There was a time when imported beer was a novelty in America. That changed in the 1980s, with Heineken leading the way among brands positioning themselves as an upscale alternative to a domestic market that was basically nothing but watery macro brews. As craft beer began its relentless, still accelerating rise on the domestic side in the 1990s and 2000s, imports changed as well. Heineken hasn’t gone anywhere — but Americans now also enjoy an astonishing wealth of delicious imported beer riches from Belgium, Germany, Ireland Guinness and beyond — but you can’t talk about imported beer in the U.S. without talking about Mexico. Corona — which basically invented Cinco De Mayo as an American holiday/marketing event — is the leader, but as you’ll see below, multiple Mexican beer brands dominate the American import market. After all, America does import 75% of all the beer Mexico ships abroad.
Note: The information above is based on “off-premise” sales. While you won’t see the ‘Beers of Mexico Variety Pack’ in a bar, the list otherwise represents the imported beers America is drinking at the bar and at home.
