The World’s Beer: The Historical Geography of Brewing in Mexico

Abstract

In 1850, beer was scarce in Mexico; most Mexicans instead drank traditional fermented beverages made from a variety of plants, such as maize and maguey. But by 1930, beer had become one of the country’s largest modern industries, and by mid-century it was the alcoholic beverage of choice for most Mexicans. Today, Mexico is the world’s largest exporter of beer. The geography of beer in Mexico thus has a relatively recent history. Its origins lie in the 1890s, when a number of dominant breweries emerged to command regional markets from their bases in rapidly growing provincial cities. Through the twentieth century, as urbanization accelerated and Mexicans increasingly turned to beer, three of these fought for a national presence. By the 1980s, buy-outs and mergers yielded a duopoly poised to pursue exports aggressively. The historical geography of Mexican beer can thus be mapped globally as well as over a century of shifting regional and national production.