TV

Tijuana is the Craft Beer Capital of Mexico: Baja Window to the South

The operatic tenor, Marco Antonio Labastida, was also a guest

Photo by: Josh Olalde on Unsplash

By Sonia Zavala2022-04-22T23:32:00+00:00

Baja Window to the South is here to bring Americans all the necessary information regarding gastronomy, tourism, sports, and the wonders that Baja California has to offer. Olga Sánchez de la Vega and Scott Koenig are in charge of sharing this information every episode as well as welcoming all of their guests.

On this episode, Raúl Aispuro, President of Tijuana’s Craft Beer Association, was present. He stated that Tijuana is the “Craft Beer Capital of Mexico”, since most craft beer related contests award prizes to Tijuana. In addition, there are more craft beer brewers here than anywhere else in the country, with 16 working currently due to the pandemic.

Besides Tijuana, there are also brewers in Mexicali, Ensenada, San Felipe, Rosarito, Tecate, and San Quintin which proves the way in which the craft beer industry has united all of Baja California’s municipalities. Raúl stated that it is hard to know the exact number of beer varieties since every brewery usually offers from 6 to 8 types, with 2 or 3 new styles being presented each season. He said that the most popular both in the state and in San Diego is IPA.

Aispuro commented that communication between Tijuana and San Diego’s craft beer brewers is constant, which means a lot has been learned by manufacturers from both sides of the border, creating one singular beer region in both cities. He added that any American who visits Baja California will find a type of beer they will love and touches their soul.

In the Tacos With Muchachos section, Scott Koenig and Francisco Pérez, owner of “Aquí es Texcoco” went to Tacos El Poblano, a taqueria that has existed in Tijuana for over 40 years, very famous for their carne asada. Here, they tried the classic carne asada taco which had a lot of flavor and the meat's steamed taste could be perceived easily. Scott said that if he had to give it a rating he would give it a 10 out of 10, undoubtedly.

As a surprise, Francisco brought a carne asada tostada to Scott. The tostada is made by cooking it in burning coal, which makes its steamed flavor even more present with each bite, which delighted Scott.

The second guest was operatic tenor Marco Antonio Labastida, one of the most important binational artists of the last few decades. Last December, Labastida had his 39-year anniversary of singing and playing classical guitar; his love for music began when he was approximately 11 years old.

Marco Antonio has a star in Tijuana’s Walk of Fame and he stated how proud he felt at being a Tijuana native and being recognized by the same community where his father used to work at so many years ago. He also added that he was very proud that a lot of people in Baja California are able to share their talents with the world.

Labastida is also a family man, who not only takes into account those he is related by blood to, but also those in his community, who he considers part of his family. He shows this through classes and programs where he encourages the general public to share their talents.