Ceria Brewing Co. | Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated each year in the U.S. from September 15 through October 15, promotes the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic-Americans. While we at Ceria Brewing Company are proud of our Hispanic heritage all of the time, we especially love to celebrate our roots and those of our Hispanic friends this time of year.

Ceria’s co-founder and Brewmaster, Keith Villa Ph.D., is a third generation Mexican American who comes from a large family rich in Mexican traditions – especially when it comes to food and drink! In the 1950’s Keith’s grandparents, Gabriel and Delfina owned a restaurant in Denver called Gabe’s Cafe, serving an assortment of Latin foods to hungry Denverites during lunch hour and into dinnertime. Keith’s mother, Mercedes, and her sisters worked at the cafe while they were in high school. One of Keith’s earliest memories was the family getting together each Christmas eve to make Delfina’s delicious pork tamales, a tradition that continued for many years. Nowadays, Keith’s Hispanic creativity comes through in his beers, by creating Latin-inspired flavors like mojito ale and cinnamon horchata ale.

We at Ceria also enjoy finding and supporting other Hispanic owned or run organizations. Here are just a few we love:

• Siete Foods: Siete Foods is a Mexican-American family brand with an inspirational background that lead them to produce healthy grain-free chips, taco shells, churro strips, and more! Find their delicious foods online (or in H-E-B stores in Texas, where you can pick up some Ceria alcohol-free Grainwave Belgian-Style White Ale to wash it down).
• Minus Moonshine: Perhaps the first non-alcoholic bottle shop in Brooklyn, NY, Minus Moonshine is proudly Latinx and trans nonbinary owned. This Prospect Heights fixture offers an assortment of top-notch non-alcoholic beers, wines, and spirits. Pro tip: stop by when a brand is sampling out front for a taste of something new!
• Bow Wow Chews: A Latina owned business dishing posh dog treats for your best friend! Shef Christi is a Denver based female chef (or – shef – get it?) hand crafting flavorful, visually appealing treats. These doggy delights are available in local pet shops, but also nationwide on her website. Check out her Barkuterie Boards!
• Raíces Brewing Company: Raíces is a Latino owned and operated brewery (beers with alcohol!) located in Denver. They offer award winning craft beers, a rotating Latin American food selection and ongoing cultural events. Raíces aims to become a reference center for those interested in learning about Latin culture.
• Chef Claudette Zepeda: We first heard about this Mexican chef when we participated in this year’s Aspen Food & Wine Festival, and we’ve been following her ever since! Chef Zepeda is an influential chef, and she has the resume to prove it. She’s been a consulting chef and an executive chef at some of San Diego’s top Mexican restaurants, she was a Top Chef contestant, and a founder of Viva La Vida, LLC., a company that “establishes micro businesses with single mothers throughout Mexico’s seven regions to import their heirloom ingredients previously unavailable in the U.S. Through Viva La Vida, Zepeda helps Mexican women support their families without sacrificing their safety.” Amazing!
• Rich & Rose: If you’re Cali-sober, Latina-owned Rich & Rose offers premium cannabis infused gummies around Los Angeles. Founder Isabella Rich strives to offer gummies that have no corn syrup, have no artificial coloring or flavors, and include vegan and gluten-free ingredients. If you’re into catching a bit of a buzz, pick up an infused Ceria beer as well while you’re at a California dispensary. 😉
• Red Belly Honey: Chicago-based Joline Rivera, also an Aspen Food & Wine Festival veteran, started this CBD honey brand to benefit humans and bees! While CBD is increasingly thought of as a healthy supplement for humans, these bees ingest a patented CBD nectar to make their honey. Their website says “research also has revealed that hemp is helping bees ward off the negative effects of pesticides, allowing for a longer life span and a stronger bee population.” This Mexican American entrepreneur also runs Kitchen Toke, a culinary cannabis magazine with delectable recipes.

To help us celebrate this month, Total Wine & More stores are highlighting Ceria brands by running a sale of $1 off each Ceria 6-pack from September 6 through October 30, 2022. In addition, Ceria is offering 15% discount off of 24-packs purchased through our website (www.CeriaBrewing.com) from September 15 through October 15, 2022. Pick up or order some Ceria alcohol-free craft beers and enjoy them with your favorite Latin cuisine!!