Mexican Fiesta
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Mexican Beers Thriving
Americans have
developed a serious thirst for Mexican beers. While sales of
the majority of brands remain relatively flat or continue to
drop, those exported from Mexico are thriving, up nearly 3%
last year. 
The top-selling Mexican beer in the U.S., Corona
features themed in-store POS materials throughout the year,
such as this case card highlighting the upcoming Cinco de Mayo
Celebration.
Leading the charge are perennial all-stars Corona and Corona Light, which rank first and third, respectively, in the category. Combined growth for the two brands in 2004 was 3.7%. Importers Barton Beers and Gambrinus have also seen their other Mexican beers increase sales. The portfolio includes second-ranked Modelo Especial, Pacifico and Negra Modelo. In fact, both Modelo brands enjoyed double-digit growth last year.
The other major player in the category is Heineken USA (which took over Labatt USA's Mexican brands last year). The third largest-selling brand of Mexican beer -- Tecate -- outpaced the sales of the category as a whole, posting gains of 4% in 2004. Heineken's roster of heavyweights features the likes of Dos Equis, Carta Blanca, Bohemia and Sol, which collectively grew 4.6% last year.
Industry prognosticators see nothing but clear sailing for the brands from south of the border. The word on the street is: buy.
Lovely Liqueurs
Kahlúa has been made in Mexico for nearly a century and is one of the best-selling liqueurs in the world, with 2004 estimated sales of 1.31 million 9-liter cases. It is made from a base of distilled sugar cane that is steeped with vanilla and mountain-grown Mexican coffee. The liqueur has a velvety smooth texture and a bouquet of freshly ground coffee. Kahlúa's well-rounded body delivers the rich flavors of roasted coffee, cocoa and mint. While moderately sweet, it is not cloying or overbearing. The liqueur has a long, flavorful finish.
Kahlua just introduced this
Vanilla White Russian into its successful line of ready-to-drink
cocktails, which also includes eight other flavors.
One of the Kahlúa's strong suits is that it mixes with a seemingly endless combination of products. As testimony to its nearly universal mixability, it is one of the most frequently used ingredients in many drink guides.
Jim Beam Brands imports another coffee-flavored Mexican liqueur, Kamora, which sells about 200,000 9-liter cases a year in the U.S.
Patrón Spirits produces two Mexican liqueurs. Patrón XO Café Coffee Liqueur is made from well-aged añejo tequila and pure, natural essence of coffee. The 70 proof liqueur is crafted with the barest minimum of sweetener, which makes it more of a coffee-flavored tequila than a typical liqueur. Patrón Citrónge Extra Fine Orange Liqueur is made on a base of premium, high-proof neutral grain spirits, with its flavor derived from organically grown oranges from Jamaica and bittersweet oranges from Haiti. Pure cane sugar is added to give the liqueur a touch of sweetness.
Imported by Crillon, Agavero Tequila Liqueur is produced by Tequila Gran Centenario at Los Camichines Hacienda in Jalisco, Mexico. The secret ingredient in its well-guarded recipe is a unique tea brewed from the Damiana flower, which is an aromatic flower indigenous to the mountains of Jalisco. Agavero is bottled at 64 proof.
There are also two liqueurs from McCormick Distilling: Tequila Rose, a 34 proof strawberry-flavored cream liqueur mixed with tequila, and Tarantula Azul, a blue-colored, 70 proof product that combines tequila with natural citrus ingredients.
The Mexican Brandy Niche
Some of Mexico's finest distillers produce brandy, and the results speak volumes. For example, Presidente, from Allied Domecq, is the best-selling brandy in both its native Mexico and the world. It is aged roughly six years by the Solera method in bodegas located in Los Reyes, near Mexico City. The brandy is highly aromatic with a fruity, slightly sweet palate.
Special Reserve Don Pedro is also consistently ranked among the top five best-selling brandies in the world. It too is Solera-aged at the Los Reyes bodega, but is matured separately from those used to make Presidente. The brandies that comprise the Don Pedro blend are aged between 8 and 10 years. The special reserve brandy is lush and fruity in character with a lingering, vanilla-laced finish.
Also imported by Allied Domecq, Solera Reserva Azteca de Oro is a regal brandy alembic distilled from the Palomino grapes and aged for a minimum of 12 years in the solera. It is the Mexican equivalent of Carlos I Solera Gran Reserva, the highest designation bestowed on a Brandy de Jerez.
Mezcal Medley
Mezcal is produced principally in Oaxaca, although it is also made in other regions of Mexico. It is distilled from several different varieties of the agave, but mainly the agave espadin. There are several significant differences between how mezcal and tequila are produced. Instead of baking the agave, mezcal is made by cooking the agaves in covered pits or underground ovens, resulting in the finished spirit often being extremely smoky.
New brands of mezcal are beginning to grab consumer attention. An excellent example is Scorpion Mezcal (from Caballeros Inc.). Don't let the scorpion inside the bottle dissuade you from sampling this elegant triple-distilled, 100% agave mezcal.
Other notable mezcals include:
- Monte Alban Mezcal (Barton Brands) — The best-selling brand of mezcal, Monte Alban is produced at the Fabricado Mezcal Mitla in Oaxaca.
- Dos Gusano Mezcal (David Sherman) — Bottled with two worms, Dos Gusano Mezcal is produced by Destiladora Regional in Oaxaca.
- Gusano Rojo Mezcal (Allied Domecq) — One of the most recognized labels of mezcal, Gusano Rojo and Gusano de Oro are produced by Nacional Vinicola in Oaxaca, Mexico.
- Mezcal del Maestro (Pueblo Partners Trading Company) — A line of premium 100% agave mezcals double distilled in small batches in Oaxaca. The line includes a citrus-infused mezcal, reposado and Añejo Reserva.
- Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal (Del Maguey Ltd. Company). — A line of four superpremium mezcals, each produced in a small village. The line includes Minero, San Luis Del Rio, Chichicapa and Santo Domingo Albarradas.
