To beer, or not to beer.. that is the question

… Constellation Brands would prefer no one was asked about.

The US-owned beer conglomerate Constellation Brands brews Mexican labeled beer (Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, VIctoria and a couple “artesanal” brands) not for the Mexican market, but for export to the United States.

Given the huge U.S. market for Mexican beers, a new brewery is the kind of “development project” any small town city government would would fall all over themselves to bring into their community, usually offering “incentives” in the way of tax breaks and infrastructure development to pave the way for those “job creators”:    Although… in Mexicali, Baja California, it seems, the citizens aren’t quite buying the usual arguments for “development”.

Given that it takes about thirty to forty liters of water to produce a gallon of beer and Mexicali is desperately short of water (it is, after all, in the desert), even in the best of times … and also has a sizeable agricultural industry, a brewery not really serving the community, but the interests of a foreign company, might not be in the citizen’s best interests.

Constellation Brands’ CEO, Daniel Baima, says he “understands” the concern, but his company cannot, and will not participate in a referendum (ordered by the state’s Electoral Institute (citizens can petition, and in Mexicali, did petition for a referendum… or rather a “consulta”… which is non-binding on the legislature or executive, but does reflect the sense of the electorate) on whether or not the company can build in their community. 

For Balma, and for the Mexicali Economic Development Council, it’s awfully cheeky of those citizens to question the wisdom of their betters, and they are trying to prevent the consulta from going through.  Democracy in the economy:  heresy!

Eje Central: Cervecera no quiere consulta sobre planta en Mexicali (16 December 2018)

Constellation Brands: Cervezas