Tijuana Adventure

Top 10 Beers Tijuana – 2026

Intro.

I’ve been covering Tijuana beer since 2014. 2025 wasn’t very exciting; 2026 seems worse. There is a lack of innovation and passion. Everything got expensive, and beer went through the roof. Paying $7 or more for beer in Tijuana shouldn’t be a thing, yet many bars and breweries seem to get away with it. No reasoning behind it either. Low ABV beers should come at a lower price, but no. No. All across the board, overpriced beers… and the worst part. They aren’t even that good anymore. They got worse somehow. I went full circle, and now I rather enjoy commercial beer for cheap at a dive bar than overpay for craft beer that is not even trying. Oh. And I’m also into wine now. I’m more interested in that. If you have wines to suggest under $20, please do.

I’m writing this from my #1 place. It’s a simple reason, it’s my favorite. Quality, price, and closeness to my house. I am not a Cicerone, though I like to pretend I am…This list is my opinion; feel free to comment yours.

1. Border Psycho

I had Border Psycho rated very low in my previous years… and now… It’s my favorite. All their beers tasted like a dirty rag, and I blamed it on the lines. But now… It’s bliss. And the best part is fair pricing at 100 pesos across the board. 26 beers on tap, half of them are guests, and it’s an impressive lineup. It used to be that 1 out of 26 were good; now it’s the opposite. Border Psycho hits the price and quality. Food items are a hit or miss, nothing is awful or great, but they still have an edge on price and quality. Oh, and mixed drinks and other specials are also of good quality. The staff is also nice.

Bonus points: the building used to be part of the second “The Long Bar.” The bar is supposedly still the bar from that part of Tijuana history. They have great specials and a digital frequent customer card.

2. Madueño Brewery

Fuck me. I believe the brewer, owner, and employees dislike me. But fuck me, do they create great brews. They seem to be one of the handful that seem to really care about their craft, constantly delivering great hazy beers and more. I have never favored his stouts or darker beers, but I always admire the danks, hazys, and others, including his sours. Madueño left downtown and went to La Cacho, a move that I don’t favor. I miss them in downtown. But if it’s best for them to be in that part of Tijuana, nothing but my best wishes. Food has been a revolving door since they opened. But the quality of their beer is a high standard to beat.

3. Farland Aleworks

Another one that’s far for me, but it never disappoints. Farland came with big money and a great proposal. Food, beers, merch, space, marketing, everything that Farland does is well done. They are constantly putting up new beers with great ideas, pushing the envelope. The only beer I disliked from them was an IPA Matcha beer, but hey, they tried to do something different (though Stone already had one, and it was better). Besides that, everything that they do is usually a hit. The food is well curated. There are some misses, but in general, it’s a fantastic place. If they were closer to my place, you would see me there more often. 

4. Ramuri

I’ve never been a huge fan of Ramuri. People love their Lagrimas Negras stout mostly because of the high ABV, and I don’t blame them; it’s a well-done imperial stout. They took too long to open a tap room, but they did it right. They took over the old Funes warehouse. It still feels new to me. 

I am here right now while writing this, and they have won me over to rate them higher. I can smell the mash. It smells like a brewery. It feels like a classic. Back to when beer was exciting. They also have great prices, good food, and good discounts. I had three tacos and a pint of beer for 170 pesos. That’s what other places want for one beer… They have a good variety and guest beers from abroad. It’s a walk from my place, but you’ll see me in Ramuri more often in 2026. 

5. Ludica

Ludica is always a nice surprise. They are far from me, so I tried their beers in different taprooms. It’s another one that you can tell they care about their craft, and they do it for the love of their beer instead of just greed. Great sours, solid IPAs, and hazy,  and a nice cozy brewery/taproom hidden in a neighborhood. Their guest kitchen does a solid burger that goes well with the beer and feel of the place. If I lived near that neighborhood, it would be my favorite place to hang out. 

6. Norte

A place that will always have a spot in my heart. Norte’s beer has been getting better and better for how old their brewing equipment is. Prices here are above the norm… but I feel like you are paying for the views, especially if you catch a wonderful sunset. If the beers didn’t come with the view, I wouldn’t pay. That said, they are solid beers and are increasingly getting better. Food is solid, but at an above-average price. Their space also got better, expanding to a second floor and offering better views with a variety of events on the weekends. 

7. Mamut

Hey! Mamut is another place that has a special spot in my heart. Always has, always will (I hope). I said it before, and I’ll say it again: quality and service have been a rollercoaster. 2025 wasn’t a particularly good year… but 2026 is promising. I consider the brewer a friend, and I trust that he is trying his best to provide quality. But there is only so much that a brewer can do. Mamut has low prices and fair beer. Some beers are a major hit, some are disappointing. But the price is right. The building is a historic Tijuana building. I miss it when they used to have all their brewing equipment there, but I understand why they moved. 

8. CaPau, Teorema, República de Hops

Three breweries rolled in one?! That’s cheating. 

And it is. But CaPau (based on Ensenada) is brewing for both Teorema and Republica de Hops. I believe they both still brew some on their own, but CaPau is dominating their lines. JJ (the brewer) makes goddamn solid beer… but also prices it as premium. At least they have discounts every once in a while, which makes it worth it. Teorema has a great spot for people watching with a revolving kitchen and pop-ups. Republica de Hops has an edge because they have better food and two very different spots. Above ground tends to be for old people (me), and underground is the punk rock space with live music. Food is great but expensive, with some misses, but for the most part, it tends to be on my good side.

9. Bosiger

Bosiger seems to fly by everyone’s radar, even mine. I mean, fuck me, they are still in Plaza Fiesta. But whenever I encounter a Bosiger beer, especially a lager or European style, it’s spot the fuck on. It’s another place where you can tell the brewer heavily cares about his craft. The food comes from his dad’s place across the hall and an old bar in Tj, Sotano Suizo. If you want to relive old times in Plaza Fiesta, Bosiger is still there slinging quality beer and pub-like food like it’s 2016 still.

 

10. Insurgente

The owl has fallen from grace. Their beers jumped in price from $5-6 to $7-8, and their quality dropped. Last year, they released dozens of hazy IPAs, and I only liked two of them, and they were forgettable. The rest were passable to bad. Their solid line-up of beers is still that… solid, but not worth the price tag. There are better beers at better prices. With that said, it’s difficult to hate the owl and not add them on the list. It is still a favorite child of Tijuana (and Mexico) for good reason. They used to be the best, and they are still doing good things… but not great. The kitchen, after being a revolving door, has gotten a little bit better, but I wonder how long it will last. The staff is constantly changing, but the ones who have been there for a while are always a blast. 

Final thoughts.

If a brewery that you liked didn’t make it to the list… which one is it, and what would you take out? 

Wendlandt would be way up there, but they are from Ensenada, so I did not consider them in this list. In that case, I would also add Cardera, Agua Mala, Fauna, and others of Baja. 

93 Beer deserves to be in the list, but their tap room is more like an EDM club than a brewery. Their beers aren’t available everywhere, but if I try them, they are usually of good quality. Deserto could have crept in and is the best beer in the side far of Tj, but the ones on the list are superior. Kaminari doesn’t have a tap room, but he still dominates sours. Mexica, I still hope for the best…. 

But for Tijuana… I think that’s about it. The beer scene has changed, and it has gotten smaller. The younger generation doesn’t drink as much as the millennials or other generations. And the breweries, instead of focusing their product on the beer lovers that have been there for years, they are focusing on making the most money before the market collapses. Or at least that’s how it feels to me. Barely any innovation or creativity like we used to see. Barely any sense of community. Just expensive beers that are worse than prior years. At this point, it’s cheaper to drink in San Diego and other places in the USA than in Tijuana and of better quality. Hell… Houston does a way better job nowadays than Tijuana. Five years ago, it was the other way around, but by a lot. It’s disappointing where the beer scene has been headed lately, and I hope it bounces back. But my hope is low. At least I have a newfound love for wine… and that’s a new world to explore! 

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