Friends at the beach clinking bottles with the bright sun behind them.

Cheers to Cozumel: Beer Lover’s Guide to the Island

Beer snobs, unite! Are you a craft beer lover looking forward to your vacation in Cozumel but aren’t sure if you’ll find nice hoppy IPAs? Or maybe you love your reliable domestic lagers back home and need some suggestions on Mexican equivalents. Fear not! We have the perfect beer lover’s guide to Cozumel, Mexico.

From cerveza artesanal to familiar lagers – of the Mexican variety – you’ll find something to satisfy your thirst.

Including hanging out at the island’s local microbreweries, or sampling a flight of unique craft beers brewed right on-site (and a side of some of the best wood-fired pizzas in town).

Or grab a stool (or a hammock) at a beachside bar, watching the sunset with an ice-cold bottle of familiar, thirst-quenching suds. 

Whatever your favorite beer, Cozumel has something for you.

In this post, we’ll explore the best places to drink craft beer in Cozumel and provide tips on where to find the tasty brews. So grab a cold one and let’s get started!

Popular Beers Sold in Cozumel

Salud, Mexico!  (salud is how you say “cheers!” down here). 

Home to some of the world’s most delicious cuisine, beautiful beaches, and of course, a variety of beers that will make any beer lover feel right at home. 

If you’re planning a vacation to Cozumel, Mexico, you won’t want to miss out on some of the country’s most popular brews. We’ve put together a guide to the best beers for your trip so you can know what to look for and experience the flavors of Mexico (as well as some familiar favorites).

Tecate:

Tecate is pretty much like the Bud of Mexico, meaning it’s inexpensive, and one of the most popular and versatile beers to be found in Cozumel, and it’s easy to see why. 

This popular lager beer has a subtle, familiar flavor that makes it perfect for relaxing in the sun or enjoying a night out on the town. Its light body make it a great choice for any occasion, especially on a hot sunny Cozumel day.

Others in this class would be the beers called Sol and one called Victoria.

Tecate Light:

If you’re looking for something a bit lighter, Tecate Light is a perfect choice. This beer is light in body and flavor but still packs plenty of refreshment. It’s a great choice for those who lean towards the Bud Lights of the world. Cheap and cheerful.

Stacks of Tecate cases in the local Cozumel grocery store.
Tecate – a big seller at Cozumel’s Chedraui supermarket

Dos Equis (XX) Lager:

Dos Equis has become much more popular over the years in the U.S. so this will be familiar to most traveling beer drinkers.

This was my go-to beer on Cozumel vacations before I gave up the sauce, and it’s available in most restaurants around the island.

Dos Equis Amber is around, too, but to a lesser extent.

Corona:

Corona is another readily available beer in Cozumel but is likely more popular with tourists than with Mexican beer drinkers.

This light-bodied lager has a bright, citrusy aroma and flavor that make it an ideal hot-weather beer here, just like it is in the hot summer at home. Its slightly sweet finish makes it a great match for seafood dishes or spicy Mexican food.

Negro Modelo:

For those who prefer darker beers with a little more body, Negro Modelo is the way to go. Also pretty well known outside of Mexico, at least in larger cities and towns, this dark lager has a rich, roasted malt flavor that’s balanced with notes of caramel and chocolate.

Negro Modelo pairs well with hearty dishes in Cozumel, like Mexico’s famous chicken mole or maybe a surf-and-turf at one of the island’s great dinner spots, and its smooth finish make it great for sipping on its own with some chips and guacamole.

A variety of US and Mexican beers at the Cozumel supermarket.

Indio Beer: A Refreshing Taste of Mexico

Indio beer is a popular Mexican lager that can be found in many local cantinas and convenience stores throughout Cozumel.

Indio is another versatile lager, so it’s a refreshing beer with a smooth taste that is perfect for a session on a hot day or enjoying with a casual meal. With its slightly sweet flavor and mild hops, Indio makes an excellent pairing for Mexican food or some of Cozumel’s great local pizzas.

Whether you’re looking for something to cool off with on the beach or your next round in a long night of bar-hopping and the awesome tacos that go with it, Indio beer is a good go-to.

Heineken: A Popular Choice in Cozumel

Heineken is one of the world’s most popular beers and it’s no surprise that it can be found in abundance in Cozumel.

This light, crisp lager is the perfect choice for those looking to quench their thirst while vacationing in this vibrant city.

It’s easy to find Heineken in restaurants, bars, and even convenience stores throughout Cozumel, making it an ideal choice for travelers who want to experience the flavors of Mexico without straying too far from what they know.

Heineken 0.0 Non-Alcoholic Beer

Heineken is also great because it’s newest beer on the market, Heineken Zero is a solid choice for a non-alcoholic beer if you’re driving, on the wagon, or just moving more toward an alcohol free lifestyle.

Heineken commits to making Heineken 0.0 available wherever they sell their full-octane original, which is an admirable decision and give them a head start on the growing non-alcoholic drinking trends, world-wide.

I for one one hope these trends extend more and more into Mexico, and Cozumel specifically, since I gave up drinking nearly 5 years ago (no one is more surprised than I am! lol). There are so many truly high-quality NA beers on the market now, and many of the best are of the craft beer variety, which was my preferred range when I was a big beer drinker.

And on that note, most of my beer drinking friends were way more into hoppy IPAs, fruity sours, and stouts. Does Cozumel have anything on tap besides light-ish lagers and one domestic dark?

Wherever there's Heineken now there's Heineken Zero for non-drinkers.

Craft Beer Appreciation is Growing in Cozumel

For beer lovers, Cozumel is not just a destination for cheap lagers like Budweiser.

A growing craft beer movement is taking place in Mexico, and Cozumel is no exception. Whether you’re a fan of IPAs, stouts, pilsners, or something else, you can find a craft beer for every taste.

There are now a variety of places to buy craft beer in Cozumel.

First off, the major grocery stores Chedraui and Mega both offer a range of local and imported craft beers.

Artesanal Mexican small batch beer bottles rubbing elbows with US craft beer imports.

If you don’t find exactly what you want, try heading to the higher-end liquor store, Europea, right across the street from Mega.

Here you’ll find a huge selection of wines and liquors, and craft beer from Mexican and international brewers.

So don’t worry indie beer lovers, your vacation in Cozumel will be filled with all the craft brews you could could want.

Cozumel’s Local Micro-Brew Pub & Pizzeria: A Beer Lover’s Must-Try

If you’re a beer lover, you won’t want to miss out on the Punta Sur Cerveceria, one of Cozumel’s cool new micro-breweries.

Stop by and hang out at the bar, and sample their incredible craft brews. They offer flights of various beers, so you can try a bit of everything!

A flight of beer samples.
Craft in Coz: try a flight at Punta Sur

And for those who are hungry, Punta Sur also serves up delicious brick oven pizza – including the Divers’ Special with lionfish as a topping.

Enjoy a cold one with friends, at Punta Sur Cerveceria. It’s a perfect way to end a day of exploring.

Kusam in Cozumel – Another Small Batch Beer “Must”

Another cool place to try is the Kuzam bar and cafe, featuring its own range of carefully crafted beers, brewed right here on the island – and by a brewmaster who’s also a third-generation Cozumeleño!

It doesn’t get much more local than that, so definitely make time for a few pops at Kusam!

With a good solid Mexican menu and a bunch of flavorful beers to sample, Kuzam is a great spot for beer enthusiasts to round out the trip.

Bright cheery entrance to Kusam craft microbrewery in Cozumel, Mexico.
Kuzam microbrew bar in Centro

International Beer Bar on The Waterfront

The International Bar is a great bar for lots of reasons, but maybe the best is that it sits high above the waterfront right on the main drag of Melgar Avenue. There isn’t a much better spot to hoist a few than this breezy perch, that also happens to be super convenient to downtown, the ferry terminal, and the OG of Cozumel cruise ship ports, Punta Langosta.

The International Bar is known for its huge selection of beers from all over the world. Try to have one from each continent!

Sadly, with all that choice, they currently don’t carry any non-alcoholic beer brands, but hopefully that’s coming in the not-to-distant future.

In the meantime, though, non-drinkers can certainly find an alternative, and their beer loving buddies will have a great time looking out over the water or catching a game, and sampling some brews you won’t find anywhere else on the island.

Grab a Great Beer in Cozumel No Matter What Style You Prefer

Beer lovers, come to Cozumel, belly up, and order up a nice cold frosty!

Head out to one of Cozumel’s many beaches for a cold one in the sun. Here you can find all your favorite domestic beers as well as some unique Mexican imports.

From the grocery stores with their wide selection of local and imported brews to stock your hotel fridge, to local microbrews at Kusam and the Punta Sur Cerveceria with their delicious on-premises craft brewed beers and brick oven pizza, you’ll find plenty of options to quench your thirst.

Fore more on Cozumel’s cool bar scene, check out this post, next.

And do us all a favor, and don’t prove me right about the abundance of tourists who turn into drinking amateurs on vacation! Stay safe, and stay out of the hospitals (even if these are great hospitals). Salud!

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