Beer from Mexico is exported all over the world, but mainly to the United States. For years now, Mexican beer has outsold all other imports to America combined. That is in large part due to Corona and Modelo, the best-selling Mexican beers in the United States. The country is known for producing fine pilsner and Vienna-style lagers, and lager is the most popular beer style in America.
The beer brewing industry in Mexico is dominated by two powerful companies that control 90% of the market. Grupo Modelo is owned by beverage giant AB InBev, and its export brands include Corona, Modelo and Pacífico. Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma is owned by Heineken. Bohemia, Dos Equis, Sol and Tecate are among its brands. (These are the biggest beer companies in the world.)
While the craft beer industry is growing in Mexico and produces many offerings in many styles, here we focus on the most widely available and widely recognized brands. The following beer brands rate most poorly at RateBeer, a website for beer lovers that has a crowd-sourced five-star rating system. And note that ABV stands for alcohol by volume.
Leon Negra
- Style: Vienna/Munich amber lager (4.5% ABV)
- Maker: Grupo Modelo
- RateBeer rating: 2.49
This dunkel-style beer is popular throughout the southeast of Mexico and was originally brewed in Mérida, Yucatán. It is one of the oldest Grupo Modelo brands and often one of the cheapest six-packs of cans available in a supermarket. Critics say that the beverage looks darker and maltier than it really is. In fact, it has been called a wimpier version of Modelo Negra.
Dos Equis XX Lager
- Style: Pale American lager (4.2% ABV)
- Maker: Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma
- RateBeer rating: 2.26
This light-bodied pilsner-style beverage comes in green bottles (also cans) and has been called the Rolling Rock of Mexico. For some drinkers, this lager has an oddly sweet taste that isn’t too noticeable when sipped ice cold, but as the beer warms it becomes more prevalent. In the United States, this brand is closely associated with the Most Interesting Man in the World marketing campaign that ran from 2006 to 2018.
Estrella Jalisco
- Style: Pale American lager (4.6% ABV)
- Maker: Grupo Modelo
- RateBeer rating: 2.25
This premium pilsner features a pale golden color and a clean finish, and it has been brewed in Guadalajara since the 19th century. Estrella Jalisco has been described as neither a bad beer nor a good one. Rather it is simply not exciting, neutral or fairly “meh” as beers go. A similarity to Carta Blanca has been noted, though it is also said to be a little more flavorful than Sol.
Pacifico
- Style: Pale American lager (4.5% ABV)
- Maker: Grupo Modelo
- RateBeer rating: 2.25
This pilsener-type beer dates back to the beginning of the 1900s. Since 1985, Pacífico has been exported mainly to the American West Coast, where its popularity has grown considerably. Critics point to its watery quality and metallic taste. Others taste a hint of apple juice or corn sweetness. It may lack redeeming qualities, other than being easy to drink. As with Mexican beers in general, the light version is considered to be worse. Pacifico Light scores a 1.77 at RateBeer.
Corona Extra
- Style: Pale American lager (4.5% ABV)
- Maker: Grupo Modelo
- RateBeer rating: 2.10
Despite being one of the best-selling beers in the world, Corona is widely acknowledged to have two problems. First, without its traditional lime wedge accompaniment, the mass-produced beverage is considerably less drinkable. That is largely down to the second problem, which is the clear glass bottles. The quality of the beer suffers with exposure to sunlight in transit, leading to the well-known skunky odor and an unpleasant, metallic taste. To enjoy Corona at its best, it needs to be consumed ice-cold and fresh, which is to say, in Mexico. And Corona Light has a RateBeer score of just 1.56, the worst of the beers featured here. (These are America’s 30 least favorite beers.)
Carta Blanca
- Style: Pale American lager (4.0% ABV)
- Maker: Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma
- RateBeer rating: 2.07
Carta Blanca successfully debuted at Chicago’s Columbian Expo of 1893 and over the years won a number of awards. Yet, like rival Estrella Jalisco, Carta Blanca has become less common than it used to be. That could be because it just doesn’t stand out, aside from being one of the cheapest beers on store shelves. But given its lower than average alcohol content, is it really a bargain? Note that Carta Blanca Light has a 1.78 score at RateBeer.
Tecate
- Style: Pale American lager (4.5% ABV)
- Maker: Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma
- RateBeer rating: 1.93
After Corona and Dos Equis, Tecate is one of the best-known and best-selling Mexican beer brands in America. It is also known for its patronage and sponsorship of Mexican sports teams and sporting events. On the palate, it has been described as inoffensive, boring, mild, and rather like Bud Light, despite its alcohol content. Tecate Light, on the other hand, supposedly compares with Coors Light. And it has a 1.75 RateBeer score.
Sol
- Style: Pale American Lager (4.5% ABV)
- Maker: Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma
- RateBeer rating: 1.91
Here is another mass-produced pale golden pilsner in a clear bottle. Sol is as widely marketed in Mexico as its competitor Corona is in the United States, and it has a reputation there as the choice for young and working-class people. As a thirst-quencher, it is simple and inoffensive, like Corona, but does not stand out. And here too, it is best served ice cold, as it progressively worsens as it warms up. Though the brand can be traced back to the 1890s, the current product was launched in 1993.
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