The Complete Guide to Mexican Beverages

From Atole to Zambumbia
A definitive, cross-category history of Mexican beverages that reframes what we think we know about the worlds most popular drinks.

A lively, authoritative history of Mexican beveragesfrom cacao and pulque to beer, tequila, coffee, and soft drinksrevealing how culture, migration, and innovation shaped what the world drinks today.

For over five centuries, Mexicos drinks have fascinated outsiders and nourished communities at home. Early European observers encountered cacao, pulque, and atolebeverages deeply embedded in Mesoamerican life, economy, and ritual. Today, Mexico stands as a global powerhouse in beer and spirits, with its drinks consumed worldwideoften without consumers realizing their origins.

The Complete Guide to Mexican Beverages offers a sweeping, accessible account of this rich tradition. N. C. Stevens traces how Indigenous knowledge and global influencesfrom Spani