Mexican beer appeared at least a thousand years ago. Until the beginning of the XNUMXth century, people in Mexico mainly drank pulque, fermented agave juice. Tesguino, corn mash, was also common. Both of these drinks are still produced in Central America, including, and privately, in households.
History
Cortés and the conquistadors who accompanied him brought with them a recipe for European beer based on malted barley, but production was hampered by lack of ingredients. The first barley beer in Mexico appeared in 1543, but at that time, local beer and wine were heavily taxed to protect Spanish producers and force Mexicans to import alcohol from Europe, so such a business could not be called prosperous.
In the 1820s after the Revolutionary War, all restrictions were lifted and the segment began to develop. In 1845, beer with unrefined cane sugar appeared. The railroads made it possible to import raw materials and equipment for the production of beer from the United States, although the downside of the coin was the competition with American beer that flooded the Mexican market.
In the 1920th century, many German emigrants came to the country, who also invested a lot of effort in the development of brewing. In the 1925s, Prohibition was introduced in the United States, and this played into the hands of Mexico, which was flooded with American “alco-tourists”. By 50, the country was already producing XNUMX liters of beer a year. Brewery brewers launched an extensive campaign against traditional fermented drinks, in particular pulque, declaring them unhealthy and produced under unhygienic conditions.
High internal and external competition provoked the unification of small industries into large concerns. By 1918, there were 36 brewing companies in Mexico, but to our time, as a result of mergers, only two large manufacturers remain: Grupo Modelo (another name for Cerveceria Modelo) and FEMSA (or Cerveceria Cuautehmoc-Moctezuma). They own 17 breweries in 11 states, produce 46 million hectoliters of product per year and employ 90 employees (another 800 people are employed in “near-beer” areas).
Mexico is the third largest exporter of beer in the world, exporting the drink brings the country $1.2 billion a year, and sales on the domestic market – $6 billion.
Mexican beer brands
- Corona is the most famous Mexican beer, the flagship of Grupo Modelo, one of the five beer brands in the world. Pale lager, 4.6% abv.
- Bohemia – pilsner, there are also dark and wheat variations.
- Dos Equis is a creation of the German brewer Wilhelm Hasse, appeared in 1897 and was originally called Siglo XX. Amber lager, there is a dark version.
- Sol – The brand appeared in the 1890s, a pale, almost unhopped beer aimed at young people and the working class. It is exported mainly to Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia. There are versions with salt and lime, and a non-alcoholic version is also available.
- Tecate is Mexico’s first canned beer and is known for funding sporting events.
- Noche Buena is a special Christmas beer available only from October to December. Dark, fragrant, thick.
- Carta Blanca is a pilsner that was introduced to the market in 1890.
- Negra Modelo – originally brewed in the Viennese style, now refers to the Munich dunkels.
- Pacific – пилзнер.
- Estrella is a regional brand of the city of Guadalajara, produced since the end of the XNUMXth century.
Two Mexican beer concerns control 90% of the market, the rest is accounted for by craft microbreweries. Compared to the US or Europe, craft brewing in Mexico is almost undeveloped, its share is insignificant, but since the 1990s this segment has been developing. Representatives: Cervecería San Ángel, Cervecería Santa Fe Beer Factory, Beer Lounge.
Mexican beer traditions
In Mexico, a predominantly pale lager is produced, it is a light-bodied beer with a mild taste, and it is recommended to drink it cold. Most often in stores you can find 325 ml bottles, which are called medias in the local slang, although some brands are available in larger containers, 925 ml or 940 ml (in the slang – caguamas, “turtles”, or ballenas, “whales”). There is also canned beer. Beer bottles can be donated, sometimes the cost of such containers almost compensates for the price of the drink itself. There is practically no draft beer.
Mexicans like to add lime juice, salt, chili to beer, they often make beer cocktails, which also include soy sauce, tomato juice and other ingredients that are unusual for European tastes. They also snack on an intoxicating drink in an unconventional way – shrimp, seafood, tropical fruits.
The most famous cocktail is michelada. This is a beer with lime juice and hot sauce, served in an ice glass with a salty rim. Most often, the bartender mixes only non-alcoholic ingredients, and the beer is served separately, in a bottle, so that the client himself can add it in proportions to his taste.
