Tecate is more than a Mexican lager. The self-described “true champion of men” claims to provide legendary nights, lifelong memories, and an ideal grilling companion. It also, somehow, thinks it is the perfect light lager for ladies.
Originating in Mexico and now available in every state and 16 total markets around the world, Tecate is a force to be reckoned with.
Here are nine things you should know about Tecate.
Tecate is a beer and a city.
Tecate is named after the city of Tecate in Baja California, Mexico, where the beer has been brewed since 1944. The city borders Tecate, Calif., making it part of the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan area. The lager is imported by Cervezas Mexicanas in White Plains, N.Y.
It’s brewed in Mexico but owned by Heineken.
Heineken acquired Tecate, along with Dos Equis and Sol, in 2010. Other subsidiary siblings in the Heineken family include Strongbow and Amstel Light.
Tecate puts up a fight.
Tecate is “the official beer of boxing.” It has financially supported the sport since 2007, when it sponsored the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight. It also endorses individual fighters. In February 2018, for the first time ever, two Tecate-backed fighters went head-to-head, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.
Warning! Tecate might make you ‘too sexy.’
Former ring models Kayla Fitz and Dessie Mitcheson told TMZ they were fired as a result of a (very sexy) video that featured, among other things, Tecate. “They said it was too sexy,” Mitcheson said in an interview. “That basically ended up getting us fired in the end,” Fitz said.
There are tres Tecates.
Tecate Original is a staple at many barbecues, but there are two more Tecate brands: Tecate Light, clocking in at just 110 calories, 3.9 percent ABV, and 7 IBU (compared to Tecate Original’s 141 calories, 4.5 percent ABV, and 13.5 IBU); and Diablo, a savory take on the iconic Michelada cocktail, made with Tecate, tomato juice, salt, lime, and “a little extra spice,” according to the company’s description.
You can make your own Diablo.
Called the Dirty Ashtray, this beer cocktail recipe calls for a can of Tecate, tequila, a splash of lime juice, hot sauce, and a few shakes of black pepper.
Tecate wants to be all up in your grill.
In May 2018, Tecate launched a multi-channel promotion calling on its audience to “Bring Your Pride to the Grill.” The integrated campaign included bilingual advertising across television, social media, and retail displays. It also included a partnership with Kingsford charcoal, along with a sweepstakes for two winners and their friends to attend the Weber Grill Academy in Monterrey, Mexico.
“When it comes to hosting, Tecate drinkers don’t mess around,” Gustavo Guerra, Tecate brand director at Heineken USA, said in a statement. “There’s no limit to what they’ll do to impress their friends, including digging up an old family recipe, firing up the grill, or putting a cold beer on the table.”
The VP is a wo-man with a plan.
When Esther Garcia became Tecate’s vice president in 2017, she had big plans — specifically, to double the business by 2020. Her challenge? To reach women with a brazenly manly brand.
“Joining a brand that stands for masculinity both in Mexico and the U.S. — it’s very bold and has character and has attitude — it was cool, it was a challenge,” Garcia said. (“Since 1944, Tecate has been the beer of men,” the Heineken website proudly states. We’ll see about that.)
Some ways Garcia has touted the Tecate brand across genders and cultures include emphasizing its versatility at family meals and its low-calorie appeal. “We use every touch point to communicate how refreshing Tecate is, and how well it fits in all social occasions around food, such as BBQs or carne asada,” she said. Apparently, it’s working: AdWeek named Garcia one of the “Most Poweful Women in Sports” in 2017. Tecate Light was the fastest-growing light beer in the U.S. in 2016; and stateside sales of the low-cal lager grew almost 23 percent in 2017.
Hipsters love it, and so do we.
Tecate brand director Gustavo Guerra once said, “Hipsters are in love with Tecate! They believe this brand is authentic Mexican and [it] is proving to be their beer brand of choice.” We can’t protest — it’s apparently one of our favorites, too. In a blind taste test of Mexican lagers, VinePair picked Tecate as No. 1.
