Birra Moretti ousts Carling as best-selling draught lager

Heineken said the move comes as “drinkers continue to opt for more premium beer options”.

The data shows draught sales of Birra Moretti have grown over the last quarter, increasing 9.6% compared to the previous year, with total sales for this period hitting £246.7m, according to CGA OPM Data to P05 2024 (18/05/2024).

Heineken UK said premiumisation is continuing to drive significant growth in on-trade revenue with consumers “opting to drink higher-quality products such as Birra Moretti in venues despite an overall decline in beer consumption”. 

Increased importance​

Birra Moretti has recently been supported with a high-impact, multimillion-pound nationwide marketing campaign that ran across TV, out of home and social media advertising as well as across the on and off-trade.

Along with newly launched Birra Moretti Sale di Mare​, which the group describes as “an unfiltered premium lager with a hint of Italian sea salt”, interest in the brand continues to grow.

Heineken UK beer brands unit director Veronica Sica said: “The continuing rise in popularity of Birra Moretti reflects the increased importance of great quality experiences, and therefore a willingness to pay more for them."

Quality experiences​

Sica added: “Birra Moretti encourages the drinker to live the Italian lifestyle through the ideas it cultivates; enjoying great craftmanship, spending time with friends and enjoying a good meal together.

“As beer drinkers continue to prioritise quality experiences in pubs, bars and restaurants, the value this premium Italian lager offers is clear, which is why it has now overtaken Carling to become the UK’s favourite”.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, Heineken UK’s portfolio includes Heineken, Heineken 0.0 and Cruzcampo.

The group also operates Star Pubs – an estate of 2,400 pubs across the UK.