Mr de Artaza added: “They did a very nice job in terms of marketing, that’s for sure. But it’s a little bit tricky because people think they are drinking a Spanish beer but it’s not. They are not very clear and not, to my point of view, very honest.”
Sales of Madrí have soared since its launch, with Molson Coors claiming that supermarket purchases of the lager recently topped £100m.
This is up from £70.1m recorded in its first full year of operations, as noted by data from industry group NIQ.
Its success stems from growing demand for so-called world lagers, which often have a higher alcohol content than traditional rivals, such as Fosters.
However, while many world lagers market themselves as exotic imports, the majority are brewed in the UK. This includes beers such as Birra Moretti and Corona.
Karen Albert, premium brands director at Molson Coors, said: “Madrí Excepcional was created through a unique collaboration between Molson Coors and La Sagra Brewery, which is based close to Madrid, combining the craft and skill of innovative Spanish brewer Carlos Garcia at La Sagra and our Molson Coors master brewers in the UK.
“Brewing Madrí Excepcional here in the UK enables us to deliver efficiently, quickly respond to demand and, crucially, to make our beers more sustainably.
“Brewing in the UK reduces the miles travelled from brewery to bar or shelf and all our beers in the UK are produced using 100pc renewable electricity through a power purchase agreement.”