Mexico is one of the largest beer producers on the planet: 11 billion liters are produced there every year. This places the country in fourth place in the ranking for several years, behind the inaccessible China (38 billion), the United States (21) and Brazil (14).
Another proof of the importance of beer in Mexican traditions are the annual consumption figures: according to the World Beer Index, 234 liters are consumed per capita, only ten less than in Great Britain. As in Africa, the drink has always played a central role in the culture of the different civilizations that have populated this region throughout history.
The craft beer boom
The “craft beer” revolution has also arrived in Mexico: a gradual emergence, at least in its first stages, which dates back to the first decade of this century, but which has led to the opening of around 250 small breweries in a short time. Of course, industrial products still dominate the market: almost the entire pie is shared between Grupo Modelo (also owner of the ubiquitous Corona in the world) and Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc-Moctezuma (orbiting Heineken).
The Mexican craft beer sector is constantly growing and enjoying increasing success thanks to a diversified and quality range. One can find experiments with spices and typical foods like chilli, coffee, cocoa (or chocolate), herbs, traditional drinks like pulque (fermented agave juice and tequila.
The founder of the Mexican craft movement was the microbrewery Minerva de Guadalajara, which over the years many others have joined, including Insurgente (in Tijuana), Baja (in Los Cabos) and Cervecería Cucapá (in Mexicali): all sites of production that can draw on a centuries-old brewing culture that has produced some of the most significant, sparkling and interesting national brewing in the world.
Tesguino, an atypical corn-based beer
The corn-based drink known as tesguino, used in rituals to make contact with various deities. This style of beer is still brewed today by the Mazateche communities that populate the region north of the Sierra Madre.
