South-of-the-border brews provide fizzy refreshment for scorching days. These are patio and beach beers. Guiness they are not, but when the temperature soars, who wants to deal with a complex, intense brew that's the color of espresso anyway? Enter Mexican beer - cerveza. Mexico is largely a lager nation - the majority of its beers are made with a type of yeast that rests at the bottom of the liquid after fermentation. Lager yeasts ferment at lower temperatures than do the top-fermenting yeasts used to make ales. The resulting beers tend to be smoother, cleaner and more subtle than ales.
LIGHT: Corona, Chihuahua, Pacifico, Sol
Corona, Chihuahua, Sol and Pacifico are the most common brands available in the United States. Chihuahua is fresh and bright; Pacifico, a great choice, is light-bodied and has a clean flavor; and Sol is characterized by an appealing balance of malt, hops and yeast. With casual foods such as nachos or fajitas, We'd give these three a slight edge over Corona, which remains immensely popular. For more substantial fare, we recommend some more flavorful Mexican brews.
MEDIUM: Dos Equis Special, Carta Blanca, Tecate, Bohemia
Apart from the Corona-style lagers, the most common Mexican beers are light- to medium-bodied lagers with more pronounced malt and hop elements and substantially more character. In this group we particularly like Dos Equis Special Lager. It is a mild and appealing brew with good balance and flavor. The Dos Equis brand was established just prior to 1900, with the "XX" on the label referring to the then-approaching twentieth century and not to the strength of the beer.
Another choice is Carta Blanca. This one is pleasant and light, with nice body and a mellow flavor. Tecate, first brewed in the northern Mexican town of the same name, offers similar character, though it is a bit more aggressive than Carta Blanca. Also nice is Bohemia pilsner. A fizzy lager with smooth malt and bitter hoppiness, Bohemia is brewed in Monterrey. These gold lagers complement a variety of foods, from spicy dishes to rich seafood like crab or lobster.
FULL-BODIED: Negra Modelo, Dos Equis Amber
You will also find a few darker Mexican brews that are richer and more full-bodied. The heavyweight among them is Negra Modelo - medium brown in color with a delicious sweet creaminess that turns to a complex, bitter-chocolate flavor on the palate. It goes well with pork or lamb dishes and is excellent with mole and pipi‡n (pumpkin seed) sauces. Another darker lager is Dos Equis Amber - a rich, smooth brew that rivals many European and American microbrews.
Blistering day or sultry night, with good food or without, one thing is certain: it's a good idea to cool off with a foamy beer from Mexico.
