James “Dr. Fermento” Roberts
Mexican craft beer for Cinco de Mayo
When it comes to Cinco de Mayo beer drinking, the old paradigm was to party-hearty with bland, insipid suds that once defined brewing culture south of the border. Just prior to the celebratory day, I’d watch cases of Corona, Tecate, Dos Equis and other thin yellow beers pour out of local grog shops to accompany the typically spicy fare that also accents the occasion.
It’s not that Mexico is incapable of producing good beer; today there are certainly craft beer choices down there. In the mid 1800s, when immigration from Europe brought new culture to the western hemisphere, German brewers left their influence behind. Negro Modelo, for example, is recognized as a noteworthy European Amber Lager or Munich Dunkel Lager. It’s a good, although not superb example of a beer that has morphed from prestigious German roots.
Note as well, that a region’s beer reflects not only the relative sophistication of the archetypical palate of the area, but the landscape as well. A sweltering hot geography calls for lighter beers that are easier to drink.
That aside, you have choices when it comes to Cinco de Mayo beers.
In addition to well over a dozen cheap lager knock-offs from the various conglomerate brewing giants in Mexico, Alaska has enjoyed noteworthy beers from Cerveza de los Muertos, an independent, smaller, craft-focused brewery from Cerveceria Mexicana. The name translates to beer of the dead, and the quirky, fun, somewhat morbid packaging reflects the theme.
Muertos beers are part of a newer line from the first industrial brewery in Tecate, Baja California, which began operations in 1923. The brewery claims that Cerveza de los Muertos is the first fully developed, fully accessible craft beer to come out of Mexico.
Alaska currently gets all six of the beers in the brewery’s lineup, and truly reflective of the craft beer movement elsewhere, this includes a pale, amber, porter, blonde, Hefeweizen and IPA. The beers are all-grain in construction, meaning the common adjuncts of corn and rice are absent. The result is fuller-flavored brew that’s certainly more robust than the watery counterparts more common to the region.
I started my exploration of the line with the Blonde Ale. The bottle proclaims that “death rides a pale horse,” and the beer pours crystal clear, just slightly darker than yellow/gold in the glass under an initially frothy, quickly dissipating head. The beer is malt forward, caramel-sweet smelling, and follows through perfectly in the flavor. Just a kiss of balancing hops adds a touch of spice to the brew, and at 5.6 percent alcohol, it’s an easy drinker indeed. The beer compares favorably with blonde ales from north of the border, and if you like lighter but still flavorful beers, this is a good pick.
The Hefeweizen comes next. Truly an American style by definition, I didn’t find a lot of favor in this one. Sure, I get the signature light malt, low hop tartness in both aroma and flavor, but I was hoping for a bit more wheat character in lieu of the overall sour aspect of the thin beer. It’s passable, but if I had to reach for a defining hefe, I’d definitely go local first and find something a bit truer to the style. It might work for you though, so if you reach for a mixed pack that includes all six, don’t pass this one up.
Muertos Pale Ale is affectionately nicknamed Queen of the Night. This one pours a tad murky with a bright, copper background. Like the others, the head forms and dissipates quickly to just ring the glass. Expect some grain character in the nose with a touch of breadiness, some yeast character and background nuttiness.
The flavor is caramel-like, but not obtrusive. Compared to bolder American pale ales, there’s not as much going on in this beer, so if you’re looking for something more robust, you might be disappointed. There are some interesting hints of cocoa and a soupcon of coffee giving the beer a somewhat darker character than I’d expect in a pale ale. There are just enough hops to balance the beer and keep it from being bland. At 4.8 percent alcohol by volume it’s not quite session-like but more than one would easily be in order.
Death Becomes You is the alternate name for the Amber Ale. This one pours red/rust colored in the pint glass and gives off more of the same caramel aroma that seems to run through the Muertos lineup. Medium grains, a touch of toffee and pie crust aromas round out the sniff.
In the flavor department, expect your typical rock-solid amber ale with all the trimmings of malt forwardness, even-keel hop flavor and bitterness, caramel and graham-cracker notes and nothing over the top. Of all of the beers in the lineup, the Amber (along with the Blonde) seem to hit good style accuracy marks, but don’t look for anything truly exceptional.
I reached for the IPA next. I was most interested in sampling this beer to see if my paradigm of south of the border beers would be validated. The green hop-ish label depicts a suited skeleton on a motorcycle with the saying Hop On or Die. A decent, but rather one-dimensional hop essence defines the nose on this one, but it’s not forward enough to obscure some sweet, amber-like malt character underneath. In the flavor, there are certainly hops which come across as somewhat perfumey and floral, but again, missing is the dimension and complexity you might expect in an American interpretation of the style. There’s plenty of bitterness as well. If you like a slightly toned down IPA that still packs a bitter punch, you’d probably enjoy this one.
I saved the Porter for last. I found this dark brown, clear brew the best of the bunch. It has a nice fresh aspect to it in aroma and flavor. Darker malts define the beer and expect hints of light chocolate, a slight coffee essence and some molasses notes that are delivered in a smooth mouthfeel making the beer easy to drink.
Certainly, there are more interesting beers within each of the styles but the Cerveza de los Muertos beers add distinct character and interest with a south of the border interpretation. If nothing else, the labels are quirky and fun, so if you have some of these around during your next gathering, you’ll garner a smile or two. Regardless, if you want decent Mexican beer for your Cinco gathering, push the Corona and limes aside and reach for the dead.
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