Mahou (beer)

A bottle of Mahou beer

Mahou is a brand of beer brewed by the Spanish brewer Mahou-San Miguel Group. The Mahou brewery was founded in Madrid in 1890.^[1] Its most popular beer is Mahou 5 Estrellas (Mahou 5 Stars).

History

Early history

Mahou is the quintessential beer of people from Madrid. It was born in parallel to the modernization of Spanish society in the 19th century. The beer brand has witnessed, in its 125 years of life, changes in Spain’s history and across the world. Mahou is a Spanish beer that belongs to the Mahou-San Miguel group, one of the main beer companies of the country in the 21st century. The brand name refers to the surname of the family that owned the brewery for more than a century. The beginning of this beer's history traces back to 1890 and its creator Casimiro Mahou Beirhans, an entrepreneur of German origin that decided to found the family company El ARCO Iris which would later become the pioneer company in Spain for beer production.

After his death, his Spanish children, with the surname Mahou Solana, opened the factory Al Vapor de Colores, Barnices y Hielo Fábrica de Cerveza. The family company evolved with the city of Madrid and the success and sales of their beer caused the rest of the products made by the factory to remain in the background so in the end the name became Fábrica de Hielo y Cervezas, which became popular at the time for the quality of its beer production in a country with a strong wine tradition.

Spanish beer has always relied on great engineers for the production phase in its factories and imported the most innovative machinery of the time from Germany. The first brewing master, Konrad Stauffer, worked for Mahou for more than half a century, since the opening of the Amaniel factory and until his death. It wasn't until the mid 19th century that the beer was made available for all social classes concurrently with the growth of Madrid from the end of the century and into the beginning of the 20th century. At this time Mahou joined the beer production industry in the capital and got up to six breweries; quite a social milestone since until then drink in Spain was a luxury reserved only for kings and the upper classes.

Amaniel, a brewery ahead of its time

Since 1890, Mahou has been a symbol of modernity, a common ground that unites couples, friends, colleagues and family members. One of the children of the founder, Alfredo Mahou y Solana, picked No. 29 Calle Amaniel to open the first beer factory, Mahou: the Ice and Beer factory.

The Mahou factory, located in the popular neighborhood of Chamberi, began producing on February 1, 1891. By 1928 it had a range of up-to-date machinery for the production of beer: refrigeration compressors for the malting of barley, a Ziemman boiler room and a two-story toaster. The factory was supplied with the most innovative ingredients and distribution methods to date in the field. One of the most prosperous periods for the Spanish beer company was the time between 1900 and 1930. Amaniel became one of the most popular and frequented places by residents between 1952 and 1954. Because the head of the company was on of the forerunners in photography, a photo studio was created in which production techniques were continually innovated. The studio even became known as the premier meeting point in Madrid, since its esteemed that various businesses and activities were held in the same space.

Amaniel was also a meeting point amongst professionals and followers of art and culture. Mahou became a member of the first Motion Picture Association of Madrid, which would culminate in the foundation of the motion picture studio CEA. Theater rehearsals and performances were also held with the purpose of obtaining funds to open Mahou Montepio. These artistic events and the theater environment that revolved around Amaniel encouraged Madrid residents and maximized cultural meeting points in the city. This Spanish beer has not only become a part of history for its support of culture but also for its involvement in helping the community during the Spanish Civil War by giving out beer yeast from the Amaniel pharmacy. The factory at Amaniel is still today a place that makes reference to its history as it accommodates the ABC Museum of Illustration.

Growth and expansion

In 1966 Mahou adapted to the growth in beer demand and opened a new factory at Paseo Imperial, in Madrid, and with it the ‘botijo’ came into the market, which became the signature bottle of the brand. This Spanish brewer was the first company to introduce aluminum barrels and automated bottlers, major improvements in the technology of the time. It also modified the truck parking strategy to achieve an ample network of transportation that could reach the whole of the nation.

In the eighties, Mahou’s dominance over the market in the country went under attack because of the appearance of new international brands. Nevertheless, this had little impact in course of events and by 1995 the beer occupied the second spot in national beer production, with 20% of the national share. In 2000 Mahou joined the beer brand San Miguel to form the first beer group of the Spanish capital: Mahou-San Miguel, which in the year 2004 continued with its expansion and bought Cerveza Anga and its Canarian brand, Reina. Later on in 2007 it acquired Cerveza Alhambra (founded in 1925 in Granada) and this meant a further step in the conglomeration of national beers, leaving only three large beer production groups in Spain: Heineken Spain, Cervezas Damm and Mahou-San Miguel.

Range of beers

• Classic Mahou
• Mahou 5 estrellas (Mahou 5 Stars)
• Mahou Sin
• Mahou Negra
• Mahou Mixta

References