Mexican beer tasting

Light, fresh, tasty and at some point so very very right. Yes we've all had them; Mexican beers. Now this beer style is as far from trending as you could possible get these days. Well done, handcrafted micro brews have taken over the world. And that is good! But bring on sunny days, roasting in the sun on remote beaches, and the Mexican devils will find you. 

Traditions

Beer brewing in Mexico have long and good traditions, dating back to the 16th century. In the Mesoamerican period they brewed a milky like drink called Pulque made from the fermented sap og the Agave plant. Another fermented drink was Izquaite, brewed by several cultures in Mexico. This was produced of fermented corn and made light, amber coloured liquids. The first European styled beers came in 1543 and slowly caught on. By the 19th century beer brewing had exploded with a huge number of breweries producing enormous quantities, and quite a few of them using corn.

Today two gigantic brewing groups control 90% of the market. The Modelo Group and FEMSA. And with 63% of the population buying one brand or another, this is big business. Beer is a major export for the country, with most going to the United States. But the popular beer style is available in over 150 countrys all over the world. Impressing! 

The most successful beer is by far the flag ship of the Modelo Group; Corona. It's the best selling non domestic beer in USA and the fifth most consumed beer in the world. It's a lager, with subtle flavours and limited amounts of hop. A classic on hot summer days.

​The oldest and most traditional is called Bohemia, named after the region with the same name in the Czech republic. It has a significant hop flavour and is more European in style than most other Mexican beers.

Mexican beers are district in style, traditionally being light bodies, easy to consume and meant to be drunk really really cold. It's also common to use beer in drinks. Michelada is a favoritt among the locals. Mixing beer, rich amounts of fresh lime juice and salt, and you have yourself a Mexican classic. Varieties with chili powder, Worschestershire sauce, soy sauce or tomato juice are also widely used.

Another fun fact: very little beer in Mexico is served on tap. Despite several attempts over the years, Mexicans prefer their beer served in 355 ml bottles, commonly called "medias" in the popular slang. 
While some light varieties do exist, most are exported to USA and are rarely found in Mexican shops.  

Different regions in Mexico prefer different types of beer, and therefore access to some of the local varieties will vary. 
We've selected a few of the classics available on the Pacific side and took notes :)

Tasting notes

Corona
A lager beer created in 1925 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Modelo brewery. Brewed in eight facilities producing 4,6 billion liters every year.

A well known classic on the nose, with subtle spice flavours and mild hoppy feel. Light and quite fresh in the mouth, with thiny bubbles. Long and sweet-ish lager finish that lingers in the mouth. Understandable that often enjoyed with lime, when this would bring a bit acidity to the picture and clean up the sweetness.

​Corona light
Rarely found in Mexico, but popular in the States. Less calories and less alcohol.

A little bit of citrus on the nose, but that is the best this beer has going. A sorry excuse for a beer. Like a mistreated Corona, watered down and stripped of personality with a metallic aftertaste. If you want beer, drink beer. If you want water, have some water. This creature you can feed to the sea, maybe they'll like it.

​Pacifico
Pilsner style beer named after the Pacific ocean. Modelos best selling beer on the west coast. 

Crisp, clear and potent entry. Nice bubbles. A bitt more bitter than the others, giving it a more structured body. Quite dry and light finish.  Our favoritt among the chosen ones :)

​Estrella
Only brewed in the town of Guadalajara. 
A pilsner style beer mostly drunk in the Jalisco region and some other places on the western coast.

​Sweetcorn on the nose. Round entry, with a bit more richer style than the others. Petit bubbles and a faint metallic feel in the very end. Small bottles and only 4% alcohol makes this a possible lunch alternative ;)

​Victoria
Vienna style beer brewed by Modelo. 4% alcohol makes this a popular day-beer for the locals.

​More of a European style beer on the nose, with more presence of hop and character. Bigger bubbles and more structure from the hops. Longer aftertaste, but also here you can sense the metall in the finish.

Modelo Especial
The second best selling beer after Corona. Brewed by the Modelo Group. A pilsner style beer.

​Very similar to a few of the above. Maybe lacking a bit of it's own personality. It's round and easy going, but with a sweet finish it could be without.

Modelo Negra
One of the original beers of the Modelo brewery. Classified as a Vienna style beer.

​The only dark beer in this tasting, so it's naturally stands out. Here you have caramel, burnt elements and coffee on the nose. Rich and light creamy in the mouth. You find the burnt caramel on the tongue as well as brown sugar and espresso. Long rich aftertaste that stays on a whole different level that the lagers. But yeah...they really can't compare.