The 25 Most Valuable Beer Brands in the World

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Brand value, as calculated by the British consultancy Brand Finance, is the net economic benefit a brand owner would obtain by licensing the brand on the open market. Corona Extra is now the most valuable beer brand in the world, worth $13.9 billion.

To estimate it, Brand Finance uses the royalty relief method set out in the ISO 10668 standard and combines it with a strength index that compares each brand’s marketing investment, consumer perception and performance against its competitors.

This article originally covered the 2018 list and now adds the 2026 edition, published on October 8. Comparing the two shows how much the map of the big brewers has changed in eight years.

What Is the Most Valuable Beer Brand in the World?

Corona Extra tops Brand Finance’s Beers 50 2026 ranking with a value of $13.9 billion, up 4% on the previous year. Heineken comes a very close second at $13.8 billion, up 7%.

The big news is Modelo Especial, which climbs 14% to $8 billion and overtakes Budweiser. Budweiser loses 35% of its value and drops to fourth place.

Tsingtao rises from ninth to sixth and is also the strongest brand in the sector, scoring 95.7 out of 100 on the brand strength index. Bud Light, which topped the list in 2018, slips from fifth to eighth after losing 19%.

The fastest-growing brands are in emerging markets. Brahma gains 65% and climbs six places, while Thailand’s Chang grows 50% and enters at number 25.

The 50 brands on the list add up to $118.8 billion, barely 1% more than in 2025. Fifth place goes to Snow, whose value of $5.3 billion is the only one between those of Budweiser and Tsingtao.

Brand Finance has not made the full 2026 list publicly available, so this table includes only the positions confirmed in its official press release of October 8, 2026.

The 25 Most Valuable Beer Brands in 2018

This is the full list from the Beers 25 edition that Brand Finance published on November 14, 2018, kept here as a historical reference.

1. Bud Light, United States
2. Budweiser, United States
3. Heineken, Netherlands
4. Brahma, Brazil
5. Harbin, China
6. Corona Extra, Mexico
7. Skol, Brazil
8. Kirin, Japan
9. Coors Light, United States
10. Guinness, Ireland
11. Snow, China
12. Asahi, Japan
13. Tecate, Mexico
14. Miller Lite, United States
15. Stella Artois, Belgium
16. Busch, United States
17. Águila, Colombia
18. Carlsberg, Denmark
19. Chang, Thailand
20. Cass, South Korea
21. Amstel, Netherlands
22. Natural Light, United States
23. Antarctica, Brazil
24. Tsingtao, China
25. Castle Lager, South Africa

Analysis of the 2018 Results

There were no big surprises at the top, as Bud Light, Budweiser, Heineken and Brahma held on to the first four places respectively, just as in previous years.

The big surprise was Harbin, which reached fifth place with $3.5 billion and a 69% rise, making it the fastest-growing brand. Coors Light climbed one position to sneak into ninth place.

Skol and Guinness, for their part, each dropped two places to seventh and tenth, respectively.

Special mention goes to Corona Extra, which also climbed a rung, moving from seventh to sixth. Its value grew 43% to $3.4 billion.

The study also breaks down brand value by country. Brazil and Mexico stand out, with 12.6% and 8.3% of the list’s total value, respectively.

Three of the 25 most valuable brands were Brazilian (Brahma, Skol and Antarctica), two Mexican (Corona Extra and Tecate) and one Colombian (Águila).

How the Industry Developed

In 2018 the brewing industry kept up its upward trend in brand value, with average growth of 19% over the previous year. AB InBev dominated the list with 13 of the 25 brands.

It is worth noting that, despite the challenge posed by the rise of countless craft brands, brand values keep increasing.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, explained it this way in the launch of the 2018 report.

The world’s biggest beer brands have been able to build deep customer loyalty by representing an accessible but aspirational lifestyle. Creative marketing campaigns are equally important as the taste and packaging.

What Changed Between 2018 and 2026?

Corona Extra was worth $3.4 billion in 2018 and is worth $13.9 billion today, which means it has multiplied its value 4.1 times in eight years. Bud Light went the opposite way, falling from first place to eighth.

Heineken rose from third to second, and Modelo Especial, which was not among the top 25 in 2018, is now the third most valuable brand. Brand Finance sums up the change as a shift in growth toward Latin America, Asia and Europe.

In the United States the changing of the guard also shows in sales, where Michelob Ultra has become the best-selling beer. In Mexico the strength of Grupo Modelo reaches all the way to the street, and here we explain how to open a Modelorama and how much it costs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What Is the Most Valuable Beer Brand in the World?

Corona Extra is the most valuable beer brand in the world, worth $13.9 billion according to Brand Finance’s Beers 50 2026 ranking, published on October 8, 2026. Heineken is second with $13.8 billion and Modelo Especial third with $8 billion.

2. How Is the Value of a Beer Brand Calculated?

Brand Finance calculates it with the royalty relief method, set out in the ISO 10668 standard. It estimates how much a company would pay to license the brand if it did not own it, and adjusts that figure with a strength index based on marketing, consumer perception and performance.

3. Which Mexican Beer Brands Are Among the Most Valuable?

In 2026 Corona Extra ranks first in the world and Modelo Especial third. In the 2018 edition the two Mexican brands on the list were Corona Extra, in sixth place, and Tecate, in thirteenth.

4. Why Have Budweiser and Bud Light Lost Value?

In the 2026 edition Budweiser lost 35% of its value and Bud Light 19%, leaving them in fourth and eighth place. Brand Finance presents this as part of the struggles of heritage US brands as growth shifts to Latin America, Asia and Europe.

5. What Is the Strongest Beer Brand in the World?

Tsingtao is the strongest beer brand in the world in 2026, with 95.7 points out of 100 and an AAA+ rating on Brand Finance’s brand strength index. That index does not measure value in dollars, it measures how robust the brand is against its competitors.

Recommended

• Michelob Ultra Is Crowned the Best-Selling Beer in the United States
• How to Open a Modelorama? Requirements, Costs and Whether It Really Pays Off