MALT AND BEER Itf SPANISH AMERICA. 831 



well-to-do classes. In Mexico the contrary is true so far as regards 

 foreign beers. Good beer may not cost quite as much here as champagne, 

 but it is nevertheless an aristocratic drink. It will be noted that the 

 great bulk of importation is in bottles. As the import duty on beer 

 imported in bottles is twice that of beer in barrels, it would seem at 

 first sight as though the greater imports would be at the lesser rate. 

 The contrary, however, is the case, and the reasons are more or less as 

 follows : 



Beer is not generally used in Mexico. There are several breweries 

 in principal cities, but only one or two of these produce what judges 

 call a good article. As the various beverages made from the maguey 

 (agua miel, pulque, mescal, etc.,) are so cheap and well liked by *the 

 great mass of the people but little native beer is used, except in a few 

 cities. The Europeans resident in the country, as also our own coun- 

 trymen, and such Mexicans as prefer beer, demand a better article than 

 the native beers. They may use less because of the expense, but insist 

 on a good quality. Many of these beer-drinkers use it at meals and on 

 the road and prefer it in bottles. It is more difficult to sell a glass of 

 beer for 15 cents than to sell a pint bottle for 31 cents. This latter is 

 the lowest rate a decent beer can be retailed at in the interior, and any- 

 thing above this quality sells for 37J cents for a pint bottle. 



In bottles, especially pints, it can be more handily carried on journeys 

 and kept fresh for use as needed. So far as I am aware there are only 

 a few places in all Mexico where beer is kept on draught. I have stated 

 that it might be sold in the interior atfrom 31 cents to 37J cents in Mex- 

 ican money for pint bottles. To show the expenses which bring the 

 cost to this amount I give the items : 



One barrel of 10 dozen pints will cost from $8 to $8.50 in St. Louis, 

 Chicago, or Milwaukee. Freight to the border is about $2 more, or, say, 

 $10 United States coin at the frontier. There are small costs for brok- 

 erage, permits, etc., from 5 cents to 10 cents per barrel, according to 

 amount of shipment. Ten dollars United States coin may be stated at 

 $13 Mexican coin. -On this barrel the duties are 20 cents per kilogram 

 net, without allowance for breakage and by custom-house weights this 

 barrel is held to weigh net, 44 to 45 kilograms, causing a duty of, say. 

 $9. Add to this 8 per cent, on the duty as a liqnor tax and two addi- 

 tional duties of 2 per cent., and the total duties are brought up to about 

 80.75. The freight from here to San Luis Potosi is about $1.70 per bar- 

 rel, so that the total cost there would be, in round numbers, nearly $25 

 Mexican coin. One hundred and twenty pint bottles for $25 would be 

 about 21 cents each. The small loss by breakage, with unenumerated 

 incidental charges, may fairly run the price up to 23 cents per pint. 

 Some beer costs more than the $8, and prices and expenses vary so that, 

 speaking generally, the retail price is from 25 cents to 37 J cents for good 

 beer. The figures I have given above are generally for car-load lots. 

 Lesser shipments would usually cost considerably more. 



