The second edition of Future's "Craft Beer: Beers of the World" is available and includes a list of the 100 best breweries in the world, according to its authors. Baja California gained a spot on the list with its native Cerveza Cucapá, one of the most successful beers in the state, based out of Mexicali.

In 2002, Cerveza Cucapá opened its doors to one of the first micro breweries in Mexico and Baja California, after three years of planning, a "brewpub" in the city of Mexicali; a bar where beer is brewed in house. The concept was very simple - a nice ambiance and fresh and good quality beer.

The name Cucapá originates from the native tribe of the state of Baja California. The Cucapa (or Cocopah) tribe were pioneers in our region and their love of water and nature led them to reside in the delta region along the Colorado River in the deserts of Mexicali. Cucapá Beer is as unique as its ancestors of the Cucapá Tribe, who followed the nature tradition of water and river, and the goal to become the first to explore the region.

Toward the end of 2007, the breweries strategy changed. From being a brewpub, it became a full-on production plant, and they closed out all of the bars thus established. Today, Cerveza Cucapá is known for its high quality beer and is a leader in its category as well as an advocate for promoting fine beer culture. We have mentioned their products numerous times in our beer of the week article.

Congratulations to Cerveza Cucapá for its placing in this list! We invite our readers to try out some of their new offerings during the upcoming Expo Cerveza Artesanal, which will take place this weekend in front of Mercado Hidalgo in Tijuana.

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Jorge.Guevara@sandiegored.com

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