Cinco de Mayo is upon us, and as much as we love to celebrate stateside, the day is barely acknowledged in Mexico. It is, for all intents and purposes, an American celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. (Plus, another excuse to lift one or two with friends)
As such, what better way to celebrate than by drinking local craft brews inspired by Mexican beer?
Mexican-style beers brewed by craft breweries vary as widely as the craft breweries themselves, but typically they feature a lager style; helles, pilsner or Vienna style.
Wherever you may be celebrating here in the U.S., here’s a list of five craft brews from north of the border to look out for on Cinco de Mayo and beyond:
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Amigo Grande
Style: pale lager
IBU: 23
ABV: 5%
Tasting notes: Flavorful lager, a little bitter, a little sweet. Light but tasty.
A summertime offering from a brewery that doesn’t take itself too seriously (just browse through its list of beer names), but still has a number of awards to back up its maxim that “beer is FUN.”
Distribution: MN, WI, IA, ND, SD
Deep Ellum Brewing Co.’s Neato Bandito
Dallas, Texas
Neato Bandito
Style: Czech-inspired Mexican-style lager
IBU: 18
ABV: 6.6%
Tasting notes: Light in taste and hops. Bittersweet, slightly spicy finish.
Recently introduced by Dallas’ first microbrewery. While the major labels attempt to break into the craft beer world, Deep Ellum Brewery turns the tables and offers its version of an easy drinking summertime beer, but with the substance and character of a craft beer.
Distribution: TX
Ska Brewing Company (Photo above)
Durango, Colorado
Mexican Logger
Style: Mexican-style lager/pale lager
IBU: 18
ABV: 5.2%
Tasting notes: Smooth, crisp and clean; hints of citrus.
Part of the brewery’s seasonal lineup. Named after a “controversially” drawn superhero character who chops down trees, introduced in a comic book the brewery put out in its early days. Brewed with “the finest malt, Saaz hops, yeast, water and love.”
Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, IL, KS, MO, NE, NM, NC, TX
Twisted X Brewing Company’s Twisted X Tex Mex Premium Lager
Dripping Springs, Texas
Twisted X Premium Lager
Style: light lager
IBU: 19
ABV: 5.1%
Tasting notes: Light to medium flavor, hints of grain, finish is slightly sweet.
Twisted X introduced and produces Tex-Mex Beer. Its premium lager has all the characteristics of a Mexican-style beer—it’s made in Texas and includes yellow corn grown in central Texas. The brewery takes its name from the popular type of barbed wire that was used to demarcate ranches and homesteads throughout Texas and Mexico.
Distribution: TX
Nashville, Tennessee
Dos Perros
Style: American brown ale
IBU: 16
ABV: 4.9%
Tasting notes: Dark brown with light body, malty, bready flavor with a noble hop finish.
The darkest beer on the list, Dos Perros is modeled after an old Austrian-style beer from the time when Austria ruled Mexico in the late 1800s. In keeping with the tradition of many Mexican brewers, Yazoo added a little flaked maize, which lightened the body.
Distribution: TN, MS, AL
Honorable mention:
Chicago, Illinois
Though 5 Rabbit doesn’t brew a Mexican-style lager, trying any one of its offerings should be on your list. The name was inspired by the mysticism, color and playfulness of Latin heritage, which is reflected in all they do.
Though 5 Rabbit set out to celebrate the rich tapestry of Latin American culture and cuisine, all the 5 Rabbit beers have a decidedly 21st-century point of view.
And if that’s not what Cinco de Mayo is about, we don’t know what is.
Distribution: IL, OH, FL
