Interesting Beverage Products at Comida Expo

Publisher Ed Avis found some interesting products for Mexican/Latin restaurants at Comida Expo in San Diego last week, particularly among beers/liquors. The distribution of these products varies, so they may not be available in your area, but they’re worth keeping your eye on. Enjoy!

Caldidad Beer

This is a new craft brew from California with a crisp, distinctively Mexican flavor. The brewery is very new, so you won’t find this beer through your liquor distributor yet, but it’s worth watching for. It will first be available in Southern California. https://www.facebook.com/calidadbeer/

SouthNorte Beer Co.

SouthNorte is a craft brewer based in San Diego with a nice selection of beers with Mexican attributes. At the show they sampled three of their brews: Sea Senor, a Mexican-style lager with a lot of flavor; No Guey, an IPA brewed with mango and spices; and Agavamente, a lager brewed with hibiscus and agave. The beers are well distributed in Southern California for now. https://www.southnorte.com/

Estrella Damm Beer

This beer is brewed in Barcelona, so it would add a European flair to your menu. In contrast to the two young craft beers mentioned above, Estrella Damm has been brewed since 1876. It is the best selling beer in Barcelona. It’s distributed here by United States Beverage. http://www.unitedstatesbeverage.com

Aguachileada Mix

This is similar to michelada, but it’s made with the juice from aguachile instead of Clamato. Aguachile is a type of ceviche typically made with shrimp, chile peppers, lime juice, cilantro and onion. The juice left over from this dish is traditionally added to beer; Aguachileada is evidently the first company to bottle this mix. You can order it from their web site: https://aguachileada.com/

Ginja9

If you’re looking for a cool new liqueur to serve, consider Ginja9. This is a cherry liqueur that evidently is quite popular in Portugal. The company exhibiting it at Comida Expo, Earth Delicacies LLC, is the first to bring this product to the United States. It’s a slightly sweet, tart liqueur traditionally served in chocolate cups. But it also makes a great cocktail add-on, such as a float on a margarita or an addition to a mojito. www.ginja9.com

Baja Michelada

Micheladas are popular in a lot of areas, and Baja Michelada makes it easy with mixes that contain the ingredients. Still too much work? Try their cups with the mix already inside – just add beer! The mix comes in original, caliente, mango and pineapple varieties. http://bajamicheladas.com/

L.A. Cetto Wine

We’ve been writing a lot about Mexican wine recently, and L.A. Cetto is one of the few with decent U.S. distribution. I was pleased to see them sampling their line at this event. They have an outstanding line of wines ranging from chardonnay to Nebbiolo to excellent blends. If you’re going to serve wine at your restaurant, L.A. Cetto is worth considering. http://www.lacetto.mx/bienvenidos.php

Trinchero Family Estates

This company offers a wide, diverse line of wines and liquors. Tres Agaves is their tequila, and the name of their line of quality mixers, including margarita mix, bloody mary mix, strawberry margarita/daquiri mix, and agave nectar. Their wines are far too numerous to list, but include brands such as Cucina Mista and Dona Paula. http://tfewines.com/

Stella Rosa

Another wine exhibiting at the show was Stella Rosa. These are popular, semi-sweet wines that come in flavors such as peach, berry and mango (and many without specific fruit flavors). These wines are from Italy, but the company is making an effort to market to the Hispanic population. They’re delicious! https://stellarosawines.com/

Maguey Sweet Sap

Maguey is a variety of agave that contains a sweet sap that can be tapped. This product, imported into the U.S. by Villa de Patos, is hand extracted and cold evaporated, with no additives. It can be used as a sweetener in cocktails, desserts, and certain dishes. www.villadepatos.com

Nagua Coffee

Finally, after all those alcoholic beverages, it’s time for coffee! Smart Mexican restaurant owners should serve coffee from Mexico, and that’s the idea with Nagua Coffee. The premium coffee is roasted in the United States with exclusively from Mexico. Especially appropriate: The Nagua Café de Olla blend, with cinnamon and piloncillo. http://naguacoffee.com/