Mexican Food & Beer

 
I’m not afraid to admit, I love Mexican food. Further, I’ve never been to mexico, and have only had a home-cooked Mexican meal on one or two occasions. So, yeah, I’m talking about the somewhat Americanized version, with the combo meals, I’ll have a #11 thanks. Oh wait, Verde wet burrito instead.
In any case, I’m quite happy to eat my weight in free chips and salsa while I wait on my hot plate of cheesy goodness. And these salty, saucy meals are best enjoyed when paired with a cold beer. My preference tends toward the IPA and on a rare occasion, Saison, when enjoying my tacos and enchiladas. But, aside from Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, your choices will likely be limited. So what to drink this Cinco de Mayo?
Mexico has a rich brewing history. While the natives have long created brews from corn stalks, maize, and agave, the modern quality beers benefit from Germanic influence that brought about some of the better offerings from Latin America. Some of the first lager breweries in Latin America were begun by Bavarians.
If you prefer a darker, slightly maltier beer, you generally have two options. With the Vienna lager style, Dos Equis amber proves quite tasty. The beer is amber in color, close to copper, with a flowery smell and a smooth, mildly hoppy taste and a nice slightly toasted malt touch, medium but high carbonation keeps it well-balanced. Stick with the Dos Equis amber, and give a pass to its sibling, Special Lager.
A go to Mexican beer, Nergo Modelo is classified as a Munich dark lager.  This one pours up amber or ruby red in color and has a thick, light tan head, although it doesn’t stay very long. Negra Modelo has a sweet smell, maybe even a hint of cherry, and is creamy, sweeter than any of the other selections, with a roasted, malty taste at the back of the mouth. This beer is quite smooth and somewhat light, although it is promoted as a dark beer on the bottle.
Possibly my favorite of the lot is the lightest in color and flavor, Bohemia. Classified as a German Pilsner, where most Mexican beers will fall into the category of macro-adjunct lager, Bohemia offers more in every sense.
With a dull yellow color and thin, the taste and smell are somewhat of a step up, and while you shouldn’t expect to be knocked out by either, they are in the right place for the style. You get crisp grain and spicy hops in the nose, with a flavor that is especially spicy and herbal in the hop department.
Bohemia is a smooth tasting and Saaz-hopped lager that gives a nice, tingly mouthfeel.  Bohemia leaves very little aftertaste but has a good, clean, dry finish. When I want a crisp, lighter lager to pair with Mexican food, this is my choice.
Corona and it’s nearly twin competitor, Sol, are what most people think of when Mexican beer is discussed. These beers were created as bottom-of-the-barrel brew fare in their home country, made cheaply with poor quality ingredients, marketed and sold to labor workers and the poor. Made with typically 40 percent rice, almost no hops and more adjuncts that you want to know about, these are quite possibly the worst beers you can drink. Avoid. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has at more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.