Famous Coffee Growing Regions in Mexico and Coffee Varieties

The History of Mexican Coffee Cultivation

Spanish settlers were the first to bring coffee to Mexico in the 18th century, planting it initially in the fertile highlands of the south. For many years, production was dominated by a handful of large landowners. After the land reforms that followed the 1920 revolution, the big plantations lost their monopoly on production, and coffee growing began to spread to small farms.

The Mexican National Coffee Institute (INMECAFE) was established in 1973 to provide technical assistance and access to credit for producers. As a result, coffee production in rural areas grew rapidly. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Mexican government heavily promoted coffee growing among indigenous farmers, particularly in the country's lush southern regions. By 1991, Mexico had become the world's fourth-largest producer, and coffee was hugely important to the national economy. Boom was followed by bust. The cartel-like price controls once enforced by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) had come to an end, government support faded, and the coffee industry fell into disarray. INMECAFE was dismantled, and producers suddenly struggled to find buyers for their coffee. Indigenous growers were hit hardest. Production and quality declined sharply during this period, in what came to be known as the "coffee crisis."

To respond to the crisis and fill the void left by INMECAFE, producers formed cooperatives. Over the years, many of them went on to earn Fair Trade and/or organic certification.

Mexican coffee production has not yet returned to its boom-year levels, but the country is currently the world's tenth-largest producer. The southern states of Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, with their rich volcanic soil and dependable rainfall, account for 95% of total production. And while most of Mexico's coffee is destined for commodity-grade blends, the higher-quality lots are prized for a cup profile that often combines bright acidity, a smooth, almost creamy body, and chocolate notes.

Mexican Coffee Growing Regions

Mexican coffee is classified by altitude, and most of the country's crop goes into blends and/or dark roasts. Coffee has been grown in Mexico since the late 18th century, and today most of it comes from the southern regions, where the continent narrows and curves eastward.

Chiapas Coffee

Chiapas coffee is grown in the southern state of Chiapas and is known for its light, delicate flavor and rich, bright acidity, with a light-to-medium body. The hot tropical climate provides good growing conditions and yields a fairly consistent cup.

Notably, Chiapas coffee is grown in the mountainous southeastern corner near the Guatemalan border, often labeled with the name of the nearby town of Tapachula. The volcanoes close by provide fertile soil, improving the nutrient supply for the coffee and helping to develop its flavors. Fine Chiapas coffee is said to rival the complexity and strength of the better Guatemalan coffees.

Veracruz Coffee

On the Gulf side of Mexico's central mountain range lies the state of Veracruz, where most coffee is grown in the lowlands and is unremarkable.

The nearby mountainous region, however, produces the respected Altura Coatepec, named after the town of Coatepec and known for its nutty flavor, light body, and brightness with chocolate undertones.

Other respected coffees from Veracruz include Altura Huatusco and Altura Orizaba, with Altura Coatepec the most highly regarded of all.

How to Drink Mexican Coffee?

Mexican Coffee

Characteristics: Coffee liqueur is blended fully into the coffee, creating a style that is similar to an Irish coffee but even richer and mellower. It has the most traditional flavor of all, full of warm and bold spirit.

Light Roast City (Fragrant): Ample fruit aroma with a slightly wild character. Acidity is not obvious and appears only several seconds after drinking. The oily mouthfeel is relatively thin, with the aftertaste slowly developing at the back of the tongue. It carries some of the aroma and flavor of Pengfeng tea.

Medium Roast (General B): Fruity aroma reminiscent of fermented fruit. Acidity is a weak fruit acidity. The mouthfeel is smooth and rounded, with a ripe tea flavor.

Dark Roast (General C): Aroma of cooked red vegetables. No acidity at all. The mouthfeel is clean without excess impurities, with the sweetness of grass jelly and wheat.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Pour-Over Brewing Parameters for Mexican Coffee:

V60 / 90°C / 1:15 / time: two minutes

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Mexican coffee is loved for the very qualities that make a great everyday cup: gentle, bright acidity, a smooth and creamy body, and soft chocolate notes. If that style of balanced, easy-drinking coffee is what you enjoy, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian Cerrado Red Bourbon is a natural next step. Roasted to a medium level, it delivers a rounded, low-acid cup with classic creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel, and hazelnut aromas.

For a cup closer to Mexico's floral, fruit-accented highland character, try FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Huila, a washed single origin from one of Colombia's most famous specialty regions, where the coffee grows above 1,500 meters. It brings together soft florals and a gentle fruit acidity with a rich, lingering finish - an excellent way to keep exploring the balanced, approachable coffees this article describes.