Spain¡¯s best beers? A low-cost supermarket brand and Estrella Galicia
Consumer watchdog praises white label brews over better-known makes
After putting 31 of Spain¡¯s beers to the test, the country¡¯s OCU consumer watchdog has decided that? El Corte Ingl¨¦s department store¡¯s Hipercor brand lager offers the best value among classic beers, while Ambar and Estrella Galicia come top in the specialty range.
The OCU says that Hipercor¡¯s 33-centiliter tin is not only tastier than its better-known rivals, such as Mahou and Heineken, but that at 36 cents a can, it¡¯s significantly cheaper.
Last year the OCU assessed face creams, ranking German low-cost supermarket Lidl¡¯s Cien brand top in its category, prompting a rush on sales
In the specialty category, Ambar and Estrella Galicia, which come in at between 55 cents and 76 cents a tin, are the best, ahead, for example of supermarket chain Mercadona¡¯s Stark and Condis Premium Pilsner.
This isn¡¯t the first time the OCU¡¯s findings have put supermarket brands ahead of their better-known and more expensive rivals. Last year it assessed face creams, ranking German low-cost supermarket Lidl¡¯s Cien brand top in its category, prompting a rush on sales.
The OCU laboratory tested the composition of the 31 beers, checking the amount of malt used in the brewing process, as well as assessing taste and appearance. Its conclusions are that Germany and Belgium have little to fear for the moment, given that only a third of Spanish beers put to the taste test were considered acceptable.
Spaniards drink an average of 46 liters of beer annually per person, the beverage costing around €1.48 a liter.
English version by Nick Lyne.
Sign up for our newsletter
EL PA?S English Edition is launching a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here.
Tu suscripci¨®n se est¨¢ usando en otro dispositivo
?Quieres a?adir otro usuario a tu suscripci¨®n?
Si contin¨²as leyendo en este dispositivo, no se podr¨¢ leer en el otro.
FlechaTu suscripci¨®n se est¨¢ usando en otro dispositivo y solo puedes acceder a EL PA?S desde un dispositivo a la vez.
Si quieres compartir tu cuenta, cambia tu suscripci¨®n a la modalidad Premium, as¨ª podr¨¢s a?adir otro usuario. Cada uno acceder¨¢ con su propia cuenta de email, lo que os permitir¨¢ personalizar vuestra experiencia en EL PA?S.
En el caso de no saber qui¨¦n est¨¢ usando tu cuenta, te recomendamos cambiar tu contrase?a aqu¨ª.
Si decides continuar compartiendo tu cuenta, este mensaje se mostrar¨¢ en tu dispositivo y en el de la otra persona que est¨¢ usando tu cuenta de forma indefinida, afectando a tu experiencia de lectura. Puedes consultar aqu¨ª los t¨¦rminos y condiciones de la suscripci¨®n digital.
