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Anheuser-Busch Cos, SAB Miller's Miller Brewing Co and Molson Coors Brewing Co all have stepped up Hispanic marketing recently.

No wonder. At 41 million and growing, the US Hispanic population is larger than Canada's entire population of 32 million.

"If you're going to succeed in the beer business," you have to succeed in the Hispanic market, said Paul Mendieta, director of Hispanic marketing at Coors, Molson Coors' US unit.

Coors recently named a new vice president of Hispanic initiatives to integrate sales and marketing.

Miller signed a three-year, $100m-plus advertising deal with Univision Communications Inc, the largest Spanish language television broadcaster in the US And Anheuser-Busch formed a new Latino marketing group and named a Latino woman as vice president of brand management.

"The segment is important not just to us, but to the industry," said Henry Dominguez, Anheuser-Busch vice president of Latino marketing.

Especially important are men ages 21 to 34, and "Latinos represent 20% of that 'sweet spot'" in the US market and 52% in Los Angeles, Mendieta said.

And while beer drinkers in general have been switching to wine and mixed drinks in greater numbers, Hispanics are unusually loyal.

A Deutsche Bank survey found 57% of young Hispanic adults "favour beer," compared with 51% of Caucasians.

Only 31% of Hispanics said they preferred spirits, compared with 39% of Caucasians.

Anheuser-Busch said that in 2005 it will spend $31m in Latino-market advertising, and for good reason.

It has the top two brands among Hispanics in the US, Bud Light and Budweiser.

It also owns half of Grupo Modelo SA, the largest brewer in Mexico and maker of the Corona brand, the number one import.

Coors is sponsoring nine national and local events across the US during Hispanic Heritage Month alone.

Miller, too, is spending on sports, including soccer and boxing, said Luis Altuve, director of multicultural marketing.