Niching Down: Del Norte’s Mexican Style Lagers

Since the craft brewing movement began, we have seen breweries that have brought the beer traditions and styles from some of the great beer countries of the world to America. Odell’s specializes in English style ales, The Lost Abbey creates unique Belgian beers, and many other breweries offer beers in the English, German, Czech, or Belgian styles (and sometimes all of the above). Before we had our own American breweries recreating these styles, the only way to get them was to brew them yourself, visit the countries, or buy the imports.

Yet despite the notoriety of these beers, the most popular import in America does not come from Europe. Instead, it is a light lager from our neighbors to the south. When you think of Mexican lagers, what comes to mind first? Chances are you’re thinking about a series of television ads with no dialogue that each offer their version of paradise (all with a Corona, of course.) Corona and a handful of other Mexican imports have dominated this space, and Corona is currently the #1 import beer in the United States. However, while they offer a product slightly different from the American domestics, they are generally low on flavor and complexity.

Despite the overwhelming popularity of this style, there haven’t been many attempts to enter this style of beer into the craft beer space, creating a unique opportunity for Denver’s Del Norte Brewing Company. Del Norte is a craft brewery whose focus is Mexican style lagers. Their beers offer a unique and higher end alternative to the simpler Mexican lagers consumers have become used to. Some may argue that Del Norte’s beers aren’t the most complex you’ll find in the craft beer space, but they offer a significant upgrade from the current Mexican lagers in the market. Their beers are great for converting Mexican beer lovers to craft beer lovers.

Del Norte has identified the most popular import beer style in America and has modified it to fit in the craft beer space. What other import categories are as of yet untapped?

Intercontinental Brewing

Craft beer is thought of as a very local product. At your neighborhood bar you’re far more likely to encounter beers from your region on tap. Sure, you can find Victory beer in California, but you’re more likely to find Stone. I write about the importance of this local and community aspect of breweries a lot on this site. The scale that craft brewers work on encourages local consumption. But what if a consumer wants to try something a little more exotic?

In the last few years, a new trend has taken hold – major American craft breweries have been teaming up with their European counterparts to create intercontinental collaboration beers. Two of the most notable examples are New Belgium Brewery working with Brewerij Boon in Belgium to create Transaltantique Kriek and Stone Brewery collaborating with BrewDog in Scotland to create Bashah. These products offer a new spin on two categories: American craft beer collaborations and imports. To each of their standard consumers, these beers offer a taste of the exotic. Fans of New Belgium can try a beer made at one of the breweries that Jeff visited on his bicycle trip (which inspired the creation of New Belgium). With BrewDog and Stone’s partnership, Scottish beer fanatics can now try a beer from an American legend that is brewed locally instead of being shipped all the way from Southern California.

These intercontinental collaborations have become a great tool for breweries to introduce themselves to new audiences. With the news that Stone is looking to open a brewery in Europe, what better way to build brand familiarity than by teaming up with one of the most beloved craft breweries in the UK?

Collaboration has always been a predominant theme in craft brewing. Despite the fact that many craft breweries are competitors with one another, the sense of camaraderie and community exhibited by the industry is second to none. Perhaps transatlantic collaboration is the next step in this progression.

What other industries could benefit from international collaboration?