- Bottoms Up (RSS)UPDATE: Noche Buena no esta’; it’s apparently not available in the U.S. anymore
By William Brand
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 at 9:25 pm in Uncategorized.
Do you like Noche Buena, the thick, Vienna-style lager that comes out only around Christmas time?
I always have; when I lived in Mexico, it was my favorite Mexican beer (ahead of — Number 2 – absolutely fresh Superior, Number 3 – Indio.)
Even with the craft beer revolution, I’ve always found space in my fridge for Noche Buena. But it’s disappeared. It used to arrive right around Dec. 1 and sell out fast. No more.
After a couple of dozen phone calls and e-mails in English and Spanish, here’s what I know:
In 2004, Heineken USA, the import arm of Heineken cut a deal with FEMSA Cerveza, the giant Mexican-Brazilian brewing company, maker of 17 different Mexican beers, including Sol, Tecate, Carta Blanca, Superior, Indio, Tecate Light, Dos Equis Lager, Dos Equis Ambar, Bohemia, and Noche Buena.
Heineken USA now imports all their beers into the U.S. and apparently, poor ole’ Noche Buena got lost in the mix. No Noche Buena for us. Sigh.
Tamara Moore, the head of corporate communications for Heineken USA, based in White Plains, NY, said today she has no idea what happened to Noche Buena. “I don’t think we picked it up for import,” she said. “Check with FEMSA.”
So I did. Guess what, FEMSA has apparently closed its U.S. office. So I e-mailed FEMSA in Mexico in Spanish. Got a boilerplate reply — translated, thank you for your inquiry. We’ll get back to you.
Que lastima. No Noche Buena for us.
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September 21st, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Well, it is nearly that time of year–time to start watchimng for Noche Buena cerveza, the best beer I have every had. Have not seen it in Wash. State for at least five years. Here is hoping the imports will come this far north this year.
November 10th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
i can get them from tj dog. delicioso
November 10th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Where do you get it in TJ, Anon? And how much? And starting when –in November?
November 25th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
anywhere in tijuas. (130 pesos a 12 pack)i.e. oxxo,kalimax,costco,soriana,etc…
November 26th, 2008 at 8:34 am
So have you tried it recently? How’d you like it? Well, next time I’m down that way, I think I’ll scoot over the border and get some. When I lived in Mexico it was always my favorite beer. Let’s see what were my faves?
1. Noche Buena. 2. Negro Medelo Obscuro. 3. tie between Bohemia and absolutely fresh Superior. We also drank a lot of Pacifico when we lived in Mazatlan, because they delivered it to your door and the deposit on the bottles was more than the cost of the beer.
Of course, if I lived there now, I’d strictly drink beer from the brewpub there and the craft beer that comes in from Mexico DF and Monterey.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I asked someone to bring some from Mexico in January of this year and U.S. Customs was nice enough to confiscate them, so I don’t think there’s any hope of seeing it on this side of the North American border!
July 8th, 2009 at 7:54 am
[...] While I love me some Mexican beer (Victoria’s my fave, and I’ve heard raves about Noche Buena), sometimes you want something different, you [...]
October 7th, 2009 at 11:44 am
You can bring back up to 1 liter of alcohol from Mexico. So that’s basically three 12 oz. bottles.
December 11th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
you can bring 1 liter of alcoholic beverages per month into the us if traveling by car. if traveling by “common carrier” you can bring a case by paying the duty, about a dollar per litter over your allowance.
a border inspector told me today