Mexican Name Finder
DrinkSpanishMexico City

Modelo

"model, standard"

Say it

moh·DEH·loh

Where it comes from

Spanish modelo (model, pattern, example)

What Modelo means

Modelo is a Mexican drink name of Spanish origin meaning "model, standard". It comes from Spanish modelo (model, pattern, example). It is pronounced moh-DEH-loh, and it is most associated with Mexico City.

A brand name from the Cervecería Modelo, founded in 1925. The word makes a straightforward claim, that the beer is the standard others should copy, and carries no traditional meaning.

About this origin. The etymology is uncertain, disputed, or the name is a modern brand rather than an old word. The reading above is the best-supported one; food writing repeats stories that the dictionaries do not confirm.

This is a site about what Mexican words mean, so there is no recipe here. For the name itself: Agua fresca, horchata, atole, tepache, pulque, mezcal. Most Mexican drink names are the name of the plant or grain they are made from, and the agave spirits are named for the towns and regions that make them.

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Modelo means model, standard

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