Last week's Ale Together Now program focused on crisp, delicious Mexican lagers- a perfect beer style for summer! In the spirit of celebrating Mexican beers, friends and attendees Terri and Dan also brought in churros to share with the group. It was a fantastic program that explored the ingredients, brewing process, and history of Mexican beer.
Mexican lagers are, like all other lagers, brewed with lager yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus), which are bottom-fermenting yeast that perform best at cooler temperatures than ale yeast does. Lagers also undergo "lagering", a process of cold-conditioning, before they are ready to be enjoyed. Because of this, lagers are clear in appearance, but can range in color from straw-colored to black. They have a crisp body, with sweet and grainy flavors. Many lagers are brewed with adjuncts, which is any ingredient used in beer other than malt, water, hops, and yeast: in the case of Mexican lagers, corn (flaked maize) is a common adjunct.
Mexican lagers are a wonderful and unique beer style, but are not really treated as such by the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program). Mexican lagers are classified by the BJCP as an "International Lager", along with all other international lagers, such as Australian lagers. Judging all of these beers together in the same category is a bit of an under sight, because these wonderful international lagers all bring their own unique qualities to the table and may not compare well with other international lagers. With this in mind, Michelle broke down Mexican lagers into three distinct sub-categories of beer for us to explore: clara, vienna, and negra. Clara lagers are very light, clear, and crisp, similar to a light lager or pilsner. Examples of this style include Corona, Sol, Tecate, Modelo, and others. Vienna-style lagers have an amber or caramel color, similar to a Marzen Oktoberfest style. Dos Equis, Cerveza Victoria, and other Mexican beers fit into this category. Negra lagers are dark, roasty, malty Mexican lagers that keep the lovely crisp mouthfeel that we expect in a lager. This style is similar to a dunkel, and include beers like Negra Modelo. With these three sub-categories in mind, we can look a little more closely at Mexican lagers and how they may differentiate from one another.
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Clara lagers, the lightest of our sub-categories of Mexican lagers, are a crisp, clean, clear beer brewed with maize for sweeter flavor and a lighter body. This style pairs well with spicy, salty, hearty, and citrusy foods, with which we can experience wonderful contrasting flavors and textures. Many clara lagers are served with a lime wedge, and this may be for a variety of reasons, including keeping flies out of the beer, sanitizing the bottle top, and masking the skunky flavor that can come from light pollution on a clear bottle. Whichever reason lime is added to a bottle of clara lager, it makes for a delicious and refreshing experience!
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Our first sample of the evening is Pacifico Clara from Grupo Modelo in Mazatlan, Mexico, a light, crisp, refreshing Mexican beer at 4.4% alcohol by volume (ABV).
So why do so many Mexican brewers use corn? The main answer is that corn is cost-effective for the area, produced more commonly in this area than barley is, and has a higher yield in this area than barley does. But more importantly, corn lends different taste and texture qualities to the beer that are desirable, including a light body, golden color, and unique flavor. Corn also contains fewer proteins than barley, leading to a less hazy and more clear, crisp beer.
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Our next sample is DTF Lime Lager from Farmington Brewing Company, a light-bodied take on the Mexican lager with a hint of lime. The brewers mentioned to Michelle that they added the lime at the very last minute in order to bring as much lime flavor to the brew as possible!
Let's explore the origins of Mexican lagers. German and Austrian brewers migrated to Mexico in the nineteenth century, both after the War of Mexican Independence and during religious and economic strife in Europe, and brought their beer styles and brewing techniques with them. This includes cold fermentation and conditioning of beer, and inspiration from light beers like Vienna lagers and pilsners. These brewers used local grains, like maize and 6-row barley, to bring a uniquely local flavor to the beer. This made for a variety of light, crisp lagers brewed with Mexican ingredients.
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We sampled Bohemia from Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma Brewery in Monterrey, Mexico. This beer is 4.9% ABV, and features a robust pilsner flavor.
The Mexican beer market is different from the US one, and results in multiple major breweries that are responsible for their own beer distribution. For example, Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma opened in 1890 in Monterrey, and over time purchased nearby breweries. This major brewery brewed lagers and pilsners, while also investing in major enterprises like malting, hospitals, cardboard, baseball museums, and more. They have become a giant of the twentieth century in the brewing industry, while also branching out into other industries! Grupo Modelo is another example of a major company and a giant in the brewing industry. They opened in 1925 in Tacuba, and over time invested in oil fields, bakeries, banks, and dairy ranches. They also acquired rights to distribute imports, while also distributing beers like Modelo, Corona, and Pacifico. Mexico is the largest beer exporter in the world, selling more than four billion dollars worth of beer every year!
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Our last beer sample is another Mexican lager with lime from Stone Brewing Company in San Diego, CA. Buenaveza is 4.7% ABV and is crisp, clean, and refreshing, with a hint of salt.
Thank you for sharing another fantastic evening with us in the Library as we explored the well-loved, summery beer style of Mexican lagers. There are so many wonderful Mexican beers to enjoy, whether you venture to find them at local breweries or your favorite beer store. Thanks to Terri and Dan for bringing in churros to the program as well! It was fun to sample this sweet treat alongside our delicious lager beers.
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Be sure to join us for our fall Ale Together Now programs! We're excited to dive into seasonal beers and new styles. Don't forget to let us know what beer styles you would like to learn about next!
Cheers!