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Mexican Beers: Una Mas, Por Favor
Mexican Beer Goes Great with Many Snacks and Meals
In Mexico, as in the US, beer drinking is commonly done at social gatherings and sporting events. But it's also nice to crack open an icy-cold beer on a hot day, or to have one with a meal. In the US, beer is normally the beverage of choice when dining on pizza, chicken wings, or a thick, juicy steak or hamburger. The same holds true in Mexico. Mexican beer is also great with nachos, tacos, ceviche, or any dish that is hot and spicy.
Mexico has Two Major Breweries
There are two major beer companies in Mexico and each produces a number of products. Grupo Modelo, the largest beer maker in Mexico, makes Corona, as well as Modelo, Pacifico, Victoria, Estrella, Leon, and Montejo, and FEMSA, Mexico's second-largest beer company, produces Sol, Dos Equis (XX), Tecate, Indio, and Kloster. The sales from these two companies account for approximately 90% of all beer sales in Mexico.Photo courtesy of flickr user editor b
Micheladas & Cheladas: Alternatives to Drinking a Regular Beer
Instead of drinking a normal beer, you can have a michelada or a chelada. These are beverages made by adding ingredients to beer. To make a michelada, add tomato juice, worchestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper to a beer (this is best with pilsners or lagers). Serve over ice, in a glass with a salted rim. Cheladas are simply lime juice and ice added to a beer; served in a glass with a salted rim.
Tecate, Sponsor of Major Sporting Events in Mexico and the US
In Mexico, beer is called "cerveza", but a slang term for beer is "chela". Tecate is a cerveza, originally made in the town of Tecate, on the Baja Peninsula. It is gaining in popularity, due to its sponsorship of sports teams and sporting events. This beer is normally found in cans, rather than bottles. Beer is normally served in bottles or cans, in Mexico, as beer on tap is not popular there.
Sol Often has Sexy Ads
Corona, a pilsner with "golden texture and flavor", is the most well-known and best-selling beer in Mexico but, surprisingly, when you walk into bars in Mexico, you don't always see people drinking Corona. Normally, you see Mexicans drinking Sol or Dos Equis. Sure, in Mexico, you see people drinking Corona quite often and there are bars that exclusively serve Corona, but it seems like Sol and Dos Equis give Corona a run for its money.
Facts About Mexican Beer
Sol began selling beer in large bottles, known as "caguamas", in the 1960s and they called it a "family size" bottle. Light beer (low-calorie beer) is not popular in Mexico. The microbrewery craze never really took off in Mexico, but there are a few around. Of all beer exported from Mexico, 80% of it goes to the US. By 1918, Mexico had as many as 36 breweries, but they consolidated to form the two beer companies that exist today.
Photo courtesy of Susan R. Vincil
Dos Equis Has Been Around Since 1897
Prior to the invasion by the Spanish, Mexicans drank "fermented alcoholic beverages" but it wasn't until German immigrants arrived, in the 1800s, that "European-style" beer was created. Dos Equis Ambar has been produced since 1897. The original name for the beer was Siglo XX (Twentieth Century), with the Roman numeral for twenty. Sol was originally produced in the 1890s also, but they later stopped production of the beer, until 1993.
Photo courtesy of Susan R. Vincil
Most Mexican Beers are Pilsners
Most of the beers produced in Mexico are light-bodied pilsners that are light in color and have a mild taste, with very little hops flavor. Only Negra Modelo, Leon Negra, Dos Equis Ambar, and Noche Buena (literally means "good night", but also means "Christmas Eve"; this beer is only available around the holidays) are dark, "Vienna-style" beers. All Mexican beers are meant to be drunk cold.
Photo courtesy of Susan R. Vincil
Corona is Known for Their Clever Ads
Corona spares no expense when it comes to marketing and advertising their products. They have clever ads and television commercials that normally have a beautiful tropical locale as the backdrop. They make you want to go on vacation or, at the very least, feel like drinking a Corona is a completely relaxing experience.
Corona is the Most Popular Mexican Beer in the World.
In 1925, production of Corona beer began. By 1935, it was the best-selling beer in Mexico and it still is to this day. Not only is Corona the best-selling beer in Mexico, but it is also the best-selling Mexican beer in the world and the fourth best-selling beer in the world, overall. In 1979, Corona began exporting their beer to the United States. Corona is currently exported to over 150 countries worldwide.
About Susan Vincil
Susan fell in love with Cancun the second she saw the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, during her first visit to the beautiful beach town. At the time, she was working as a travel agent, specializing in Mexico vacations. After working in the travel industry for over 13 years, Susan decided to return to school to study photography, her life-long love.
When she graduated from art school, she packed up everything she could carry and moved to Mexico. There, she combined her love of travel and her passion for photography by working as a freelance photographer and also for a part-time for a small travel company. In 2005, following hurricane Wilma, which devastated Cancun, Susan began writing travel blogs and articles about Cancun.
Susan has been living & working in Cancun for over 8 years and gazes at the Caribbean Sea as often as possible. Aside from gazing at the sea, she spends her free time playing with her six rambunctious dogs, reading, going to the movies, or dining out with friends.
Read more about Susan Vincil here.