British beer to Mexico?

February 22, 2006 5:37 AM

What's the best way to get British cask beer to Mexico City?

I live in Mexico City and I've got a birthday party coming up. Thing is, I'm British and feeling homesick. I would love to get in a few casks of the sweet, sweet ambrosia that is draft British beer (Boddingtons, John Smith's, London Pride, maybe some cider), to serve on tap. You can easily get this beer in pubs in the States but the brewers in the UK tell me that they don't sell direct to Mexico. (No demand - hah!)

So I reckon I've got two options - either ship direct from England or contact a supplier in the US and get them to ship down. I've tried a couple of places in Texas and they seem kind of funny about getting it through Mexican customs. International suppliers in the UK only seem to provide cans.

Any tips for suppliers (British or American), shippers, and getting the stuff through Mexican customs would be appreciated.

posted by TrashyRambo to food & drink (11 comments total)

Sorry I don't have an answer, but I did want to point out that there are a lot more things to consider here such as customs laws, tarrifs and import/export taxes. Is it even legal to import British beer?

Have you tried asking the curtural atache at the embassy or these people?
posted by Pollomacho at 6:06 AM on February 22, 2006

One time we decided to have a Guinness party at my house. Everyone sat on their ass and did nothing to get the kegs, which usually have to be reserved where I'm at. Just as we were deciding that we'd just have regular beer, my daft roommate walked into the room and said she had just E-mailed 285 people and told them that we were having a "Guinness Party" tommorow night.

So I got on google and googled "Guinness Distributor" and "Washington D.C." I got a number, called the distributor and asked if they knew of any place that would be able to get me a keg of Guinness fast. "Keg City, of course!" they responded. Sure enough, they had it. You might try something similar.
posted by Ironmouth at 7:42 AM on February 22, 2006

1. Invite one of your old pals from London, have him carry a firkin in his luggage. (If it's really worth it to you, you'd pay his/her airfare; hell, pay me and I'll bring you some from Philly.)

2. Make your own.

3. Track down Casta Morena. I don't know if they make cask ale, but they definitely make high-end ales, not the usual lagers. Talk to the brewer, he might know where to get his hands on some.

Also, I hate to tell you, but while you were away InBev closed the old Strangeways plant and it's exceedingly difficult to find cask Boddington's anywhere.
posted by sixpack at 8:10 AM on February 22, 2006

Maybe a bar or liquor store in Mexico could order for you from a supplier in Texas? That seems like a much more straightforward path through customs.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:12 AM on February 22, 2006

Contact the British consulate?
posted by Thorzdad at 8:23 AM on February 22, 2006

The embassy's commerical section would be a place to start.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:33 AM on February 22, 2006

I can try to send you some. Label it mouthwash for customs and hope for the best? Let me know and I'll e-mail you...
posted by katiecat at 9:06 AM on February 22, 2006

I gues you can't but if you can the guys at Black Horse in Condesa know how.
posted by priorpark17 at 9:57 AM on February 22, 2006

2. Make your own.

Seriously. Dunno how close your birthday is, and it would probably take about a month for even a well-practiced brewer to come up with a few gallons of a nice bitter or mild or whatever you're hankering for.

But for future reference, it might really be the way to get good cask-ale across the world. Start at How to Brew and go from there.
posted by rkent at 10:12 AM on February 22, 2006

If you can't get the real thing, maybe you can try to find Casta Bruna on tap somewhere.

Commercial Description: A medium bodied, copper colored Mexican pale ale with an excellent balance of flavors and tastes, more inclined towards the English variety than its American counterpart. Casta Bruna is brewed with four different pale and roasted malts, which provide its exquisite malty character and East Kent Goldings hop, responsible for its well balanced flavor.

More info on the brewery from Michael Jackson.
posted by Otis at 11:24 AM on February 22, 2006

Thanks for your help. I know the embassy well and they don't have a good route. (They currently ship in cans for their bar, but not casks.)
posted by TrashyRambo at 2:07 PM on February 22, 2006