(Photo by James Kern / Unsplash)

If you think you know a beer, think again. Because Modelo Especial has a lot of things going on that even the most informed beer-lovers don’t have a clue about.

Here’s the deal…

Modelo Especial is a beer with a surprisingly deep backstory. While it’s often enjoyed ice-cold with a lime wedge, there’s a lot more to this golden lager than meets the eye.

Here are ten things you may not know about Modelo Especial:

It was first brewed nearly a century ago.
Modelo Especial was born in 1925 in Mexico City, right at the height of the country’s post-revolution brewing boom. It’s been around longer than most of today’s “legacy” American craft breweries.

“Especial” isn’t just a marketing word.
The beer was actually considered “special” compared to other lagers of its time. With a richer body and more balanced flavor, it set itself apart in the Mexican beer scene of the 1920s.

It’s now the top-selling beer in America.
In 2023, Modelo Especial surpassed Bud Light as the No. 1 beer brand in the U.S.—a milestone that highlighted shifting tastes among American drinkers.

It’s brewed with corn.
Like many Mexican lagers, Modelo Especial uses flaked corn (maize) in the recipe, giving it that crisp, easy-drinking quality.

The brewery behind it is massive.
Modelo Especial comes from Grupo Modelo, the same brewing giant that also makes Corona, Pacifico, and Negra Modelo.

Anheuser-Busch InBev owns it—sort of.
Globally, AB InBev controls Grupo Modelo. But due to U.S. antitrust laws, Constellation Brands actually owns the rights to brew and sell Modelo Especial in the United States.

It’s more popular than craft beer combined.
Modelo Especial’s sales in the U.S. now eclipse the entire craft beer category—a sign of just how big it has become.

There’s a dark sibling.
Modelo Negra (formerly Negra Modelo) is the malty, Munich Dunkel–style counterpart to Especial. The two have been brewed side by side for decades.

The design has barely changed.
That iconic gold foil on the neck and the bold crest logo have been around since the beer’s early days, lending it a premium look that helped it stand out on the shelf.

It’s tied to Mexican celebrations.
From Cinco de Mayo to Día de los Muertos, Modelo Especial is marketed as part of Mexican tradition—and its broad cultural presence is one reason for its crossover success in the US

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