# Decent Mexican Beer Recommendations



## manticle (21/10/10)

I'm having a couple of friends over on the weekend for a Mexican day of the dead inspired meal. Various drinks will be supploied includng some home madse lager, APA and cider but I wouldn't mind supplementing with something in theme (besides the tequila and angria).

Can anyone tell me the brands that are OK? Doesn't have to be super - my mates have pretty average taste in beer (lo carb, dry styles generally) but just not skunked clear bottled acetylaldehyde ridden types like corona. Preservative laden is something else I'm hoping to avoid.

My local has some I haven't tried (forgotten the name but bottles are clear so I hold low hopes).

Have tried dos equis before - probably will do if I can't find anything else.

cheers


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## geoffi (21/10/10)

Negra Modela isn't too bad. I believe it's a throw-back to old Vienna-style malty beers. After all, Mexico had an Austrian king. For a while. Until they shot him. Not because of the beer, though...


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## Lecterfan (21/10/10)

Couldn't decide if the forum or PM was the most appropriate place for this response, regardless: I've text messaged a friend who lived and travelled in South America for 8 months, if he replies with anything decent I'll let you know.


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## Pennywise (21/10/10)

Dos Equis is prolly your best bet IMO, just steer clesr or Estrella, horrible stuff. Not sure if you can still get the Dark Dos Equis, but that sounds nice


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## Rodolphe01 (21/10/10)

I got given a 'mexican beer pack' last xmas I think it was - the darker dos equis ones were good, good as in they tasted like something. pretty sure uncle dan's etc stock it.


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## manticle (21/10/10)

Cheers guys. Will probably have to stick with paler stuff in general although if I can find some darker ones I might throw them in later. Trying to find that balance between providing decent beer but not being a nob about it to good friends who drink shit beer.

Actually one of them doesn't mind the odd stout so I'm sure I can convince him. The other generally drinks cider nowadays. 

thanks lecterfan for the extra step too.


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## brendo (21/10/10)

+1 on the Negra Modello - I normally drink that if I happen to be in a Mexican restaurant - maltier and def a Vienna Lager in style.


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## Nick JD (21/10/10)

Tooheys New stubbies with a little mini sombrero?


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## Mobbee007 (21/10/10)

I don't mind Red Pig


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## Swinging Beef (21/10/10)

Red Pig rules! Roasty vienna lager for drinking allllllllllllllllllllllllll night.

Oh, piggies, where did you go?


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## brettprevans (21/10/10)

Negra Modela served traditional way. Do a google search on it. It tastes great.


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## manticle (21/10/10)

Nick JD said:


> Tooheys New stubbies with a little mini sombrero?



Did you actually find that amusing as you typed it?

Thanks to everyone else for the other recommendations. Think I'll try and find some negra and maybe some red pig and the pale lager lovers can drink cider and tequila.


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## ekul (21/10/10)

Isn't the day of the dead in november?


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## Bizier (21/10/10)

+1 on the Dos Equis amber


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## manticle (21/10/10)

ekul said:


> Isn't the day of the dead in november?



November 1st I believe but we're not too rule driven around here. End of October is close enough. Not all the food will be strictly traditional either and my Spanish is terrible.


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## fasty73 (21/10/10)

Nick JD said:


> Tooheys New stubbies with a little mini sombrero?



ROFLMAO!!! I think that would be sweet, even a little bit of lime in the stubby to really get that Mexican feeling (like drinking a corona)


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## keifer33 (21/10/10)

Bizier said:


> +1 on the Dos Equis amber



+2 , when at the Mexican restaurant I go to it just doesn't touch the sides.


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## BitterBulldog (21/10/10)

another +1 on the Negra Modello!

Had it at a Mexican in Port Douglas! fkn awesome burrito & the beer was the best i had up there!


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## Nick JD (21/10/10)

manticle said:


> Did you actually find that amusing as you typed it?



Nope. I found it amusing when I finished typing it, but it obviously flew over your head like a Red Mexican Pig.

In QLD there's a border. People live south of ... ah, why am I bothering? 

Lighten up Man Tickle.


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## manticle (21/10/10)

Righto champ.


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## michael_aussie (21/10/10)

another +1 for Negra Modello. I had it in a Mexican on the main drag of Geelong many years ago. Fastastic beer.
..." like an angel pissed on my tongue"

I know you aren't asking what you can brew for them... and I'm a little embarrassed to say .... but one of my early brews was a Coopers Mexican with Tooheys Liquid Brewing Sugar. I didn't mind it at all, and my darkphobic, soft-cock mates drank it with a smile.

When I get into kegging I'm planning to have one of these on the go for a change and for others to drink.


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## Phoney (21/10/10)

I spent 6 weeks in Mexico late last year / early this year.

OK, Negra Modelo is made by the big brewery that produces Corona and to be honest, i'd say it's nothing to write home about. It's marginally better than the other bland lagers they put out - but not by much.

Trust me, all of the beer produced by the two big breweries in Mexico is bland and tasteless...but... when it's 40C and the beer is cold and less than .50C a bottle, you dont complain.

Mexico is all about the Tequilas and the Mezcals. Have a read through this thread:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=41154


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## manticle (21/10/10)

Thanks Phoney. To be honest i'm not looking to wow them with craft beer (except for my own) - just provide something thematic that isn't faulty rubbish.

For tequila I was looking at getting something 100% blue agave and serving with a version of homemade sangrita. Any further advice as I'm not in any way expert on mexcal or tequila?


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## Phoney (21/10/10)

Well, if you're willing to spend the money; Patron, Don Julio or even 1800 is the tequila to get. Mezcal - dont bother in Aus.

Food is tricky. Mexican food is awesome, but what you usually get in Australia it's bares little resemblance to what is authentic. I bought a good Mexican cookbook from amazon that was written for the US and a lot of the ingredients you just cant get here. I have ordered a heap of stuff from: http://www.aztecmexican.com.au and http://www.montereyfoods.com.au but yeah, it's tricky and time consuming to get it right.

Mind you it's a trade off I reckon. A mate of mine lives in Mexico City and while we cant get good Mexican here, he cant get good Asian food. The thing he craves the most from back home is actually Thai! - it's virtually non existent over there while we're spoilt for choice.


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## manticle (21/10/10)

Most of it will be made from scratch but I'm lucky enough to live near casa iberica for ingredients. Spanish deli but also stocks mexican, portugese, cenral and south american etc. Shopping tomorrow.

http://casaibericadeli.com.au/

Cheers for the advice on tequila.


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## Mobbee007 (21/10/10)

+1 to Patron or 1800 mmm


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## manticle (23/10/10)

Dan's had only dos equis ambar, sol and corona so got the Dos Equis. Also got some 1800 100% agave tequila.

rest of the menu will be ( generally home made from scratch, including tamale and burrito doughs but excepting corn chips):

Corn chips, salsa and guacamole
Pork tamales
Mole sauce
Chicken burritos
rice
Quail salad
Candied pumpkin
Doughnuts de muertos ( orange glazed doughnuts in homage to pan de muertos)
Chocolate, chilli and raspberry skulls

Drinks: Dos equis ambar
My homemade APA, German lager, cider and Aussie rice lager
Homemade sangria (yes I know it's portugese)
1800 Tequila with homemade sangrita
whatever guests bring.

Hope the weather clears up.


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## RdeVjun (23/10/10)

The Dos Equis I tried was very disappointing manticle, I'd be sure to have a standby ready... guess that's likely to be the case anyway.


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## Bizier (23/10/10)

I have to say after a stay in the states, I miss that mexicali style food, was really fresh, tasty cheap and healthy.
It made me cry to see what we have as top shelf tequila, which is the only drinkable stuff, for like $25 per bottle over there, eg all phoneyhuh's recommended labels. We get reamed. I wish I had some 1800 to sip today.


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## manticle (23/10/10)

RdeVjun said:


> The Dos Equis I tried was very disappointing manticle, I'd be sure to have a standby ready... guess that's likely to be the case anyway.



I tried one last night. It was OK - nothing to jump up and down about but I just want some mexican beer that isn't hop skunked so this will do.

I've got standby drinks coming out of my whatsit so should be OK.


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