What Does San Miguel Contain? A Look Into the Ingredients

November 10, 2025 •

3 min read

San Miguel is brewed in different locations worldwide, and its ingredients vary depending on the specific variant and country of production. For example, the ingredients for San Miguel Especial brewed in Spain can differ from the Pale Pilsen produced in the Philippines.

Quick Summary

The ingredients in San Miguel beer vary by variant and region, but primarily consist of water, malted barley, hops, and yeast, with some versions incorporating adjuncts like maize or sugar.

Key Points

Core Ingredients: All San Miguel beer is primarily composed of water, malted barley, hops, and yeast.
Regional Differences: The specific ingredients vary depending on the product and where it was brewed, most notably between the Philippine and European markets.
Adjuncts in Pale Pilsen: Philippine-market Pale Pilsen includes additional cereals, like maize or corn, and sugar.
Especial Ingredients: Spanish/European Especial lager often uses a simpler malt, hops, and water recipe, though some may include maize or hop extract.
Specialty Beers: Other variants like Cerveza Negra and 0,0 use distinct ingredients such as roasted malt or specific flavorings.
Brewing Process: The ingredients are combined and transformed through a standard brewing process involving mashing, boiling, fermentation, and maturation.

The Core Ingredients of San Miguel

At its heart, all traditional beer is made from four fundamental ingredients: water, a fermentable sugar source (typically malted barley), hops, and yeast. San Miguel is no different, using these essential components to craft its popular lagers, but with variations that define each product's distinct character.

Water

Water comprises over 90% of beer and is a critical, often overlooked, ingredient. The quality of the water significantly influences the final product's taste. Cervezas San Miguel emphasizes the use of pure water for consistency.

Malted Barley

Malted barley provides fermentable sugars and contributes to the beer's body, color, and head. Different roasts of malt are used to achieve varying colors and flavors.

Hops

Hops provide aroma, bitterness, and act as a natural preservative. Added during boiling, hops dictate the beer's bitterness and aroma, with some variants noting floral and fruity notes. Some variants may use hop extracts.

Yeast

Yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation. The specific strain used significantly shapes the beer's final flavor. San Miguel, being a lager, uses bottom-fermenting yeast.

Ingredient Variations Across San Miguel Variants

San Miguel uses additional ingredients or adjuncts to create its range of beers, notably differing between the Philippine-market Pale Pilsen and the Spanish/European-market Especial.

Philippine-Market Pale Pilsen

Philippine-market San Miguel Pale Pilsen includes maize (corn) and sugar as adjuncts. These adjuncts contribute to a lighter body and different flavor.

Spanish/European-Market Especial

Especial lager in markets like the UK and Spain typically lists water, malted barley, and hops. Some product information mentions maize and hop extract, but declarations can vary. The flavor is described with fruity and floral notes.

Other San Miguel Variants

Cerveza Negra: A dark lager with roasted malt, offering caramel, coffee, and chocolate flavors.
San Miguel 0,0: A non-alcoholic beer with water, barley malt, hops, and flavorings.
San Miguel Light: A lower-calorie option with a modified recipe.

The Brewing Process: From Grain to Glass

San Miguel beer is crafted through a multi-stage process.

Mashing: Malt is mixed with water to convert starches to sugars.
Lautering: Wort (sweet liquid) is separated from grains.
Boiling: Wort is boiled, and hops are added.
Fermentation: Yeast is added to convert sugars to alcohol and CO2.
Maturation: Beer ages at cold temperatures.
Filtration and Packaging: Beer is filtered and packaged.

San Miguel Pale Pilsen vs. Especial: An Ingredient Comparison


Feature	Pale Pilsen (Philippines)	San Miguel Especial (Europe)
Core Ingredients	Water, Malted Barley, Hops	Water, Malted Barley, Hops
Adjuncts	Yes (Cereals, Corn, Sugar)	Possible (Maize/Corn, Hop Extract)
Flavor Profile	Full-bodied, rich, smooth, and well-balanced flavor	Balanced, moderate bitterness, hints of cereal, fruit, and floral notes
Originating Brewery	San Miguel Brewery (Philippines)	Mahou San Miguel (Spain)

Conclusion

San Miguel beers utilize the core brewing ingredients of water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. However, the specific composition varies across different products and regions, particularly between the Philippine Pale Pilsen, which includes adjuncts like maize and sugar, and the European Especial lager. This demonstrates the brand's ability to adapt its recipes while maintaining its identity and answering what does San Miguel contain across its range.

Nutritional Information

Nutritional content varies by variant. For San Miguel Especial, a 330ml bottle contains around 148 kcal and 13.0g of carbohydrates. Always check the product label for specifics. For a detailed nutritional breakdown, see the official Cervezas San Miguel website

Frequently Asked Questions

The main ingredients in all traditional San Miguel beer are water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. However, specific variants and regional versions may include additional ingredients like maize or sugar.

Yes, they are different. San Miguel Pale Pilsen, especially from the Philippines, often contains adjuncts like maize (corn) and sugar, while San Miguel Especial (brewed for European markets) typically has a simpler ingredient list of water, malted barley, and hops, though maize can be used in some cases.

Yes, some variants of San Miguel contain corn or maize. The Pale Pilsen from the Philippines and certain versions of the Especial lager may use it as an adjunct ingredient during brewing.

No, traditional San Miguel lager is not gluten-free as it is brewed with malted barley, which contains gluten. However, the company offers a specific gluten-free variant, which uses a modified recipe.

San Miguel Especial's delicate aromas of white fruits and floral notes come from the specific hops and yeast selected for its recipe. The boiling process and fermentation contribute to the development of these characteristic flavors.

Cerveza Negra is a dark lager that uses roasted malt in its brewing process. This provides its distinct dark color and gives it rich flavor notes of caramel, coffee, and chocolate, which differentiate it from the lighter lagers.

San Miguel is brewed in multiple locations worldwide. The original brewery is in the Philippines, but there is also a significant operation in Spain, run by Mahou San Miguel, producing different versions of the beer.