Mexico has a rich brewing heritage. Beer was introduced by German immigrants who brought with them a little taste of home. Beer caught on, and many breweries erupted from the beverage’s popularity. Today, beer is one of Mexico’s biggest exports.
We all love Mexican beers, but what are the most popular beers in Mexico? This question forms the basis of our article. Counting down to the most popular, here are 20 popular Mexican beers:
20. Cerveza Malverde by Cerveceria Minerva
- Style: Bohemian/Czech Pilsner
- Alcohol Content: 6% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Malt and lemon notes
The legend of Jesus Malverde inspired Cerveza Malverde’s name. Also known as The Generous Bandit, Jesus Malverde is Mexico’s version of Robin Hood. He is highly revered among druglords and unofficially regarded as a saint.
Malverde has a light body. However, it lacks the crispiness associated with many pilsners.
19. TJ Tijuana Mexican Lager by Ceveza Tijuana
- Style: Vienna Lager
- Alcohol Content: 3.5% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Spicy hops, malt, and cherry
Tijuana Mexican Lager is a super drinkable lager. In terms of appearance, it pours a golden lager with a thick head. It is a malt-focused beer. You can capture the sweet taste of caramelized Munich malts over spicy, peppery hops. It finishes sweet with a balanced profile.
18. Leon by Grupo Modelo S.A. de C.V.
- Style: Munich Dunkel
- Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Malt
Leon is a copper-colored Dunkel. The beer is sweet with intense coffee aromas. You can also capture faint notes of dark fruit. The beer has a medium-light body with high carbonation. Overall, Leon is easy to drink, crisp, and refreshing.
17. Bohemia Clasica by Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Mocteuma, S.A de C.V.
- Style: Bohemian/ Czech Pilsner
- Alcohol Content: 4.7% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Malt
Bohemia Clasica is a malt-focused pilsner. Upon tasting, you can detect toasty biscuit notes. The beer has a medium body with moderate carbonation. It pours a golden pilsner and a thick white head. While it’s a delicious pilsner, Bohemia Clasica falls behind many of its competitors.
16. Obscura American Brown Ale by Cucapa Brewing Company
- Style: American Brown Ale
- Alcohol Content: 4.8% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Chocolate milk, cinnamon, citrus, and tropical fruits
Obscura is a brown-colored ale with a tan head. As its color suggests, Oscura has a strong nutty taste with a chocolate milk consistency.
The brown ale also gives off fruity notes. Raisins, pear, and lime are some of the flavors that make the fruity character of this beer. Overall, Obscura is the best offering from Cucapa Brewing Company.
15. Dos Equis Ambar Especial by Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
- Style: Vienna Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.7% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Malt and stone fruit
This Vienna-style lager was originally brewed in 1897 by German-born brewer Wilhelm Hasse. Initially, the brand was named Siglo XX to mark the arrival of the new century. Siglo XX is Spanish for “20th century.” XX is 20, written in Roman numerals.
Today, Dos Equis continues to wow Mexican beer enthusiasts with its amber appearance and caramel flavor.
14. Cerveza Minerva by Cerveceria Minerva S.A de C.V
- Style: Vienna Lager
- Alcohol Content: 5% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Malt
This Vienna-style lager is amber with ruby highlights. It gives off a nutty malt aroma with caramel sweetness. Cerveza Minerva gained popularity due to its light body, refreshing taste, and thick head. The beer was recognized at the Canadian International Beer Awards in 2018. It took silver in the “Best of the Rest of the World” category.
13. Stout De Olla by Cerveceria Santa Sabina
- Style: American Stout
- Alcohol Content: 6.8% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Chocolate and coffee
Stout De Olla is an American-style stout. Like other beers in this style, Stout De Olla gives off strong coffee and chocolate notes. What sets this beer apart is its savory taste of dark fruits. It is a beer with complex deep notes, perfect for the winter.
12. Montejo by Grupo Modelo S.A de C.V.
- Style: American Adjunct Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Biscuit, hoppy with no bitterness
Montejo is a clear lager with a deep golden appearance. It forms a thick head with minimal retention and poor lacing. In terms of aroma, the beer gives off sweet corn, apple, and grassy notes. While the beer is hoppy, it has no bitterness. Malt sweetness overpowers hop bitterness, giving the beer a sweet finish.
11. Estrella Jalisco by Grupo Modelo
- Style: American Adjunct Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Caramel and corn sweetness
In its clear bottle, Estrella Jalisco appears as a pale lager with a straw-like appearance. It is lightly carbonated and forms a thin head. Estrella Jalisco is a malt-centered beer with strong caramel notes. Though faint, you can pick up hints of herbal hops. Overall, the beer is sweet, crisp, and refreshing.
10. Indio by Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
- Style: Vienna Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Caramel and Cinnamon
Indio is a crisp Vienna-style lager with a dark amber appearance. Aroma-wise, the beer gives off sweet caramel and spicy notes that resemble cinnamon. Overall the beer is sweet with a light body. Like many Mexican lagers in this style, Indio hits the spot on a hot day. It also pairs well with spicy Mexican dishes.
9. Carta Blanca by Ceveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
- Style: American Adjunct Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Sour malt
Carta Blanca has a light body with reasonable carbonation. This golden lager forms a good head with decent retention. Overall, Carta Blanks is a super drinkable beer with a refreshing taste.
8. Victoria by Crupo Modelo S.A. de C.V.
- Style: Vienna Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Caramel and hops
Victoria is an amber-colored lager with superb clarity. It has a light body with strong notes of burnt malt. Sweet caramel is at the center of its taste profile, surrounded by mild hop notes. Overall, crisp beer with a refreshing taste.
7. Noche Buena by Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
- Style: Bock
- Alcohol Content: 5.9% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Malt, fruity, and butterscotch
Noche Buena is Spanish for Christmas Eve. Noche Buena’s label keeps to the Christmas with a red flower over three green leaves. Overall, Noche Buena is a decent Bock with a malty taste.
6. Sol by Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
- Style: American Adjunct Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Grassy hops
Sol is Spanish for the sun. And to keep up with its name, Sol uses solar imagery on its label. Like the sun, Sol is bright yellow. Its light body and refreshing nature make it the perfect remedy for hot, sunny days.
5. Dos Equis Special Lager by Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, S.A de C.V.
- Style: American Adjunct Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.2% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Corn, malt
The Mexicans love their lagers; it’s no wonder the top six beers in this list are lagers. Dos Equis Special is an average beer; not particularly note-worthy and not bad either. It is super-drinkable and refreshing.
4. Tecate Original by Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
- Style: American Adjunct Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Corn sweetness
Tecate Original was named after the city of Tecate. This is the municipality that hosts Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma. Tecate gained popularity for its malty flavor and crisp profile. Some people also love it for its association with the Baja California region of Mexico.
3. Cerveza Pacifico Clara by Grupo Modelo
- Style: American Adjunct Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Mild maltiness, faint hop notes
Grupo Modelo dominates the top three, to no one’s surprise. At position three is Pacifico Clara, which translates to “Clear Pacific.” As its name suggests, Pacifico Clara is a golden beer with superb clarity.
2. Modelo Especial by Grupo Modelo S.A. de C.V.
- Style: American Adjunct Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.4% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Citrus and floral notes
What can we say about Modelo Especial that hasn’t been said before? The popularity of this beer transcends its country of origin. In America, it ranks highly among other beer imports. Check out this article to learn more about Modelo Especial and how it compares to Corona.
1. Corona Extra by Grupo Modelo
- Style: American Adjunct Lager
- Alcohol Content: 4.4% ABV
- Tasting Notes: Citrus and floral notes
You probably guessed it; Corona Extra is the most popular beer from Mexico. Corona is so popular that it rivals Bud Light on its home turf, the USA. It is also the official beer for the Fast and Furious movie franchise.
Popular Mexican Beers FAQs
Below are common FAQs concerning popular Mexican beers:
What is the Most Popular Beer in Mexico
Corona is the top-selling beer in Mexico. It is also the best-selling imported beer in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Corona Extra sits high in the top 10 most-consumed beers worldwide.
Is Stella Artois a Mexican Beer?
No, Stella Artois is a Belgian lager. It has been brewed by Sella Artois, a Belgian brewery, since 1926.
Which Style of Beer is Dominant in Mexico
Pilsner is the most popular beer style in Mexico. Most of the beers that come from Mexican breweries are lagers (pilsners, to be specific). From our list, you can appreciate that the top six entrants are lagers.
Did We Miss Any?
And that concludes our list of the 20 most popular Mexican Beers. What’s your favorite Mexican beer?
Michael, a dedicated homebrewer, founded Unknown Brewing after perfecting his craft through trial and error. A DIY enthusiast, he also enjoys tackling projects and reviewing tools, sharing his expertise to help others succeed.