Discover the Best Mexican Beer Brands: A Comprehensive Guide

When we talk about spicy, tequila, mariachi and traditions, we are undoubtedly referring to Mexico, but we cannot forget that Mexican beer brands are so popular that they could also identify this country.

It is incredible to think that Mexico is such a varied nation, because apart from oil, which it produces in enormous quantities, the beer industry has great income, and its brands are expanding every day in the world.

Of course, it is unobjectionable to think that, among Mexican beer brands, Corona has a special place.

Of course, it does not say that they are the best, maybe they are, but there are so many Mexican beer brands that, among tastes and flavors, any of them can be the best.

To get an idea of the beer industry in Mexico, the trade balance of the Mexican beer sector reached a surplus of 3,548 million dollars in 2018.

For its part, barley production reached 982,000 tons.

Statistics from Mexican beer producers, point out that this industry generates around 55 thousand direct jobs and more than 600 indirect and induced jobs.

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Mexican Beer Brands: A Great Industry

It is no minor fact that in the national economy, the beer industry contributes 1 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In this sense, Mexico is among the nations that produce the most beer in the world, and those that export the most.

Beer has diverse moments of consumption, therefore, it is the drink with the highest preference among Mexicans, even above Tequila and Whisky.

In 2018 Mexicans ingested on average 50.8 liters, and by 2019 it increased to 51.6, an increase of 1.35%.

By 2020 per capita consumption increased to 72 liters, despite the global economic crisis and pandemic confinement.

On the other hand, on average, Mexicans spend $3,292.77 pesos a year on this beverage, an approximate of $63 pesos a week.

The most sold Mexican beer brands are Corona Extra, Tecate, Victoria, Modelo and Indio and the types of beer preferred by Mexicans are light beer with 40%, in second place light beer with 37.2% and in third place, dark beer with 19.4%.

History of beer and alcohol in Mexico

Before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the indigenous peoples already had their own alcoholic beverages.

Perhaps the best known alcoholic beverage was based on maguey leaves, from which several techniques and flavors are derived.

Before the conquest, the natives elaborated a drink with maguey leaves, which they called maguees; removing the bark and nerves, they roasted and cooked them in ovens made in the earth.

Likewise, Motolinía records the elaboration of a liquor made by boiling the mezcal or heart of the maguey, which he says was called mexcalli and, according to the Spaniards, it was “of great substance and healthy”.

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Later, other very autochthonous variants emerged, such as mistela, a pleasant drink made with aguardiente, whether grape, cane or mezcal, to which water, sugar, anise, lemon, cinnamon or some other aroma was added.

Both mezcal and chinguirito were the most widely consumed distilled beverages among the New Spain population and therefore the most prohibited and persecuted.

But it was not until 1542, when King Charles V of Spain authorized the opening of the first brewery, in charge of Alonso de Herrera, in Amecameca.

Master brewers were brought from Europe to lead production. But it was not a very prosperous sector for the time.

In the middle of the 19th century, important breweries such as the Toluca and Mexico Brewery and the La Cruz Blanca Brewery emerged.

Another important brewery was called Hospicio de Pobres, located between Juárez and Balderas streets in the capital.

Another Mexican beer brand emerged in 1890, when the Cuauhtémoc brewery was created in Monterrey, becoming the first large-scale industrial brewery in the country. It was followed four years later by the Moctezuma brewery in Orizaba, and in 1900 by the Pacífico brewery in Mazatlán.

In the 20th century, Modelo beer was born and began to export to the United States.

Later, in 1943, Tecate was born and launched the first canned beer in Mexico.

In 1985, the largest breweries, Cuauhtémoc and Moctezuma, joined forces and created the company that today is responsible for brands such as Indio and Dos Equis.

Mexican beer brands

In such sense, we can take a look at the main Mexican beer brands, by importance and production:

Cervecería Grupo Modelo:

Born in 1925, and is the most emblematic Mexican beer brand in the world with the jewel in the crown, yes, Corona beer.

Corona beer has a very old history dating back to post-revolutionary Mexico and was born almost in parallel to one of its sisters: Modelo Especial.

In 1925, a group of Spaniards led by Pablo Diez Fernández founded Cervecería Modelo.

With inputs of American malts and European hops, they conducted some trials that ended with the launching of Modelo Especial beer in 1926.

A few months later, Corona Extra would be launched as a clear beer option in a quart presentation.

By 1928, Corona had already sold more than eight million bottles and became one of the national leaders in the market. Today, it is owned by a Belgian group, which has not abandoned the brand.

Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery:

The Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma brewery is one of the oldest in Mexico, and its history includes caguamas, amber bottles and even Noche Buena seasonal beer.

It emerged at the end of the 19th century, with the birth of Cervecería Cuauhtémoc, and continued its progress until the end of the 20th century, when it merged with another Mexican beer brand: Moctezuma.

It was one of the most notable financial moves, a merger with its direct competitor in 1985: and they added to their portfolio products such as Noche Buena and Dos Equis beer.

By the beginning of 1990, Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma was recognized worldwide for its products and growth.

At that time they were celebrating the inauguration of some plants in regions of the Mexican Republic such as Navojoa, Sonora.

In 2010, Femsa announced the integration of Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma into the operations of Heineken, a company originally from Amsterdam that was created in 1873.

Major Mexican beer brands

Corona Extra

It is undoubtedly the most popular presentation of Corona beer, from Grupo Modelo, who in 1955 created Corona Extra.

Corona beer is one of the most valuable beer brands in the world (€6.1 billion) and is ranked among the 50 most valuable in the world.

The beer has a smooth and refreshing taste, with subtle malt notes and a touch of sweetness, a light golden color and a balanced bitterness level with an IBU of approximately 19. It is considered special with Mexican dishes.

Beer Negra Modelo

Negra Modelo is a dark-colored Munich-style lager. With 5.3% alcohol level, it has an intense and balanced flavor, caramel and roasted malt aroma.

Modelo is the leading premium Mexican beer brand in the country.

Beer Modelo Especial

Has a slightly sweet taste, with a good balance of hops and a fresh finish with those particular fruity and citric notes.

Beer Pacífico

Is another of the most traditional Mexican beer brands, pilsner style brewed in the port city of Mazatlán, on the Pacific Ocean, in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. It was created in 1900 by Germans.

Beer Sol

It is part of the mergers of the Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma group; it is a light lager, slightly bitter with an alcohol content of 4.2° GL and 129 calories, developed in Mexico City by the extinct brewery El Salto del Agua.

Beer Dos Equis (XX)

Another Mexican beer brand is Dos X, or Siglo XX; created in 1890 by Wilhelm Hasse, a German immigrant, who arrived in Mexico and founded the Cervecería Moctezuma brewery in Veracruz.

It was not until 1897 that the “Siglo XX” beer, known today as Dos Equis XX, was brewed for the first time. Dos Equis xx Ámbar is a classic Vienna style beer, with little foam and small bubbles.

Beer Bohemia

Is a Mexican beer brand founded in 1905 in Monterrey, in the Mexican state of Nuevo León. Its name is inspired by the Bohemia region in the Czech Republic; it was created by Cervecería Cuauhtémoc.