Mexican Lagers are extremely popular in the USA. They are, of course, famous all over the world. In Europe, more and more craft breweries are starting to make Mexican Lagers, like To Øl's 45 Dias or Whitefrontier's Crea Tu Vida .
In the U.S., the trend is much stronger, leading us to ask questions about this style.
So what is a Mexican Lager?
In general, Mexican lagers are clear beers that are pale and have a low bitterness, they tend to be refreshing with light flavors without being too sweet. Ultimately, they're ideal for easy, casual drinking in the sun, thanks to their low alcohol content.
And remember, a little slice of lemon is often added to the top of the bottle for added freshness. Today, we know it in one form, under one brand: Corona. Corona is one of the world's biggest and most renowned breweries. They bottle millions of bottles every day, and even make their own screen-printed bottle at their brewery in Mexico.
Where does this style come from and why is it so popular?
It comes, as the name suggests, from Mexico of course. Over there, corn was a very popular foodstuff, available in abundance and quite cheap. So, quite naturally, local breweries began to use corn in flake form to make this particular beer.
It's the corn that gives this style of beer its very yellow hue. The beer is characterized by its refreshing, light character.
Is the process the same as for a lager?
Lagers are bottom-fermented beers. The yeasts are used at low temperature, so that they are not too active and don't give an overly aromatic profile. That's what we're looking for in Mexican lagers. Above all, we don't want an aromatic or fruity profile. On the contrary, we want something limpid, clear and refreshing.
Why are they often in transparent bottles?
It's quite simple. Generally speaking, beer bottles are tinted to prevent UV rays from passing through the bottle. These rays can damage the taste. This is particularly true of hoppy beers such as ipa, because hops hate sunlight and heat. Typically, we at White Frontier, for example, like to use cans as opposed to brown bottles, because cans are made of aluminum and UV rays get through even less. For beers with a lot of hops, it's really useful, and they keep much better.
On the other hand, for a beer like a Mexican Lager, you don't need this kind of bottle at all, because there are very few hops. In the end, it keeps very well, and you can use a transparent bottle.
The most important thing is to keep your beers cool, even for beers like this. Well, they don't stay in the fridge very long if they're good.
Why is WF launching this type of beer?
It was our brewmaster's idea. He really likes Mexican lagers, but when you're a craft brewer who spends all his energy brewing creative beers without additives or pasteurization, it's hard to bring yourself to drink an industrial beer. That's why he wanted to create his own, right here at the brewery, with quality ingredients and a brewing process based on the rules of the art.
Why Crea tu vida?
Crea tu vida is the Spanish (or Mexican) translation of our slogan “Craft Your Life”. Draw your life.
It was launched in July, and it's already a real success, because people really appreciate this kind of beer in the summertime. So come and taste it, not in can form but in a beautiful screen-printed glass bottle made by our partner Univerre in Sierre. With the little lime to put in the bottle, you're ready to fan your toes and bubble. Please note: we recommend drinking from the bottle.
