Mexican Lager style

Idea Discussion in 'BeerAdvocate Talk' started by officerbill, May 22, 2022.

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  1. officerbill

    officerbill Pooh-Bah (2,228) Feb 9, 2019 New York
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    I know adding is a style is always debated, but how about Mexican Lager?
    There are many Mexican imports that simply call themselves “lagers” and today I added a 50 Miles To Mexico which War Horse calls a Dark Mexican Lager, they also refer to their register regular 50 Miles as a Mexican Lager.

    I realize that most Mexican beers for into the AAL category, but have we reached the point where we need a Mexican Lager category?
     
  2. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    If there were drastically different from American brewed versions maybe but I have personally yet to experience that.

    It continually surprises me that consumers in the US will pay so much for Mexican brewed beers (e.g., Modelo Especial) and how frequently US craft breweries will brand their beers as "Mexican Lager". Just crazy IMO.

    Cheers!
     
  3. Squire

    Squire Grand Pooh-Bah (4,081) Jul 16, 2015 Mississippi
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    "if it costs more then it must be better" is the triumph of marketing sense over good sense.
     
  4. Urk1127

    Urk1127 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,728) Jul 2, 2014 New Jersey
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    IMO most beers brewed in Mexico are of a German style and has to do with immigrants from Germany and Europe into Mexico getting work as brewers. I'm talking modelo, pacifico and such. One will notice that a lot of Mexican style lagers in America usually have citrus in it. Flying dog numero uno has agave and lime. Great lakes has lime. It goes on. Maybe the water composition has a part in why Mexican imports taste the way they do @JackHorzempa here we go again. Butbe prepared to see more of the American craft brewers pump out this "style" since it's about to be summer

    But to be on topic of thread I'm unsure if there is that much drastic difference to warrant its own style and may as well just be a sub category of AAL or another German type style.

    It's a strange thing. Craft brewers assumingly want to compete with aal. But maybe don't want to label a beer as such. So calling it Mexican style lager is a way to do that
     
    #4 Urk1127, May 22, 2022
    Last edited: May 22, 2022
  5. Amendm

    Amendm Pooh-Bah (2,305) Jun 7, 2018 Rhode Island
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    Mexican Lager or Cervaza are available at some breweries here in Southwest Florida as apposed to very rare in New England.
    I am speaking to brewery fresh, not imports or AALs.

    This thread has piqued my curiosity so I am going to try and buy some at one of my favorite local breweries and report my findings later this evening. Cheers.
     
  6. Amendm

    Amendm Pooh-Bah (2,305) Jun 7, 2018 Rhode Island
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    This is Simplexity buy Ankrolab Brewing of scenic Naples Florida.
    Billed as an Mexican Style Cerveza at 5%ABV.

    According to Untapped this Mexican lager is brewed with Pilsner and Vienna Lager malts, Mexican Lager yeast, flaked corn and Northern Brewer Hops with lime oil and pink Himalayan salt.

    According to the beer tender at Ankrolab this beer is brewed as an Ale, which makes sense because it has an Ale-like finish although it sure looks like a Lager.

    Is this a hybrid? It beats the crap out of Corona w/ lime. I'll take a groweler of this home for further analysis. Cheers.
    [​IMG]
     
  7. champ103

    champ103 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Sep 3, 2007 Texas
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    When an American craft brewer is making a "Mexican Lager" I never know what I'm getting. Is it an adjunct lager, something with fruits/citrus added for flavoring, or is it more along the lines of a Vienna Lager? The last is what I always thought of what Mexican Lagers "should be" but maybe I have just read Under The Volcano to many times :slight_smile: Often when I ask, the bartenders don't really know either, they just put a lime in it.

    Considering, I have never been able to get a clear definition of what it is, and many people argue over what it is, seems like it really shouldn't be considered a different style until those defining characteristics are more universally agreed on. But thats just my opinion.
     
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  8. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    Below is a video about "Brewing Mexican Lagers".

    The beer from Barebottle is an AAL beer IMO.

    Cheers!

     
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  9. officerbill

    officerbill Pooh-Bah (2,228) Feb 9, 2019 New York
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    I tend to agree with that, but the problem is that there are many breweries now selling a “Mexican style” beer with little more information available.
    If we're supposed to enter beers under the style the brewer uses ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
     
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  10. keithmurray

    keithmurray Pooh-Bah (2,943) Oct 7, 2009 Connecticut
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    Can someone articulate the real differences between a "Mexican" style lager and an AAL? I struggle to be able to decipher a real difference between the two.
     
  11. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    OK, here is the 'thing'. There are some folks who will claim that if a brewery states that brand X is beer style A then that is what it is. I am not one of those folks since I know that there is a bunch of marketing BS involved here.

    Entirely up to you what you want to follow/believe here.

    Cheers!
     
  12. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,291) May 30, 2005 Michigan
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    Since Mexican lagers use a Mexican lager yeast, and since yeast is supposed to contribute some taste characteristic to beer, there must be something different. But I don't notice any difference from AALs. Maybe I need to drink more of them to train my taste buds, but I'll take an easy pass on doing that.
     
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  13. TrojanRB

    TrojanRB Grand Pooh-Bah (3,185) Jul 27, 2013 Texas
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    To me, they are very distinct. I think it’s worthy to add as a style designation.

    We already have “Lager - European Pale”….

    And I hate scope creep as much as the next guy, but as far as we are down the road we might as well embrace it
     
  14. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 15, 2010 New York
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    I'm not saying I disagree with you, but if you want this and you hate scope creep, then how far are you willing to go? Modelo makes a pale lager, red lager, amber lager, dark lager, light lager, wheat beer, and a bunch of flavored beers. Would just one "Lager - Mexican" style on this site cover it or do you need 7 different ones? And then what would you do with a lager from Nicaragua? Claim it's a "Mexican lager?"
     
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  15. defunksta

    defunksta Pooh-Bah (2,980) Jan 18, 2019 Wisconsin
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    It's true. I don't think there's a consistent style definition and difference from American lagers. What would be the criteria, brewed in Mexico? Caution, because we all know cheap adjunct Mexican lagers (Corona) that are indistinguishable from AAL.
    Or can an American brewery make a "Mexican Lager" and what does that mean? Does it have more spice? Toasty bread malts like a Vienna? How is it different than German/Euro lager?

    On the other hand, we have different subtypes for IPA, so why not pale lagers?
    Ultimately, I think there's not enough of a style definition. Sure we could include only Mexican breweries, but that's a geographic rather than a style classification. Who's to tell an American brewery they can't make a Mexican lager and exactly how is it different than their American lager? That's the question I get stuck on.
     
    #15 defunksta, May 24, 2022
    Last edited: May 24, 2022
  16. KT3418

    KT3418 Pooh-Bah (1,849) Mar 18, 2021 Colorado
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    Mexican lagers for the most part seem to just be a product of colonization from Europe and then adding lime and possibly salt, from what I've observed anyways. I like hyper organization for things im actually into so I'd totally be down for a new category but lager-adjunct made sense to me too
     
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  17. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    Almost on the same level as the Frank Costanza conundrum?

    “Let me understand, you got the hen, the chicken and the rooster. The rooster goes with the chicken. So, who's having sex with the hen?”

    Cheers!
     
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  18. Rug

    Rug Grand Pooh-Bah (3,300) Aug 20, 2018 Massachusetts
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    I'm just hoping it's not you, Jack
     
  19. Resistance88

    Resistance88 Pooh-Bah (2,796) Apr 9, 2015 California
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    Just here to say im happy that theres a big scene brewing in Mexico and hopefully all these asshats like modelo ( who stole a shitload of water from folks in mexico to brew their garbage) and corona take a hit .
     
  20. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,862) Mar 12, 2013 California
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    So would anyone who believes there is a value in this style designation care to throw out some guidelines for the style?

    I struggle to understand what the style designation would actually refer to
     
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