Amsterdam, 14 March 2011 - Heineken today announced that it reached another important milestone in Mexico, less than a year after the acquisition of Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma (CM) as part of the FEMSA beer operations transaction. The new developments include the brewing of the Heineken® brand in one of CM's most modern, high-tech breweries located in Orizaba, Veracruz, as well as the introduction of new, innovative bottle and can designs for the premium Heineken brand.

Over the past few years, the company has successfully developed the Heineken brand in the Caribbean region and in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Chile. The company is now poised to do the same in Mexico, the world's fourth largest beer profit pool and a market that is expected to show ongoing incremental volume growth in the coming years.

Commenting on today's announcement John Nicolson, Heineken Americas Regional President, said: "The premium segment is currently a relatively small and underdeveloped part of the Mexican beer market, but it is growing fast as popularity for premium brands among consumers continues to increase. Our decision to implement this new stage for the Heineken brand in Mexico is an exciting development for our business which, together with our established distribution network and portfolio of other leading international and local brands, creates a strong platform for future growth in the region."

The Heineken brand will now be available in Mexico in unique embossed long-neck bottles and in innovative cans featuring tactile inks. The new packaging designs will be showcased in a print campaign in up-market magazines and in outdoor advertising on premium locations that both capture the cosmopolitan nature and international heritage of the brand. This will be amplified by consumer activations that build on the brand's sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League.

In addition to the Heineken brand, Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma brews and markets, among others, the Tecate, Sol, Carta Blanca, Indio and Dos Equis beer brands.