What it is: About a decade ago, when you could almost count the number of Mexican craft breweries on your fingers, Argentine expat Miguel Antoniucci opened Club de la Cerveza, the first beer bar in the tourist town of Playa del Carmen, on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. In 2018, on the heels of a craft-brewing explosion in the country, he followed with Colectivo Mexicano Cervecero, or CMC—a bar devoted to all things Mexican, especially beer.
Why it’s great: While Club continues to delight with beach-bar ambiance and broad international selection, CMC—just a couple of blocks over on Playa’s famed Quinta Avenida—presents a more modern vibe: exposed brick, comfortable banquets, nightly jazz, and draft lines and fridges loaded with the best in Mexican craft beer. Whether the beers are brewed a few miles south or across the country, Antoniucci sources not only the medal winners and best sellers, but also many of the country’s most creative and coveted ales and lagers. The serving staff, all fluent in English, are adept at guiding visitors through the selections. —Stephen Beaumont
Details
Hours: 4 p.m.–1 a.m., daily
Address: Quinta Avenida between Calle 40 and 42, Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico
Web: facebook.com/CMC.playa