The craft brewery boom buoys nation’s only Latino-owned hop farm

Still, the farm’s Mexican heritage can be and has been a significant draw, especially for Spanish-speaking breweries abroad.  

Garza remembers visiting Mexican breweries with Leon Loza Sr. for the first time many years ago and being amazed that Loza Sr. could explain the ins and outs of the hop business in their native language. She considers brokering those early interactions one of the highlights of her career in the hop industry.  

“Up to that point, I never had a grower that was able to engage in that capacity,” she said.  

After Garza moved on to a different position with Yakima Chief Hops, Rodrigo Plancarte, who is based near Mexico City, was assigned the job overseeing the market in Latin America. Plancarte was involved in planning the first Mexican Night back in 2019.  

Plancarte said Mexico’s craft brewery scene is currently similar to what the U.S. market was in the early 2000s. Roughly 1% of beer consumption in the country comes from craft breweries, so there’s plenty of room for growth, he said.  

Many Mexican craft breweries are in Tijuana and Mexicali, in the state of Baja California, a short car ride from San Diego, a significant craft brewery hub. However, more breweries are popping up around Mexico City, where Plancarte lives.  

These new breweries make beers that cater to Mexican palates and tastes, including porters that integrate coffee and chocolate aromas and flavors, Plancarte said.  

Another unique quality of Mexican breweries is their heavy use of Instagram over other social media platforms to advertise or document their processes. Loza Farms mirrors that trend with its active Instagram presence. There, Junior and other family members document everything from recent collaborations with breweries in the U.S. and Mexico to meeting fellow hop growers and breweries during conferences and the hop harvest.