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Taste the Forbidden Beer in Mexico

A brewery in Guadalajara, Mexico has caused a bit of a stir over a new beer named for the patron saint of drug traffickers. The Minerva Brewery says that its Malverde Beer simply honors the Mexican legend of Jesús Malverde, a Robin Hood-type figure believed to have robbed from the rich and partied with the poor in the late 1800's. The only problem: drug smugglers in the western State of Sinaloa claim him as an inspiration - and vindication - of their violent narco-culture.

Of course, that's hardly a problem for its brewers, who have parlayed the manufactured controversy into worldwide awareness of a once minuscule brand. While the morally righteous retail giant Wal-Mart refuses to stock the stuff, it's widely available at convenience stores and upscale bars like the Red Pub in Guadalajara, and there are plans to export the European-style Pilsner to the United States as well.

Vicious narco-traffickers are a nasty bunch, and we're loathe to see their images elevated to an undeserved heroic status, but also don't see the point in banning sales of a beer named after someone who might not have ever actually existed. Where do you draw the line? If society didn't crumble after the Scarface and Godfather movies, we think polite beer-drinking folks in Mexico and beyond will see this for what it is as well: a publicity stunt.

[Photo: Brewsweek]

Related Stories:
· Beer's Outlaw Image Leaves Bad Taste in Critics' Mouths [USA Today]
· Cerveceria Minerva [Official Site]
· Beer Travel Coverage [Jaunted]