Why, for what and for who is Cucapá brewed?

Mario García: Like good beer lovers, we saw the need to offer craft and gourmet beer to a market that had been dominated for decades by macro commercial beers. The name of this beer would be Cucapá; that was ten years ago.

Cucapá was born with the intention of showing something different to what we were accustomed to. We wanted to show people that there's a world of styles that are reflected in the color, aroma, body, flavor and other features that make up a craft beer.

This is very different in Mexico since in the beginning it was considered an "elite" beer when in the US is not something about social status, but a lifestyle. Due to the strong relation between craft beers and pairings, some people can consider it like that. But these beers are made for anybody who can appreciate a good beer by itself or paired with food.

In your opinion what caused the craft beer boom?

MG: I think the influence we have from the United States and Europe has had a lot to do with it, the fact that it is growing so much in these countries has turned it into something very visible in Mexico. Ensenada had the wine boom and Mexicali (if not the whole state) is having the beer boom.

I think that the gastronomic development has also been an important factor since that's something that constantly asks you to try new ways of prepare food and this extends to the drinks that go with it; before, the pairings were made with wines, now Chefs are looking for craft beers to make this kind of arrangement which has surprised a lot of people outside of this industry, that they would consider a beer like a "gourmet" drink.

Today more and more people appreciate a good beer and they are more willing to pay for quality than for quantity.

What does somebody looking to start in the local craft beer market have to face?

MG: We have a lot of experience in this since we are pioneers in our city. Thanks to the breweries that started this movement, from a couple of years ago the road has been a bit more open for "home brewers", people who are just beginning to make their own beer.

To people starting in this industry there are different permits they need to be able to send this kind of product.

Mario García, Cucapa's CEO. Photography courtesy of Nelvin C. Cepeda/U-T

Does the government help them or doesn't it?

MG: The state doesn't really help but there is a lot they could do to help develop this industry. We all know that the main problems for the development are the monopolized permits and their high price.

There is legislation regarding the issue that could help the industry grow, like the effort they have made with wine.

Something that could be done is to eliminate the exclusivities big brewing companies have on public parks and a bunch of other activities. With these issues resolved, a great industry would start growing in our state like it has happened in the rest of the world.

What is next for Cucapá?

MG: A lot of growth. Without a doubt things have changed in these last years, it's not the same as ten years ago, when we started. We are living a very important moment for this movement and we can proudly say that we have been the pioneers. We are a company oriented to our customers and we have the commitment of delivering the best quality in our beers; that is why we are the number one beer in the country.

As the demand has grown so has our staff, and every area is working with all this development to be better at what it does.

This year we are entering more markets and after a lot of effort we have entered the 7-Eleven chain stores in different places like Guadalajara, Baja California and soon we'll be in Monterrey and the State of Mexico. We have plans of entering this kind of commercial chains more, something difficult for breweries like ours. We know the market is slowly opening up and consumers are more interested in trying new, different beers.

Original Text: César Faz, Binomio 1+4 info@b1mas4.com http://b1mas4.com

Translation: Karen.balderas@sandiegored.com