Making Mexican Beer With Washington Hops

Whether they know it or not, Mexican beer lovers have a lot to thank Washington for. In 2023, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Mexico imported $16 million worth of hops from Washington state, a 40% increase from the previous year. When Washington Grown visited Mexico City, we spoke with Luis Enrique de la Reguera, the owner of the brewery, Casa Cervecera Cru Cru, about his love for beer, brewing, and U.S. hops.

How did you get into brewing?

I used to be a product designer, and one day, I got a “How to Make Beer” kit, and I brewed my first kit just two months after I got married. And I said to my wife, “Okay, I’m going to quit” — and then we started the brewery.

What is special about your brewery?

For us, it’s really important to develop the Mexican flavors. And if we are going to be involved in beer, we want to represent our country the best way we can.

What have you learned along the way?

At the beginning, we were excited about making beer. And now we’re excited about making good beer. And you can’t make good beer if you don’t have good ingredients. Not only hops, but barley and good water, good grist. But hops are really important in beer, especially in the styles that are growing here in Mexico.

Why are U.S. and Washington hops so important for Mexican beer?

The hops from the U.S., they're a really big part of the Mexican beer industry. We’re going behind the freshness of the aromas and the citrus, and you can only get that with hops from the States. I truly believe that the hop is the future of beer here in Mexico.