Blue Moon Horchata Beer Release Date: Learn More About Cinnamon Horchata Ale Coming In August

You can debate immigration and sports, but an undisputed fact is that most Americans love beer. The alcoholic beverage makes up more than $246 billion of the U.S. economy and over 99 million Americans regularly drink beer -- the average American consumes one beer per day, making the annual consumption rate, per person, to be 23 gallons of beer.

Now, there is good news for beer aficionados out there, as Colorado-based brewery Blue Moon will be releasing a new flavor this summer: Cinnamon Horchata Ale. Slated to debut on August 1st, the beer will be inspired by the classic Latino-Spanish beverage horchata.

Native to Latin America and Spain, horchata (pronounced or-CHAH-tah) is a beverage that is made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley or chufa nuts. The refreshing beverage varies from region to region. For example, in Mexico, horchata is made with cinnamon and rice, and in El Salvador, morro seeds and peanuts are used in lieu of rice. No matter what ingredients are used, the process to make it is the same: the ingredients are ground and mixed with water to create a milky looking beverage.

The creation of the Blue Moon Cinnamon Horchata Ale is yet another example of the growing influence of the Latino community in the United States. Recently, data from The NPD Group, published in "The Future of Eating: Who’s Eating What in 2018?, found that one of the areas the U.S. will see the biggest change over the next five years, courtesy of the rising minority population, is its food culture. Considering that the Pew Research Center has found that there are almost 52 million Hispanics in America -- and they are one of the fastest growing populations in the country -- it is safe to conclude that Latino cuisine will have an impact.

“Generation Z, Millennials, and Hispanics will be the growth drivers of this country’s eating patterns over the next five years,” said Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst, reports Perishable News. “This is a pivotal time for manufacturers and retailers to gain their favor as many of their habits are being formed now. Most are still at a life stage when their behaviors are flexible and they are receptive.”

In the case of horchata, the history of the beverage is significant since almost every Latin American country has its own variation of the drink. While it can now be found in both restaurants and sold by street vendors, historians believe horchata was first created in Egypt using the chufa nut. The drink found its way to Spain and the Spaniards then introduced the beverage to Mexico -- where natives began using rice to make it -- and horchata proceeded to make its way through Latin America.

With almost 52 million Hispanics living in the U.S., according to findings by the Pew Research Center, and the evolution of Mexican cuisine, horchata has become a popular beverage in America as well. And now, the history of the beverage can include Blue Moon's Cinnamon Horchata Ale.