Thirsty for a better beer, guests flock to tastings at the Beer Lounge in Tlaquepaque, where they get tips and support on brewing at home.

The couple founded Mexico’s first home brew club last year, a support network for amateur brewers and an excuse to gather once a month to share the fruits of their labor.

The last few meetings were more studious, sedate affairs for Mexico’s homebrew pioneers, says Copado.  But not tonight. The club has been infiltrated by newbies who don’t know the difference between a lager and an ale; they are more interested in sampling robust alternatives to the thin commercial brands that dominate Mexican beer culture, than in details of the time and care expended in creating them.

A belly dancer undulates and guests enjoy a hearty plate of seafood linguine (included in the 100-peso price for the tasting) while the evening’s sampler of six “radical brews” flush the cheeks of an increasingly jovial crowd. Copado can barely get a word in edgewise to explain how she made the Triple Belgium, brown ale and Oatmeal Stout she is serving on tap.

“I was only expecting there would be ten of us. The word is spreading, I think,” says Copado, who welcomes all comers.  “It is harder, though, with more people, to explain the basics of beer making and describe the subtle things we are sampling.”

Homebrewing is a resurrected hobby in the Americas, steadily gaining in popularity in the United States since laws banning it were lifted in 1978.  

But in Mexico, where brewing giants Modelo and Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma dominate, the hobby is just beginning to take root. Copado says there are only ten homebrewers locally, and probably as many more in pockets around the country.  

“People don’t realize they can do this themselves. There is just so little sale of basic ingredients here.”

As far as Copado knows, only three retailers sell brewing supplies in all of Mexico.  Recently, she shipped supplies off to Chetumal, Quintana Roo.

“There is just not a tradition here to support home brewing.  All beer making is done by big companies,” says Adrian Garcia, one of Beer Lounge’s three young brew masters, himself a budding homebrewer. “There is no grandmother or grandfather to pass down recipes at home.”  

Besides, Garcia adds, it is easy and cheap to just grab beer off the shelf though patience yields its own rewards. “You learn through experimentation; that is why I love it.  When I started brewing, I only knew what beer tasted good to me. Now I understand what makes a beer good and I can identify the type and the quantity of ingredients that I taste.”

At the Beer Lounge, Copado sells ingredients, equipment and starter kits, everything a novice needs to whip up a four- or 20-liter batch of ale and provides follow-up technical support, holding nervous hands through the mashing, boiling, fermenting and bottling of their first brew.

“Brewing beer is basic chemistry.  Too many people are scared of chemistry,” says Copado, herself a graduate in biochemistry.  “I tell new people that this is easy but the truth is, it isn’t easy.  But what people don’t know until they’ve done it, is that brewing is fun and satisfying. That is why you’ll want to do it again.”

Soothing inexperienced nerves is one thing. Convincing Mexicans to buy into the increasingly expensive hobby is perhaps a greater challenge.

A poor 2006 harvest and dwindling cultivation have precipitated a worldwide hop shortage.  Because big brewers have hoarded hops, retail shops in the United States have been forced to limit hop supplies to homebrewers to two ounces per customer and prices have skyrocketed.

“Last year I was paying 75 cents for an ounce of hops.  This year I am paying around 25 dollars,” says Copado, who buys whatever she can afford from overseas through Ebay.

Despite the cost, Copado sees evidence that homebrewing is catching on. Last month, she sold 15 starter kits.

Copado hopes the community of Mexican homebrewers might eventually be large enough to formalize an association for the craft, publish materials, organize large-scale events and support microbreweries – much like the American Homebrewers Association does in the Untied States.

In the meantime, community support for the Beer Lounge and the popularity of its monthly tasting event demonstrate Mexicans are indeed ready to embrace a richer, more diverse beer selection – maybe even one of their own making.

Beer Lounge is located at Juarez 147 inside Plaza Artesenias in downtown Tlaquepaque. It’s open from noon to 10 p.m. weekdays and noon to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information about monthly events visit www.beerlounge.com.mx or http://groups.msn com/mxbb.