Mexico has become a powerhouse in beer production with seemingly endless Mexican beer options. The best Mexican beers are light, crisp and refreshing, pairing well with flame-grilled meats, spicy street food, and seafood.
Although the history of brewing in Mexico goes back to pre-Aztec days, the arrival of German and Austrian immigrants in the 1800s supercharged Mexico’s beer-brewing industry and introduced classic lagers and dark beers.
I’ve just re-updated this article with the most refreshing Mexican beers available for your festive events, sunny BBQs or family fiestas. Jump to my top pick.
Best Mexican Beers
The best Mexican beers are light, crisp, refreshing, and perfect for BBQs, fiestas and festive events. Here are 9 to consider.
1. Sol Cerveza
Overview
- Brewery: Moctezuma Brewery
- ABV: 4.5% (9 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Pale Gold
Review
Born near Mexico City in 1899, Sol Cerveza is a classic Mexican lager made from malted barley with hop extract for bitterness. Glucose syrup adds the distinctive sweet edge typical of Mexican beers.
Taste Notes
A light-bodied and well-balanced beer, Sol Cerveza is crisp and slightly sweet, with aromas and flavours of ripe orchard fruits and toasted malt. Smooth on the finish.
Best Served
I recommend you serve Sol Cerveza chilled (at 5-8°C) and drink straight from the bottle with the traditional wedge of lime pressed into the neck.
Related: 7 Beers That Pair With Indian Food
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
2. Tecate Cerveza
Overview
- Brewery: Cervecería Tecate
- ABV: 4.5% (9 Proof)
- Country: USA/Mexico
- Colour: Pale Gold
Review
Tecate Cerveza was born in 1944 in the bicultural borderland of Baja California, Mexico. This refreshing Mexican beer was created to satisfy the huge thirst of the miners working in the area.
Taste Notes
This full-bodied lager has plenty of malt flavour upfront, yet it is light and crisp with delicate florals. I enjoyed the smooth finish with lingering maltiness with a touch of citrus.
Best Served
Serve Tecate Cerveza straight from the fridge and enjoy drinking from the can or pour into a frosted tulip glass.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
3. Estrella Jalisco Original
Overview
- Brewery: Grupo Modelo
- ABV: 4.5% (9 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Pale Gold
Review
Born in 1910, Estrella Jalisco Original is premium pilsner brewed in a style pioneered in Pilsen, Czechia. It is made from pale barley malt and bottom-fermenting yeast for a crisp, refreshing beer.
Taste Notes
A light-bodied and well-balanced beer with high carbonation. Reveals crisp apple, citruses and grain mid-palate, leading to a mainly dry finish.
Best Served
Estrella Jalisco Original is best served extra cold (between 2-5°C) and drunk straight from the bottle with a wedge of your favourite citrus fruit. Enjoy with a Caipirinha cocktail.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
4. Modelo Especial
Overview
- Brewery: Grupo Modelo
- ABV: 4.5% (9 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Light Gold
Review
First brewed this beer at their Tacuba, Mexico City brewery in 1925, Modelo Especial is a pilsner-style lager brewed with beer ingredients such as malted barley, non-malted corn, and Saaz hops.
Taste Notes
This beer shows the aromas of hops and pale malt with orange blossom and a hint of barley. A light, medium-bodied beer with a light hoppiness with a crisp finish, a bit like an Italian beer.
Best Served
Enjoy Modelo Especial chilled straight from the fridge (at 5-8°C); as for glassware, a frosted Weizen or tulip glass should do nicely.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
5. Victoria Mexican Beer
Overview
- Brewery: Grupo Modelo
- ABV: 4% (8 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Amber
Review
Victoria is a Vienna-style lager brewed since 1865 with toasted barley malt that gives a slight sweetness, non-malted corn, and hops for bitterness. Produces a mildly frothy aromatic head.
Taste Notes
Smooth and light-bodied, Victoria is balanced, with more peppery hop bitterness than most Mexican beers. I feel that the sweetness from the malt, caramel, and sweet apple add lift. Carbonation is light.
Best Served
Enjoy Victoria beer chilled in a thistle glass with a shot of tequila or mezcal on the side.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
6. Dos Equis Lager
Overview
- Brewery: Moctezuma Brewery
- ABV: 4.2% (8.4 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Light Gold
Review
First created in 1884, Dos Equis is a pilsner-style lager made from malted barley with the addition of corn starch or corn syrup and light Saaz hops. It’s moderately and reminds me of a light American beer.
Taste Notes
I found this beer balanced and flavourful; Dos Equis has subtle and sweet malt notes, earthy tones and a touch of mild spice. A slight hoppiness leads to a clean finish.
Best Served
Dos Equis is best served chilled at 5-8°C and sipped from a frosted tulip glass. Try with a shot of Cachaça on the side.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
7. Corona Extra
Overview
- Brewery: Grupo Modelo
- ABV: 4.6% (9.2 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Light Gold
Review
Corona Extra has been brewed in Mexico City since 1925, becoming one of the biggest-selling beers in Mexico. A pilsner, Corona Extra is brewed from malted barley and corn, with only a slight touch of hops.
Taste Notes
Corona is a refreshing and crisp beer that offers citrus and honeyed malt aromas that continue on the palate, with slight floral hops and subtle skunking.
Best Served
No glassware required! Corona Extra is traditionally served fridge-chilled (5-8°C) and drunk straight from the bottle with a wedge of lime pushed into the neck.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
8. Pacifico Clara Cerveza
Overview
- Brewery: Grupo Modelo
- ABV: 4.5% (9 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Pale Gold
Review
Pacifico Clara Cerveza is a crushable pilsner made with malts roasted in a distinctive process from two-row and six-row barley and touched with light Saaz hops.
Taste Notes
Pacifico has light-perfumed grassy aromas and citrus spicy hop notes with the mild bitterness of barley and light carbonation leading to a tart finish, which I enjoyed.
Best Served
Enjoy Pacifico Clara Cerveza chilled in a frosted pilsner glass with a slice of lime for good measure.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
9. Bohemia Pilsner
Overview
- Distiller: Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma
- ABV: 4.9% (9.8 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Amber
Review
Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery has produced this German-style pilsner with a lighter body, paler colour, and more pronounced hop bitterness made with malted barley and Styrian hops.
Taste Notes
I found Bohemia a complex pilsner that is crisp and dry with grassy, floral, and vanilla biscuit notes, a light body, and assertive hop bitterness.
Best Served
Bohemia Pilsner is best enjoyed extra-chilled at 2-6°C in a pilsner glass, perhaps side by side with a shot of tequila.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
Andrew’s Top Pick
Corona Extra
My top pick is Corona Extra because it’s everything a Mexican beer should be; refreshing, clean, crisp, slightly zesty, and perfectly carbonated. Works well with all sorts of seafood, steaks and BBQ food.
Mexican Beer Food Pairings
Beer isn’t always just for sipping at the bar. Discover the art of pairing Mexican beers with all sorts of delicious and delectable dishes. I have lined up a couple of dishes for each beer.
| No. | Beer | Pair With | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sol Cerveza | Grilled Shrimp Tacos | The light and crisp nature of Sol Cerveza cuts through the richness of the shrimp, enhancing the overall flavor. |
| 2 | Tecate Cerveza | Spicy Chicken Wings | Tecate’s slight bitterness and clean finish balance out the heat from the spicy wings, creating a harmonious taste experience. |
| 3 | Estrella Jalisco Original | Ceviche | The beer’s light body and refreshing taste complement the citrusy and fresh flavours of the ceviche, making for a perfect pairing. |
| 4 | Modelo Especial | Chicken Burrito | Modelo’s balanced maltiness pairs well with the savoury flavours of the chicken, providing a satisfying meal. |
| 5 | Victoria Mexican Beer | Chiles Rellenos | The slight sweetness and light bitterness of Victoria beer balance the spicy and cheesy flavours of the chiles rellenos. |
| 6 | Dos Equis Lager | Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa | The crisp and malty profile of Dos Equis Lager enhances the fruity and spicy notes of the mango salsa, creating a delightful contrast. |
| 7 | Corona Extra | Lime-Marinated Grilled Chicken | The light and zesty nature of Corona Extra complements the citrusy lime marinade, bringing out the best in the grilled chicken. |
| 8 | Pacifico Clara Cerveza | Baja Fish Tacos | Pacifico’s clean and crisp taste pairs well with the battered fish, providing a refreshing contrast to the rich and savoury flavours. |
| 9 | Bohemia Pilsner | Chicken Mole | The complex flavours of the Bohemia Pilsner stand up to the rich and spicy mole sauce, enhancing the depth of flavours in the dish. |
Conclusion
The best Mexican beers offer an exciting world of crushable lagers with varied flavour profiles that we are sure you will enjoy. While Corona Extra is a great beer, there is more to Mexican beer than just one brand.
Sipping your way through all the beers on this list will give you an appreciation of the excellence of Mexican beer. Corona Extra works well with any decent aged-tequila.
Mexican Beer Q&A
What’s The Most Popular Beer In Mexico?
According to ANInBev, the most popular beer in Mexico is Corona. It is also the most popular Mexican beer worldwide and the 6th most valuable beer brand globally (source).
What’s The Most Popular Pilsner In Mexico?
The most popular Pilsner in Mexico is Modelo Especial, a pilsner bottled with a distinctive wide bottle and gold foil over the cap.
What Is The Most Popular Dark Beer In Mexico?
Grupo Modelo also brews Modelo Negra, a sweetish, Munich-style dunkel beer that is one of the best-selling dark beers in Mexico. Mexican beer drinkers generally favour beers with low bitterness and high clarity.
What’s The Strongest Mexican Beer?
The strongest beer in Mexico is Modelo Negra, at 5.4% ABV. This dark beer features toasty black malts, Galena hops, and a medium body. It is relatively sweet and is officially considered a bittersweet beer. It makes a great beer to relax with, but not one for everyday drinking, for which Mexicans favour their lagers.
What’s The Strongest Mexican Lager?
The strongest lager brewed in Mexico is Bohemia Pilsner, at 4.9% ABV alcohol by volume, with Corona Extra coming in second at 4.6% ABV. Most lagers in Mexico come in at slightly over 4.0% ABV.
Also read: Best Canadian Beers: 16 Bucket List Brews
Further Reading
Below are some additional articles from The Drinks Geek blog. We write articles on several fascinating areas of drinks, including different brands, drink types, cocktail recipes and more.
