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By Erick Martell (*)
Cerveza Fauna is a brewery in Mexicali, Baja California, founded in 2012 by brothers Luis and Alejandro Larios Rizo for adventurous and curious beer drinkers. It was named Best Large Brewery at the Copa Cerveza México in 2017 and 2018, and in 2026 it is still open, with its taproom in Mexicali.
According to its founders, their main goal is to brew beers whose key ingredients are “love and respect for family, honesty, persistence and a pinch of courage”.
Cerveza Fauna, an Award-Winning Brewery From Mexicali
Fauna was born as a family project in Mexicali. In 2018 the Copa Cerveza México named it Best Large Brewery for the second year in a row, according to Forbes México.
The official Copa Cerveza México medal table also lists gold for its Jalapeño Stout in 2021, silver for Nox Arcana and Gozo Real and bronze for Hellium in 2022, and bronze for Nox Arcana and Juego de Elfos in 2023.
Its best-known beers are Lycan Lupus, a 6.5% American IPA, Hazy Lycan, a 7% juicy-style NEIPA, Penélope, a 5.5% coffee porter, and Nox Arcana, an 8.5% imperial stout. That is how the brewery guide on Mexicali.org describes them.
It was one of the first Mexican craft breweries to export, shipping to Taiwan and California, according to the northern Mexico taproom guide by NORO (2025). Its taproom, the Fauna Tasting Room, is at Calle D 126 in the Nueva neighborhood of Mexicali.
Interview With Luis Larios, Co-Founder of Cerveza Fauna
Below is our interview with Luis Larios, co-founder of Cervecería Fauna.
How and when did your love of beer begin?
About 10 years ago, I went to a beer tasting organized by Sume, a local bar, and the selection was very good, but I was particularly impressed by Aprihop, an apricot beer brewed by Dogfish Head.
Around the same time I started going to local festivals, meeting brewers from the region and eventually buying some very basic equipment and trying to brew a first batch of beer.
Did you think at first that you could make a living in the beer world?
I always knew brewing was something I would like to do for a living, but definitely, neither my brother nor I thought at first that it could become a full-time job for us. A few things fell into place and here we are now.
Apart from brewing, have you started other beer-related projects?
Only a few very simple ones, limited to pairings and tastings of our beers.
Do you have any professional training, or how did you learn to brew?
Before brewing for the first time, I had already read a few books. The only course I have taken on the subject was “Brewing Science”, a 4-day program at UC Davis. I am currently BJCP certified and a Certified Cicerone.
What is your favorite style, and what are the 3 best beers you have ever tasted?
Definitely Belgian Saison, although I tend to prefer the American versions of the style. Maybe that’s because we can get them much fresher here!
I may be forgetting one, but Funkatronic Farmhouse IPA from Shady Oak, Anna Farmhouse from Hill Farmstead and Westvleteren blond are beers that truly impressed me at the time.
What do you think about beerfluencers and beer geeks?
I think they help the movement enormously, keeping it relevant by showcasing everyone’s beers in an interesting, informative and fun way.
What are the main qualities you look for in a beer, regardless of style?
If a beer comes from a clean fermentation and it is fresh, it is most likely a good beer. In general I prefer very expressive beers over balanced ones.
Advice, Books and Role Models From Luis Larios
What do you recommend to people who review beers, whether or not they are professionals (BJCP, Cicerone)?
Well, the professionals won’t need my advice, but for those who aren’t, it’s always worth doing a bit of research on the style and the specific beer you are about to taste.
To avoid missing anything, reading existing reviews is always a good idea. Some brewers are very sensitive, so as far as possible you should try not to use words like “bad”, “watery”, “lacking” or “undrinkable”, which are not constructive and generally add nothing for either the reader or the brewer.
Writing that a beer is infected without specifying with what isn’t fair either, and it makes the reviewer look very unprofessional.
Is it true that the brewing industry is very close-knit?
Definitely! Anyone who makes good beer will have a place in the market. The real competition is the macro breweries, which buy raw materials at very low cost and end up paying proportionally far less tax than we do. Communication within the trade is very good, and many of us have made great friends here.
What would you suggest to someone who is passionate about beer and wants to start a brewing business?
Beer is a business of hard work, not of recipes or magic ingredients, and brewing is very rewarding and demanding at the same time.
If what you want is to turn your passion into something real, without expecting to become a millionaire overnight, the experience will be incredible!
What are the best beer books you recommend?
- How to Brew by John Palmer
- New Brewing Lager Beer by Greg Noonan
- Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff
- Brew Like a Monk by Stan Hieronymus
Which figure in the beer world do you admire, and why?
Of course! A great many people have done important things for the craft beer movement, and right now two of them come to mind.
Anyone who knows John Palmer personally will find him always willing to help, listen to you and even taste one of your beers to give his opinion. Although his most popular book has been on the market for some time, it is still relevant and still excellent, in my view far better written and put together than most.
On the other hand, Javier Sánchez in Mexicali has been a real driving force behind the craft movement, doing excellent outreach work through his writing, supporting brewers unconditionally and even organizing beer tastings for what I believe is 20 years now!
Cerveza Fauna
Mexicali, Baja California
@cervezafauna on Instagram
(*) Erick Martell is a Certified-rank BJCP judge and holds the Cicerone Certified Beer Server certification. He completed the Siebel Institute Concise Course in Brewing Technology and currently works as an academic advisor for @escuelacervecera. You can find him on Facebook and Instagram.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Where is Cerveza Fauna located?
Cerveza Fauna is in Mexicali, Baja California. Its taproom, the Fauna Tasting Room, is at Calle D 126 in the Nueva neighborhood.
2. Who founded Cervecería Fauna?
It was founded in 2012 by brothers Luis and Alejandro Larios Rizo as a family project. In this interview Luis Larios says he is BJCP certified and a Certified Cicerone.
3. What awards has Cerveza Fauna won?
The Copa Cerveza México named it Best Large Brewery in 2017 and 2018. Its medal record also includes gold for the Jalapeño Stout in 2021, silvers and bronzes in 2022 and bronzes for Nox Arcana and Juego de Elfos in 2023.
4. What are Fauna’s best-known beers?
The standouts are Lycan Lupus, a 6.5% American IPA, Hazy Lycan, a 7% NEIPA, Penélope, a 5.5% coffee porter, and Nox Arcana, an 8.5% imperial stout.
5. Which books does Luis Larios recommend for learning to brew?
He recommends How to Brew by John Palmer, New Brewing Lager Beer by Greg Noonan, Yeast by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff and Brew Like a Monk by Stan Hieronymus. He notes that Palmer’s book is still relevant and better written than most.
Recommended
- Interview with John Palmer, author of “How to Brew”
- Interview with Alejandro Magallanes, co-founder of Cervecería Loba and president of ACERMEX
