial Cerveza 4 x 440ml, read 6 September 2026: the listing states no strength, country of origin or producer.
Spotted an error?Tell us what the pack says and we will check it. mark@pretendpint.com