Mexican Beer - Salud!

South-of-the-border beers provide cool thirst-quenching refreshment on hot days. When the temperature soars, you're likely want to grab a light lager for the patio or beach. Salud, heres to Mexican beer !

WARNING !!

Light is a natural enemy of beer. In fact, clear-bottled beer can be "lightstruck" in less than a minute.

"Cerveza" is Spanish for beer and Mexico is largely a lager nation, with the majority of its beers being made with a type of yeast that rests at the bottom of the liquid after fermentation. The resulting lagers tend to be smoother, light in color and flavor, and very palatable and ideal for the hot climate from which they come.

There is much more to Mexican beer than what you may have sampled to date. Many of the beers from south of the U.S. border have strong ties to their European cousins, such as Vienna lagers and pilsners. A great portion of these ties can be attributed to the Austrian rule over Mexico from 1864 to 1867, the immigration of German and Swiss brewers, and a general worldwide increase in the popularity of lager beers. However, the marketing savvy International Mexican brewers and free-trade have also played a large role in the increase in the availability of Mexican beers.

The Industry Leaders
Two beer giants, Fomento Economico Mexicano (FEMSA) and Grupo Modelo, produce the majority of Mexican beers. FEMSA is a large conglomerate with a brewing history dating back to 1890 at the Cervecería Cuauhtémoc brewery in Monterrey. FEMSA brews brands such as Tecate, Sol, Dos Equis, Carta Blanca, Superior, Indio and Bohemia. Grupo Modelo was started in the mid-1920s in Mexico City. It exports Corona, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial and Pacifico, to name a few, to over 150 countries.