Mahou Brewery

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For the Philippine food and beverage company, see San Miguel Corporation.

Mahou is a Spanish brewing company, founded in Madrid in 1890 under the name of Hijos de Casimiro Mahou, fabrica de hielo y cerveza (The Sons of Casimiro Mahou, maker of ice and beer). Mahou-San Miguel has no connection to the San Miguel Beer Division owned by the San Miguel Corporation, an entirely different brewing company that operates in Asia.

[edit] History

In 1890, when Enrique, Luis and Carolina, children of a French entrepreneur born in Lorraine, founded "Hijos de Casimiro Mahou" in Madrid, the French surname was poised to become the flag name of one of Spain's most famous beers.

At first the brewery was housed at Amaniel Street in Madrid. As sales figures raised, the company moved to a new and bigger building at Paseo Imperial in Madrid, where beer was produced for the first time in 1962. During that decade Mahou became the first brewery to use aluminium barrels instead of traditional wood.

After the purchase of San Miguel corporation at the end of the 2000, the company was re-named Mahou-San Miguel, the biggest Spanish brewing company. In 2007, Mahou purchased the Granada-based Alhambra Brewery (established in 1925).

[edit] Beers

The Mahou family of beers consists of Classic Mahou, Mahou Five Stars, Laiker (Low-alcohol beer), Black Mahou and Mixed Shandy. Classic Mahou is a lighter beer, with a taste reminiscent of Coors Light.