Did you know that Mexico occupies the 7th place internationally as a producer, the 1st place as an exporter, and the 15th place as an importer of beer? At the LATAM level, Mexico is the 3rd country that consumes the most beer with an approximate per capita of 60 liters of beer per year. There is no doubt: Mexico is a country that loves beer
In 2019, the production of beer in the country was 124.5 million hectoliters; while in 2020, it was 118.7 million hectoliters, a number that could have been higher if the COVID pandemic around the world had not happened but is still an important figure despite that. Thanks to these numbers, the Mexican brewing industry is among the 20 most important manufacturing activities for the development of the country.
In fact, beer is the most important agri-food export product in Mexico, representing around 22% of the agro-industrial exports that are generated in Mexican territory.
Who makes beer in Mexico?
The reality is that the beer industry in Mexico is dominated by the big companies that export their beverages all over the world: Grupo Modelo and Heineken México, previously known as “Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma”. However, the growth of craft beers and independent brands is setting an unprecedented trend in the country.
In 2019 and 2020, craft beer production increased by more than 226,000 and almost 244,000 hectoliters, respectively; a trend in full growth that was affected by the pandemic but that begins to emerge slowly but steady after 3 years.
During the two years mentioned, a total of 267 new craft breweries were added in the country; Jalisco, Baja California, Nuevo León and Mexico City are the states where the highest percentage of hectoliters of craft beer is produced.
Regarding the production of beer in general in Mexican territory, Zacatecas leads the production of industrial beer 24.1% of the national total; These are the states with the highest beer production in Mexico:
- Zacatecas 24.1%.
- Coahuila 11.5%.
- Nuevo León 11.0%.
- Sonora 9.6%.
- Veracruz 8.3%.
- Oaxaca 8.0%.
- Jalisco 7.8%.
- Baja California 5.2%.
- Estado de México 5.0%.
Official sources from: INEGI, Forbes, Storecheck and Logistics World.
