Whats Your Favorite Mexican Beer?
May 1, 2009
Well, April is now finished and The Brew Club had a great time focusing the month of April on English Ales. Now, its already May (can you believe it?) and we all know that for many people, May means Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Beer!
The Brew Club has reviewed several Mexican Beers in the past, and hopefully our reviews will help you decide what Mexican Beer you’ll pick up for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations! I’m even more hopeful that you’ll be more adventurous this year and perhaps try a different Mexican beer than the one you’ve been drinking all along. (You know who you are!)
SO – being the curious type of people that we are, we wanted to know from our readers, What’s Your Favorite Mexican Beer? Why not take our little poll over in the sidebar and let us know? Even better, why not take the poll and share a comment at the bottom of the post about your favorite Mexican beer, and why you like it so? Our ‘What’s Your Favorite Mexican Beer’ poll will be up for the whole month of May, so check back and see what happens!
So far, The Brew Club has reviewed Pacifico, Negra Modelo, Dos XX Amber, Dos Equis Lager, Tecate, and of course Corona Extra. Bear in mind, these beer reviews are from The Brew Club’s early days so they’re a little less polished – but still a good read I think. Hopefully, we’ll be able to add at least a few more to our list this month. Any suggestions?
Posted in Mexican Beers
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May 1st, 2009 at 10:04 am
By far the best Mexican beer I’ve tried is Dos XX… It has a smooth, crisp, refreshing taste to it… but I’m also a big fan of Corona… Not sure why b/c it’s not the best tasting beer in the world, but its a staple beer that could go well with anything. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Liz – The Sports Bra Reports’s last blog post..Madden 10 Cover – Larry Fitzgerald &Troy Polamalu
May 1st, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Bad choice after bad choice. I think maybe Bohemia, simply because they at least admit that they got the beer from Bohemian tradition. Negra Modelo isn’t bad either.
Michael Reinhardt’s last blog post..Review of Great Divide’s Hades Belgian Style Ale
May 1st, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Mike, thanks I’ll look for that one. I imagine most of the Mexican beers are based on German methods. Still, I’ll agree most of what I’ve tried so far has been pretty bad. I did like the Pacifico though.
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Bass Ale – English Ale Month
May 1st, 2009 at 2:54 pm
I have to go with Negra Modelo . . . its probably the only one with some taste to it, i.e., more than just your standard light malt and hops. Although, I never buy Mexican beer unless I am at a Mexican restaurant!
Zachary Lebo’s last blog post..Digfish Head Craft Brewery Inc.: 60 Minute IPA
May 1st, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I like Zachary never buy Mexican beer unless I’m at a Mexican restaurant. Normally I have Dos Equis Amber.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:56 pm
There are some micro breweries starting to pop up in Mexico though. I have tried Cucapa Pale Ale, it is rather good, but hard to come by.
Zachary Lebo’s last blog post..Digfish Head Craft Brewery Inc.: 60 Minute IPA
May 1st, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I like Corona commercials…does that count?
I’ll have to look into what Zachary Lebo said….sounds interesting.
Nate’s last blog post..Where Is Beer City USA?
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I have to say that I normally don’t drink beer (that’s a lie of course). But when I do, I drink Dos Equis. Does that make me the most interesting man in the world?
Michael Reinhardt’s last blog post..Review of Dark Horse Plead the 5th Imperial Stout
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Well, I think I can take or leave Corona…it is not really any better or worse than other less expensive examples of the style and if lime is your thing, you can certainly put it in any light lager with the same result; in college 40 years ago, a twist of lime or even a shot of Rose’s Lime Juice in Heineken was a big thing for some folks (not me…I was drinking mainly IPA or Bock Beer even back then).
I do, however like both Negro Modelo and DosEquis. These are decent beers that may not hit you over the head with intense flavors, but are well made nonetheless and have a nice balance.
I think for a long time there was an automatic prejudice against beers from places like Mexico, India, and China when in reality the beers they make come for the most part from German tradition and methods, though they do use more adjunct (not always a bad thing if it’s done right). But the Mexican beers really do seem to take a beating with the “beer crowd” often simply because they are brewed in Mexico. Consumed with an open mind, Equis and Modelo are actually quite refreshing and even a bit of relief from the sometimes overdone fare coming out of the “new” breweries lately.
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:57 am
I am a huge fan of English Ale. After spending some time In London a few years ago, I was Hooked. I didn’t see Fuller’s, Young’s or Hobgoblin on your list. New castle and Bass are the Budweiser of Ales. Old Hen and Sam Smith’s make a quality Ale. But I have a soft spot in my heart for Fuller’s. I think Young’s is a better brew, but hard to find here in the states.
Goodburp’s last blog post..I met Sam Calagione
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 am
My vote, Bohemia.
Goodburp’s last blog post..I met Sam Calagione
May 3rd, 2009 at 3:44 am
I tend to agree with Michael Reinhardt, my preferred pale Mexican beer is Bohemia, but I am rather fond of Negro Modelo.
But I confess that on both my visits to Mexico (Cancun and Puerto Vallarta) I was on an all inclusive basis, so it was a case of a glass of whatever they were serving.
Plus the occasional Tequila Sunrise
Bob the Brit’s last blog post..St George’s Day
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I’ll have to look for this Bohemia stuff – not sure I’ve seen it. Thanks for the tips everyone!
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Fuller’s ESB English Ale Review
May 4th, 2009 at 11:37 am
@Michael Reinhardt – I think that you perhaps may be the most interesting man in the world, but only when drinking Dos XX!
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Bass Ale – English Ale Month
May 7th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
You almost certainly can’t find it, but my favorite is Noche Buena. It is a Xmas beer from the folks who make Dos Equis. Great stuff, but I have only ever seen it in Mexico, or in cities near the border. It is a slightly maltier, vaguely Marzen style lager.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Bohemia gets my vote too, if you’re limited to drinking a Mexican beer. But if I’m outside of Mexico or my favorite Mexican restaurant I love Enligh ales and found “Goodburb’s” comments of great interest. Sam Smith’s nutbrown ale has long been one of my favorites. Speckled Hen has one of the most divine heads on it I’ve ever had (creamy). I used to like Bass when I didn’t know any better and now think it’s one of the swill.
On a Belgian note, I recently had La Chouffe on tap for the first time and nearly fainted with delight. Actually, it was one of the first times I didn’t want a second glass because I thought I’d drink too many of them that night, and at $7 a glass and high alcohol content, didn’t want to risk it. But, oh, did I think it was special.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Bea, thanks for the comment! Hopefully you checked out some of our British Ale and Belgian reviews!
I gotta find this Bohemia every keeps mentioning.
Scott-TheBrewClub’s last blog post..Blue Moon Wheat Beer Review
June 27th, 2009 at 6:18 am
Hi ! I find this website quite interesting, as a mexican myself I have tried all these beers that you folks are talking about, my 2 personal favorites would have to be
Negra modelo and of course Dos equis ambar, Im not really not much into dos equis lager it tastes water down, no offense to anyone, after that I would go with bohemia its really good, it has some sort of nutt flavor into into it, i guess its part of the brewing process, but there are 2 kinds of bohemias, the regular one and the darker, this last one is the best , you can recognize it by its silver foil on top although you cant find it in many places when you go out at a simple local bar, when i do that i drink Victoria. A crowd favorite would be Noche Buena which is only available in christmas season, in my local town Tijuana we have Tijuana Morena is pretty decent and if youre into rarities you can try Cerveza Indio, is amazingly good but is only available in south and central mexico, still worth it though, any questions feel free to ask … and yes corona does have some good commercials xD
June 27th, 2009 at 10:22 am
apparently nobody here knows about real mexican beer thats not sold at the average liquor store. The best mexican beer hands down is estrella, that beer beats pilsner any day of the week. made by grupo modelo and is exclusive to mexico.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Pray-tell. What type of beer is estella, if you know.
July 24th, 2009 at 5:25 am
Estrella is a Pilsner type beer that usually can only be found in certain parts of Mexico. Not to be confused with Estrella Damm, which is from Spain and is quite good also. Dos Equis is my favorite from Mexico, both the original and the amber. Corona tastes straight up like water to me. I am interested in trying this Bohemia beer though, as I just spent a couple of months in the Bohemia region of Europe where the best beer in the world is made
August 18th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Bohemia is the best beer I ever tasted in my entire 80 years. If they outlawed
every other brand – everyone would still be pleased. It’s that good.
Andy
August 18th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Andy, thanks for sharing that! Its great to hear you’ve found a lifetime favorite beer! Cheers!
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
The only way to drink mexican beer is micheladas, believe it or not tecate is great tasting in a michelada. Otherwise victoria negra, the modelos, pacifico.
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:45 pm
What’s a “michelada”?
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Bea – Check out this link on Wikipedia. In a nutshell, a ‘michelada’ as a type of prepared beer. Think Bloody Mary or Margarita, but using beer instead of vodka or whatever. (I’ll pass, thank you.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelada
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Pumpkin Ale
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Thanks for the info, Xsquid. I’ll pass on those beverages, too. I’ll take my beer and my salsa (etc.) separately, thank you.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
INDIO!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Leon is good. It is also made by Grupo Modelo. BTW Indio is also available here in northeastern Mexico.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Pretty much they all kind of blow, but every once in a while I’ll have a corona with the obligatory Lime wedge. But what actually made me respond here scott was my son, who turned 21 in November has now become a huge fan of Dos XX. He loves the stuff. I’m not sure why. He must get that from my wife.
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January 7th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
I just got back from Mexico (Jan 2010) and I surprised that I didn’t see Victoria listed. It’s not sold in the US so that may be why. It’s a “Mexican Vienna” and has an amber color and a smooth, balanced flavor. It’s absolutely delicious. Indio is also very nice and I’d classify it as an American Dark Lager. If I want something more along the lines of a Cerveza Clara, or it’s 90° outside, I’d go for Pacifico. Cheers.
January 17th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Bohemia, from Bohemian tradition also gets my vote as an always available Mexican Beer. I also like Indio. During the Christmas season (starting in November until sometime in December) Modelo puts out a Modelo Special which is quite good too.
I can’t believe how much Sol is sold around here as it is about as rich and flavorful as Bud Light. Bohemia and Indio are clear cut winners.
January 17th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
INDIO or NOCHE BUENA at Christmas