Heineken vs Modelo Especial:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Heineken had more branded searches than Modelo Especial among beer brands worldwide. Heineken had about 823,000 branded searches, while Modelo Especial had 60,500. Heineken made up 43.3% of all beer brand searches we track, and Modelo Especial accounted for 3.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about beer brands, Modelo Especial appeared in all five answers and Heineken in three. Heineken and Modelo Especial were each mentioned first in two of the four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Heineken, about 14 searches for every 1 for Modelo Especial
Who does AI mention more?
Modelo Especial, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
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Top beer brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Modelo Especial appeared in all five answers. Heineken was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Heineken and Modelo Especial were each listed first in two of the four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Modelo Especial5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Guinness4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Heineken3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Corona3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Budweiser2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Asahi2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Tui0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about beer brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which beer brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best beer brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best beer brand for everyday drinking?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“beer brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“popular beer brands”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Heineken or Modelo Especial more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Heineken and Modelo Especial by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven beer brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Heineken, Modelo Especial. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Heineken | Budweiser | Corona | Guinness | Asahi | Modelo Especial | Tui |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.4% | 23.9% | 13.9% | 10.7% | 5.9% | 2.1% | 0.13% |
| Nov 2025 | 41.2% | 27.5% | 15.3% | 8.3% | 5.5% | 2% | 0.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 43.1% | 29% | 13.8% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 0.16% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.9% | 28.7% | 14.3% | 7% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 0.15% |
| Feb 2026 | 43.2% | 28.9% | 13.7% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 2.1% | 0.13% |
| Mar 2026 | 39.5% | 26.4% | 15.4% | 11.8% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 0.14% |
| Apr 2026 | 40.8% | 27.3% | 16.7% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 0.14% |
| May 2026 | 41.6% | 28% | 16.3% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 0.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 37.1% | 30.3% | 17.6% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 0.11% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.8% | 26.6% | 18.9% | 6.5% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 0.12% |
| Aug 2026 | 38.9% | 26% | 18.5% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 0.11% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.3% | 23.7% | 16.8% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 0.15% |
How has the Heineken and Modelo Especial comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Heineken was ahead of Modelo Especial in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Heineken’s share of searches among beer brands worldwide moved from 43.4% to 43.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 823K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Modelo Especial’s share of searches among beer brands worldwide moved from 2.1% to 3.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 60.5K.
How did search popularity change for beer brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Heineken gained share of searches among beer brands worldwide, from 38.9% to 43.3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Modelo Especial worldwide rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 49.5K to 60.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Heineken’s and Modelo Especial’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Heineken
1 branded search term
- heineken
Modelo Especial
1 branded search term
- modelo especial
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