Madrí Excepcional launches alcohol-free version

Molson Coors Beverage Company is launching Madrí Excepcional 0.0%, a zero-alcohol version of its popular Spanish style lager as consumer demand for no- and low-alcohol world beer continues to grow.

The alcohol-free lager, created in partnership with La Sagra brewery in Spain, will hit supermarket and convenience shelves across the UK from March 2025, with listings already secured, including Waitrose.

The number of drinkers choosing to moderate has also increased dramatically, up by 2.2m between 2016 and 2023, with more than half (53 per cent) of 18–34-year-olds, and 59 per cent of Britain’s total adult population now trying to drink less alcohol. Some 64 per cent of these no- and low-alcohol drinkers do so during at-home occasions.

Sophie Mitchell, Marketing Controller at Madrí Excepcional, said, “Consumers increasingly expect to see a no- and low-alcohol versions of their favourite beers. With Madri Excepcional fast becoming the flagship brand in the world beer category, launching 0.0% is a natural evolution for us.

“It means consumers can stick with one of their favourite beers, even when looking to moderate, and enables retailers to better cater for a growing no- and low-alcohol market, while still tapping into the popularity of the Madri Excepcional brand.”

Madrí Excepcional is now the no.5 world beer brand, and the 6^th fastest growing of the top 20 lagers in the GB off trade^], worth over £123m in retail and growing sales by 9.3% over the last year^].

The 0.0% version, which will launch in 4x330ml glass bottle multipacks, is created using cutting edge technology to remove alcohol which retains the refreshing flavour drinkers expect from Madrí Excepcional.

Simon Smith, Head of R&D and Innovation at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said: “Madri Excepcional 0.0% is brewed using cutting edge technology which is proven to retain the best flavour and quality, resulting in the same well-rounded taste profile as Madrí Excepcional, and a crisp, clean and refreshing beer full of flavour and aroma.”

In consumer testing, Madrí Excepcional 0.0% was preferred to other zero-alcohol world beers for taste, appearance, aftertaste and mouthfeel.

The rollout will be backed by a multi-million-pound marketing campaign, including advertising, PR, paid social, and a programme of influencer activity. Madrí Excepcional and its alcohol-free variant will both appear in a brand-new TV ad later this year.

Madrí Excepcional will be unveiling a new experience on its Conectada platform to support the launch of Madrí Excepcional 0.0% in April 2025.