The Best Craft Beer to Try from Every Mexican State

Bottles of Barba Negra are popping up all over Mexico lately like a delicious trending topic. Try their Porter or Russian Imperial Stout, both medal winners at the Mexican beer-making contest Duelo Cevecero de Occidente (loosely translated as the Beermakers Wild West Duel).

There are so many incredible craft beers coming out of Baja that it would be impossible to choose just one. We love Aguamala, especially their Wit and Oatmeal stout, and the super popular Insurgentes Brewery from Tijuana and their S19 — a collaborative beer created to raise funds for victims of the September 2017 earthquake.

The Baja Brewing Company has taken over Baja Sur and has its headquarters in beautiful, sunny Los Cabos. Their blond or Mexican IPA are both great for a day on the surf and sand. Their restaurant and beer garden is located in the historic arts district of Los Cabos.

Check out Cerveza TZOTZIL, start in 2012 and with Chiapeneca cuisine in mind as pairings. Try their TZOTZIL Elena with floral and fruity notes or the TZOTZIL Ale, caramely and malty.

Another place in the country with too many breweries to choose a favorite. Breweries Cru Cru, Cerveceria Reforma and Hop: The Beer Experience all come to mind for excellent Mexico City breweries, throw in an extra brown ale from Cervecería 19º Norte and you got yourself a party.

Chihuahua may not spring to mind when you think of craft beer, but there are lots of breweries popping up in this giant northern border state. Try a creamy stout from Bawira or a fruit-tipped red ale from Sangre de Malta.

Created by young brewmaster Guillermo Velázquez Rivero, Monzerrat was born in Monclova, Coahuila and named after Rivero’s sister, who he says reminds him of the beer “beautiful, long and elegant.” Monzerrat is one of those – drink any day, any time – kind of beers and we’re sure you’ll appreciate it.

The Cervecería de Colima’s claim to fame is that they sit at the bottom of the Colima Volcano, taking advantage of the region’s water, filtered through the volcanic subsoil. We love all their beers, by most particularly, the Colimita lager and the Páramo Pale Ale.

Sweeping the bars and restuarants of growing foodie mecca San Miguel de Allende, Cerveceria Dos Aves have some strong, hoppy beers that will make you sit up and take notice. Try the IPA Imperial for a burst of flavor or their Pale Ale, which won a gold metal at the annual Cerveza Mexico in 2015.

Concordia‘s Cerveza Clara is light and refreshing, a perfect summer beer with a kick. They also have a Schwarzbier, an Irish dry stout and one called Angel Caida (fallen angel) that is a little more fruity, in the Braggot style family.

Jalisco’s capita city, Guadalajara has long been the home of excellent craft beer, one of the industry’s pioneers and now big name brands, Minerva, set up shop here almost 15 years ago. These days, lots of small and micro-breweries are taking up the charge, one of our favorites is Loba, with their award-winning beers that include an altbier and a pre-Prohibition lager.

A small microbrewery that offers beers with big flavour, Texcoco Mystic Ales is situated in Texcoco, Estado de México. Due to its petite size, it currently only offers a handful of beers – the Agonía/ Psicosis IPAs; Demencia, a black IPA; Báthory, a rich coffee stout; and finally, Exquizofrenia, a triple IPA. If you’re a fan of supporting small breweries, then Texcoco Mystic Ales is absolutely the one you should be hunting down while in Mexico.

Nacional Morelos won a gold at the Copa Cerveza 2017 for their witbier Siervo, with just a touch of orange peel and coriander, this is the perfect refresher for a hot day in Michoacán.

Sayulita is a buzzing little beach town that’s almost too popular for its own good, it even has its own brewery now! Check out Los Muertos Brewing downtown and sample their crisp wheat Jefeweizen or the amber style Agave Maria.

Another great location for beer, Monterrey is booming with good brands and inventive proposals. One of the most well-known and respected brands is Propaganda Brewing — try the every-so-slight bite of a Hipster Joe or the smooth flow of a Wunder Lager.

Oaxaca is the land of mezcal and mole, but they also make some killer craft beer. Our favorite is from Consejo Cerverceronde Oaxaqueño, Boy Stout, a delcious oatmeal stout, and their Rey Oh! Baby is a fantastic grassy, bitter IPA. Check it.

The appropriately named Puebla based brewery Cinco de Mayo is well known for their two beers, Osadía and Saga, which are both refreshing and mightily flavoursome. They consider themselves in the business of artistry, rather than the business of beer, so well-thought through and imaginative are their blends.

Started in 2011, Hercules brewery in Queretaro can now be found in most decent craft beer stores throughout the country. Try “La Popular” (Blond Ale) or for something a little different, “La Fantasma” (White India Pale Ale), “La República C.C.H.” (Czech Pilsener), or “La Spinning Jenny” (English Pale Ale).

We love the collection of beers by Cervecería Las Altas based out of Sinaloa, where each of their beers is dedicated to the landscape and ambiance of a different city or state of Mexico.

Only a handful of breweries exist in the Yucatán peninsula, although there, like everywhere else in Mexico, drinking craft beer is definitely trending. Try out the brewery Patito or Cuerno de Toro and their award-winning oatmeal stout.