Chef Rick Bayless to create Latin-inspired craft beer

Celebrity chef Rick Bayless, known in the US as the unofficial ambassador for Mexican cuisine, is partnering with Crown Imports, distributor of Corona and Negra Modelo in the U.S., to create a craft beer.

According to AdAge.com, the popular American TV host and Chicago restaurateur of Frontera Grill has struck a collaborative partnership with the largest beer importer in the US, which will see the company plug Bayless's PBS TV show "Mexico One Plate at a Time" with Negra Modelo ads in exchange for his star power in the development of a craft beer recipe.

Details are scarce as the brew is in early stages of development, says AdAge, but what's known so far is that the beer will be owned by Crown and distributed initially in the Chicago area before possibly expanding to the rest of the country.

"We are going to use Rick and all his expertise with Latin flavors and Mexican flavors and spice. He's very into beer," said Crown chief marketing officer Jim Sabia in an interview with the publication.

"We will have our own brewers, but he is going to be actively involved in the recipe and style. He's going to be our master brewer."

Bayless is the latest in a string of celebrity and Michelin-starred chefs to strike collaborations with beermakers -- a trend that speaks to the elevation of beer from a blue-collar beverage to a serious drink that can hold its own in the world of fine dining.

For instance, French chef titan Jo?l Robuchon, holder of the most Michelin stars in the world, teamed up with Japanese beer brand Sapporo Breweries to develop a beer made with malt from the Champagne region of France called Yebisu, while Spanish chef Ferran Adrià has collaborated with Barcelona brewery Estrella Damm to create Inedit, flavored with coriander, orange peel and licorice.

Look for Bayless's beer on store shelves next year.