Mexican lagers are the most popular beer imports in the U.S., accounting for more than two-thirds of our outsourced brews in 2017. Dos Equis, along with a handful of brands, is largely responsible for this trend.
What makes Dos Equis so attractive? It’s all about embellishment, a handsome man, and, for those willing to experiment, a dash of citrus salt.
Here are nine more things you should know about Dos Equis.
Dos Equis wants to upend Bud Light.
Dos Equis is one of the fastest-growing beers in America. In a 2019 strategy presentation, the brand claims it is “the trade up beer for domestic drinkers,” eyeing Bud Light and other light lagers as easy competition.
It’s all a lie.
Dos Equis encourages drinkers to “keep it interesante.” How? Basically, by lying. A lot. “You could tell the truth, or you could tell something better,” its commercials taunt. It also trolls “alternative facts” in its messaging, such as that Dos Equis is “the beer Abraham Lincoln kept under his hat,” and that it has been “brewed the same way for 9,000 years, or at least since 1897.” (The 1897 part is true.)
Its founder is not Lou Ferrigno.
Contrary to what its tongue-in-cheek marketing states, actor and former bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno is not the founder of Dos Equis. Wilhelm Haase founded Dos Equis in 1897, when he brewed a beer called Siglo XX, now known as Dos Equis.
It gets by with a little help from its friends, Tecate and Sol.
Dos Equis, Tecate, and Sol are all produced by Heineken-owned Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery, based in Monterrey, Mexico. The brewery was founded in 1890 and currently operates in several locations throughout Mexico: Monterrey, Guadalajara, Toluca, Tecate, Orizaba, and Meoqui.
It (accidentally) proved there can only be one ‘most interesting man.’
For nine years, the Most Interesting Man in the World, a character played by actor Jonathan Goldsmith, told America (in a lovely faux Latino accent) about all the adventurous, manly pursuits he endured as a Dos Equis drinker. In 2016, Dos Equis swapped out Goldsmith for French actor Augustin Legrand. Consumers were not interested. The campaign was cancelled in 2018.
Goldsmith had the last laugh, though: His famous tagline, “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, it’s Dos Equis” may have been true for his character, but Goldsmith told Men’s Journal in 2017 that he did not prefer the beer. He’s also now the spokesman for Astral tequila.
Its Insta gets weird.
Along with its flashy ads on bigger screens, the Dos Equis Instagram account mostly posts short (odd) videos with “Workaholics” co-creator Blake Anderson. The videos are short edits of a series created in collaboration with Funny or Die, and they launched in advance of Cinco de Mayo 2018 along with a limited-edition Cinco Equis beer. As Anderson says in this ad, “That’s too much Equis!”
It wants your attention.
Dos Equis is ramping up its ad spend in 2019. The brand plans to run more than twice as many commercials throughout the year — seven compared to the previous years’ three. The new ads will shift the vibe from suave, single-man moods to high-energy group situations with friends.
It wants you to drink more cocktails.
On its website and in video advertisements, Dos Equis encourages using its beer as a cocktail ingredient. The Dos-A-Rita Frozen cocktail combines tequila, lime, agave, and chili tincture in a blender with ice, garnished with citrus salt, and topped with an upside-down bottle of Dos Equis Lager. The Grapefruit Splash tops grapefruit juice, lime juice, tequila, and agave nectar with Dos Equis Lager, with a citrus salt rim and grapefruit slice garnish. See the recipe here.
It’s more than a lager.
In September 2018, Heineken announced the launch of Dos Equis Mexican Pale Ale, which was featured on draft at sports bars and Buffalo Wild Wings across the country. The pale ale debuted as part of the B-Dubs Brew Series, a rotating tap series spotlighting the “hottest and most notable breweries in the U.S.” The promotion placed Dos Equis alongside brands including Dogfish Head, New Belgium, and Sierra Nevada. Dos Equis anticipates a broader national launch in 2019, as long as consumers agree it’s interesante.
