Posts Tagged ‘Mexico’

You might remember our story a few months ago about Duff Beer from South Australia  (see our story) which was on the market for a short while in the 1990’s but ran into trouble with 20th Century Fox for copyright issues being too close to the Duff Beer as seen on the Simpsons and was removed from shelves. Well some guys down in Mexico have gone one further- not only have they used the Duff name but they have produced beer packaging pretty much exactly the same as Moe serves to Homer, Barney, Carl and Lenny- and the whole town of Springfield for that matter. A guy called Rodrigos Contreras from Guadalajara in Mexico has some how been able to register the Duff trademark (the same as the one used on the Simpsons) and has started up producing Duff.  Now Duff was not a registered trademark before this guy came along but Mexican law does have some protection that 20th Century Fox can use if they wish as Mexican Law does recognize the concept of “brand notoriety”, which states that if any brand is well-known by a specific section of the consumers or the industry due to the commercial activities and/or advertisement done by its owners, they have the right to claim the ownership of the trademark. It will be interesting to see what happens to the future of this beer and Contreras for that matter. Read the rest of this entry »

Tecate is a municipality on the Baja California peninsula in Mexico wears its’ name on one of Mexico’s most popular beers- Tecate Beer. It is believed that Tecate was the first Mexican beer which was served with a slice of lime and salt- which is now common place with many of the Mexican and new designer Chelada style beers which are currently flooding the market. The beer is brewed at the Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma Brewery which dates back to 1890 and is operated by the brewers who produce other Mexican beers you might have heard of like Dos Equis, Bohemia and Sol. The beer is sold in cans like the picture here taken in downtown Tijuana and in a twist top bottle and it is also sold in a Light variety which has been on the market since 1992.

Tecate is a small city in the Mexican state of Baja California about 40 miles from San Diego and is home to Tecate Beer, -wonder how they come up with that name? Just about everyone thinks just of Corona when they think of Mexican beer and sure its a great beer but there are so many other Mexican beers just as good and many even better, Tecate, Sol and Dos Equis’ XX are just a few others you should try.  The Tectate Beer dates back to 1944 when a guy called Alberto Aldete operated a small malt factory in Tecate he brewed a bit of beer on the side and decided to go big time with it. In the mid 1950s the brewery was sold to Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma who now are know for making Superior, Sol and Dos Equis. The Tecate beer is a light pilsner style beer and is the source and pride of Baja California. Try some next time you order a drink with your nachos.

Being called Bohemia Beer you might expect this little golden treasure to come from the Czech Republic or some other Eastern European country. Well no it comes from Mexico. The beer is one of the most awarded of the Mexican Beers and has won many world awards but is sadly overshadowed by Corona or even Sol outside Mexico although readily available in many countries. The beer has a distinct European flavor, even Czech with a strong hoppy flavor and aroma. There is also a beautiful Dark beer called Bohemia Obscura produced which has a rich taste of Vienna with caramel toasted malts- look for the sliver foil cap.

The latest trend sweeping the bars is the new range of Chelada style, or Michelada beers from Mexico. They bring together a combination of a nice light tasting beer, a bit like Corona and a mix of lime and salt. You might think Yuk, but they are really refreshing, and by the way so m any breweries are bringing out this type of product, it look like Chelada style beer is going to be the beer for the beautiful people of 2008. Another popular Michelda style beer is the Cerveza Preparda, which we here at Hoppsy wonder if it will be the next wave, it features- wait for it- beer, tomato juice and salsa inglesa which is like Worcestershire sauce- please brewers Don’t do it!!!!. Miller Chill is the first of these products to take on the market, with many others following. The Miller Chill has a very sweet and refreshing taste, and the salt really brings out he crispness of the beer, and is going to be a very popular summer time drink. The taste is similar to that of a Corona with a slice of lime but a more sweet and lime taste. We at Hoppsy think it is going to convert many of the people who drink the RTD ‘lolly water’ vodka or wine based drinks over to beer, which can’t be a bad thing. Try one next time you visit your local bar or pub, if nothing else Miller Chill is something different!

When you think of Mexican Beer Corona is the beer that comes to mind but there are so many other great Mexican beers available including Sol. Light and refreshing and tasting a lot like Corona Sol is delicious. The beer dates back to the late 1890’s when a German brewer made the first batch just outside of Mexico City. Legend tells it that he named the beer El Sol after the Spanish word for Sun. In  1924 the El was dropped and it has been known simply as Sol ever since. This beer is great chilled ice cold and drank straight out of the bottle, some like the lemon or lime just like the Corona but its pretty good just on it’s own. Look out for it next time you have some tacos or nachos at the local Mexican Restaurant.

Corona is Mexico’s most exported beer, you can purchase it in over 150 countries world wide an in many cases the beer is served with a slice of lemon or lime. Although this is not a popular addition in Mexico outside the tourist spots the lemon or lime is almost always done around the world. There are lots of urban myths to why a slice is added including to plug the bottle to keep insects out, to sterilize the top of the bottle with the citric acids but it’s really just a garnish and to add a bit of a zing to the beer and give it a fresher taste. Being a clear glass bottle UV light can harm the beer sometimes causing what is called a skunky taste from the hops oil, the lemon or lime masks this flavor and improves the smell. Some markets sell a can and there is draught also available in some regions these rarely have the lemon or lime added.