Independent "Mexican-Style" Lager?

Sun King's Pachanga is a pretty great example if your in the Indiana/Chicago area.

 

Terence, will you be using your 'house' lager yeast for this beer or will you be switching it up a bit and use something like WLP940 Mexican Lager Yeast?

Cheers!

 

Exactly. I'm not ashamed to admit I like this type of beer every now and then, lime and all. However, I brewed up an adjunct lager with 6 row and corn, fermented with a European lager yeast, and called it an AAL. Not sure what I could have done to make it Mexican other than taking a day trip to Mexico and hauling back some water or using a yeast designated by WL as "Mexican Lager."

Side note, my wife didn't like it. Then I served her a pint with a couple lime wedges in it and voila. I think this "style" is more defined by political borders or clear glass and limes than it is by anything brewing-related. IMO, these craft Mexican Lagers are AALs, period.

 

I personally prefer the more amber versions of these like Bohemia Obscura ( which seemed to be labeled Bohemia Vienna Lager on my December 2017 trip to Vallarta, wonder if they changed the branding to appeal to the English speaking world?)

I would drink Bohemia Obscura for 95 pesos a sixer at the OXXO 100 feet from my beach chair vs any American craft versions of “ Mexican Lager” at $9.99 ( about 180 pesos) all day every day, even if the latter were available at said OXXO, which they aren’t. ( I am hoping that via Lagunitas relationship with Heinekin and Heinekin’s relationship with Cuauhtemoc and Cuauhtemoc’s relationship with OXXO that I can someday soon alternate the Bohemias with Lagunitas IPA, but....not yet)

 

Well, the "relationship" between the 3 brewing companies is, of course, that Heineken wholly owns both Lagunitas and Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, but Lagunitas has nothing to do with their Mexican imported brands or their distribution. (Heineken, unlike AB, MC or Constellation, hasn't even attempted to move Lagunitas brands to their US distribution network).

Heineken USA, Heineken International's US import division subsidiary, headquartered in White Plains, NY, brings in Bohemia Oscura (they use the 'dba' name of CERVEZAS MEXICANAS for the Mexican brands Heineken owns).

 

We talked about using this yeast but for all our test runs we used our house lager with great results. Therefore, we will be sticking to our house yeast.

 

Not to put you on the spot, but what exactly makes it Mexican, then, versus American?

 

Interesting, seems Heineken has adopted the Vienna classification of Negra Modelo to sell a dunkel-dark beer of their own as a Vienna lager. This brand extension seems to be from 2007, so no doubt influenced by the popularity of Negra Modelo.

 

right, I'm not dissatisfied with Lagunitas distribution in the US but thought that one of the synergies anticipated from the completed buyout of Lagunitas was going to be international distribution. I felt that Lagunitas had its eye on Mexico and that was part of the rationale for the Pomona brewery.

The OXXO stores are owned by the former owner of Cuauhtemoc, FEMSA. To be totally accurate, FEMSA sold Heinekin its beer business, ie Cuauhtemoc, which is as you say now totally owned by Heinekin, BUT part of the mutual exchange of consideration was that FEMSA received, and continues to own, 20% of Heinekin. So yeah, Heinekin owns Cuauhtemoc but the former owner of Cuauhtemoc has a pretty big stake in Heinekin, so there is a reason for Heinekin owned brands, and not just its mexican ones, to feature heavily in FEMSA owned grocery stores.

You probably know this as do many BAs, but to those who might not, OXXO is the equivalent to the United Staes's 7-11; in resort towns such as Puerto Vallarta or Cozumel, there will sometimes be one every 3-4 blocks. (I don't know about the rest of Mexico, I've mostly been to resort towns...)

Now, I see Heinekin in those OXXOs along with the Cuauhtemoc brands. I was hoping to start seeing Lagunitas, but not yet.

Edit to add: Per wikipedia, the largest shareholder in Heinekin, Charlene de Carvalho-Heinekin, owns 25% of it. As noted above, FEMSA owns 20%. So they are a major, major force in Heinekin's corporate governance.

 

Well, they are generally based off a Vienna style lager, so usually sweeter and little more malty and biscuity in the finish.

 

Terence you previously posted: "Closer to pale lager, not an amber lager..."

I interpreted the statement of "not an amber lager" as meaning that Sierraveza is not going to be a Vienna Lager and instead more along the lines of an AAL beer (e.g., on the order of Corona). Am I missing something here?

Cheers!

 

Sorry... I was being general in the last post.

Ours is paler than a true Vienna lager but has the same sweeter, maltier characteristics you find in a Vienna Lager (maybe not quit the richness of malt and biscuit notes you would find from heavier roasted Vienna and roasted malts the amber versions).

 

And FWIW that sounds more like an AAL vs. a Vienna Lager to me.

I will buy your variety pack and I will report back my perceptions here. I have never tasted a Pale Lager that was reminiscent of an Amber (Vienna) Lager but who knows what will 'happen' here.

Cheers!

 

I misspoke... We are using a Mexican Lager strain.

@JackHorzempa

 

Yes, the Numero Uno IMO is quality. Pairs nicely with spicy foods, crabs, general summer drinking in the heat etc. Much better than that Old Bay/Dead Rise gimmick beer they made. Flying Dog does really well at times with some of their beers. People shouldn't write them off.

 

Did you guys see what AleSmith just released? 6-pack cans..


And very limited 40 oz bottles format...

 

If I want a good Mexican lager I will buy Modelo or Negra Modelo. I'm not convinced that all of my dollars need to be spent on breweries hiding behind the word "craft".

Those Modelo commercials make me thirsty.

 

There are some breweries in Mex that are putting out high quality craft lagers now. Colima comes to mind, I believe the second largest craft brewer in Mex. Independent, found throughout Mex, and I believe about to come across the border.

 

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