Top 10 Mexican Lagers brewed in the USA
This Top Ten List of Mexican Lagers is from the results of the U.S. Open Beer Championship, Great American Beer Festival, ,World Beer Cup and other sources. A classic Mexican lager / pilsner differ from classic European pilsners (like Czech or German) by using adjuncts—usually 10–40% flaked maize or corn—which lighten the body, boost fermentability, improve clarity, and add a signature subtle corn/tortilla note. Base malts are often Pilsner, 2-row, or Vienna for a bready backbone. Hops are typically noble varieties for subtle floral/spicy character rather than bold bitterness. ABV: 3.20% – 5.0% IBU: 8-17 Color SRM: 2-3
Top 10 Mexican Lagers / Pilsners
1. Saca La Bolsita, Villains Brewing Company, California
A crisp, clean Mexican-style lager with subtle corn sweetness and noble-hop snap that earned World Beer Cup gold for its exceptional clarity and refreshing drinkability.
Address: 555 S. Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92805
Website: https://www.villainsbrewingcompany.com/
2. San Carlos Especial, Riverlands Brewing Company, Illinois
A classic golden Mexican lager with bright clarity, light maize character, and a dry, snappy finish that has repeatedly taken gold at the U.S. Open Beer Championship.
Address: 1860 Dean Street Unit A, St. Charles, IL 60174
Website: https://www.riverlandsbrewing.com/
3. Casa Bonita, Aspen Brewing Co., Colorado
A beautifully balanced Mexican-style pale lager with golden color, subtle grainy sweetness, and crisp refreshment that captured GABF gold.
Address: 121 South Galena St, Aspen, CO 81611
Website: https://www.aspenbrewingco.com/
4. Cultura Cerveza, Ogden Beer Company, Utah
An ultra-crisp and sessionable Mexican-style light lager showcasing clean fermentation and classic adjunct lightness, a recent World Beer Cup gold winner.
Address: 358 Park Blvd, Ogden, UT 84401
Website: https://ogdenbeercompany.com/
5. Lucha Libre, Flix Brewhouse-SAT, Texas
A lively, easy-drinking Mexican lager brewed on-site with bright malt character and refreshing carbonation perfect for pairing with movies and spicy food.
Address: 845 TX-1604 Loop, San Antonio, TX 78245
Website: https://flixbrewhouse.com/
6. Mexican Lager, Lone Tree Brewing Co., Colorado
A perennial award-winning Mexican-style lager with smooth corn notes, excellent clarity, and supreme drinkability that consistently medals at GABF and World Beer Cup.
Address: 8200 Park Meadows Drive Suite 8222, Lone Tree, CO 80124
Website: https://lonetreebrewingco.com/
7. Órale, Del Cielo Brewing Co., California
A bright, floral-hopped Mexican-style pale lager layered over a smooth maize-driven base that earned GABF silver.
Address: 701 Escobar Street Suite A, Martinez, CA 94553
Website: https://delcielobrewing.com/
8. El OVNI, Brothership Brewing, Illinois
A fun, highly crushable Mexican lager with clean fermentation and light body that captures the style’s essence in a welcoming suburban taproom.
Address: 18781 S. 90th Ave. Unit E, Mokena, IL 60448
Website: https://www.brothershipbrewing.com/
9. Californios, Station Craft, California
A West Coast GABF bronze medalist delivering hallmark Mexican lager clarity, subtle sweetness, and coastal refreshment.
Address: 34150 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point, CA 92629
Website: https://stationcraft.com/ (Dana Point location)
10. Fiesta de Sol, Site-1 Brewing Co, Nebraska
A vibrant, sunny Mexican-style lager bursting with crisp drinkability and festive character brewed in the heart of Omaha.
Address: 2566 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131
Website: https://www.site1brewing.com/
History of Mexican Lagers
The history of Mexican lagers is a story of European (primarily German, Austrian, and Swiss) brewing traditions adapting to Mexican ingredients, climate, and culture in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It evolved from small-scale colonial experiments into a dominant industrial style known worldwide for its crisp, refreshing pale lagers—often featuring corn adjuncts.
Pre-Lager Era: Indigenous and Colonial Roots
Mesoamerican cultures fermented beverages long before European arrival, including tesgüino (a corn-based beer) and pulque (from agave sap). Spanish colonizers introduced barley-based beer in the 16th century. Hernán Cortés’ forces brewed small amounts, and in 1543–1544, Alfonso de Herrero received the first official concession for a brewery near Mexico City. Production remained limited due to scarce ingredients, high taxes favoring European imports, and competition from local drinks.
After Mexican independence in 1821, restrictions eased. Early 19th-century efforts included beers flavored with piloncillo (cane sugar). However, true lager brewing—requiring cold fermentation and lagering—waited for technological advances and immigrant expertise.
19th Century: European Immigrants and the Birth of Lager
The pivotal shift came in the mid-to-late 1800s with immigrants from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The short-lived Second Mexican Empire (1864–1867) under Austrian Archduke Maximilian I brought further European influence, though claims he personally imported Vienna lager brewers lack strong evidence.
Key milestones:
1865: Swiss Agustín Marendaz founded Cervecería Toluca y México in Toluca, initially producing ales (cerveza sencilla).
1875–1880s: Fellow Swiss Santiago Graf took over. Railroads enabled imports of ice machines and equipment from the U.S., allowing the first successful large-scale lager production around 1884–1886. Toluca produced various styles, including Pilsner, Bock, and an amber Vienna-style lager. Victoria (an amber lager) launched in 1906.
1890s: German-influenced breweries proliferated. Cervecería Cuauhtémoc (Monterrey, 1890–1891) by locals and Joseph M. Schnaider produced Carta Blanca, a pale lager that won international awards (e.g., Chicago 1893). Cervecería Moctezuma (Orizaba) followed.
Early Mexican lagers started closer to Vienna lagers (amber, malty, toasty) using imported malts and hops. Brewers adapted to local challenges: warm climate, variable barley (often six-row from the U.S.), and abundant corn. Corn adjuncts (flaked maize) lightened the body, improved clarity, added subtle sweetness/fermentability, and reduced costs—mirroring U.S. practices. This created smoother, crisper beers suited to Mexico’s heat.
Early 20th Century: Consolidation and Iconic Brands
The Mexican Revolution (1910–1920) disrupted growth, but the 1920s brought recovery. Prohibition in the U.S. boosted exports/smuggling and tourism. Consolidation reduced dozens of breweries to a few giants:
1925: Cervecería Modelo (Mexico City) launched by Spanish immigrants. It introduced Modelo Especial (a pale lager) and soon Corona Extra (1925–1926), initially in clear bottles. Grupo Modelo later acquired Toluca (1935), absorbing Victoria.
Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma (later FEMSA) expanded with brands like Bohemia (1905, more pilsner-like), Dos Equis (from Siglo XX), and others.
By the mid-20th century, pale pilsner-style lagers with corn adjuncts dominated, emphasizing drinkability over heavy malt. Darker Vienna-style holdovers persisted (e.g., Negra Modelo, Dos Equis Ámbar).
Modern Era: Global Dominance and Craft Revival
Post-WWII, Grupo Modelo and Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma (now Heineken-owned) controlled ~90% of the market. Mexico became a top global exporter, especially to the U.S., with Corona as an icon. Exports surged in the late 20th/early 21st centuries; Mexico overtook others as the largest beer exporter by volume in the 2000s.
Today, “Mexican lager” or “Mexican-style pilsner” evokes light, golden, highly carbonated beers (4–5% ABV) with subtle corn notes, clean fermentation, and restrained noble-hop bitterness—perfect for hot weather and food like tacos. Craft breweries in Mexico and abroad have revived pre-industrial recipes, experimented with higher-quality ingredients, and added twists (e.g., lime-infused versions), while honoring the German-Czech-Mexican fusion.
Mexican lagers exemplify cultural adaptation: European technique meets New World corn and climate, creating one of the world’s most drinkable and exported beer styles. From Graf’s pioneering efforts to beachside Coronas, it’s a history of refreshment born from ingenuity.
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