Mexican Beers: With lime or without lime?

Article by Larry Steevan

Back in the late 1980′s, beer lovers appeared to constantly follow the stickiest of drinking trends. One of the trends was to stick a lime wedge in you beer which was similar to sticking a lemon in a Hefeweizen. Now that particular trend is making an appearance again. Could it be because people prefer the flavor of lime juice or they just want something to disguise the taste of Mexican beer?

Regardless of the collective stream of thought from the majority, there is a lot more to Mexican beer than just Corona. A lot of the beers from Mexico have solid links to their counterparts from Europe, like Vienna Lagers, Export Lagers and Pilsners. A part of this effect is due to the four year period where Mexico was ruled by Austrians, Swiss brewers that had arrived to the country and the change in the international palate to lager beers in the late 1800′s. Besides, the region has added its own exclusive spin to the styles along the years as well. The bulk of Mexican beers are just “light” in terms of color and taste and perfect for the warm weather.

Majority of Mexican beers are made by two big beer companies known as FEMSA and Grupo Modelo. FEMSA is huge brewing business has a history that goes back to 1890 at the brewery Cervecería Cuauhtémoc in Monterrey. They lead the beer production in Mexico with brands such as Tecate, Sol, Dos Equis, Carta Blanca, Superior, Indio and Bohemia. Grupo Modelo is another a large competitor, although with a fewer amount of brands, and they are supposed to have a market share of above 80 percent of the whole beer export market through brands like Corona, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial and Pacifico.

So what are the beers that need a lime to guise their utter dreadfulness and what are the beers that can stand on their own? Corona Extra is one of the beers that certainly require a lime with it, and it comes in a clear glass bottle which is ideal for capturing sun shine into the beer and getting that nice skunked-like smell.

Corona Light is more like a Corona with a lighter thinner body and more astringency, but you will want to have two limes rather than one. Dos Equis is a lager that is easy to drink as it has some of the customary European lager characteristics, definitely better than Corona. You don’t need any lime with this one. Dos Equis Amber is made in the Vienna Lager style and you don’t need lime for this one too. Carta Blanca is mostly known by drinkers as being complete swill, an enormously light and non-descript beer. And you will have to add lots of lime for this one. Negra Modelo is dark which has a reddish brown, shade compared to other Mexican beers. Sweet toffee, light buttery character and a haunting bitter finish from the roasted malts create a brilliant brew. You will not need lime for this one. Pacifico Clara is pale gold, full-flavored lager and one of the best-selling beers in Mexico, became popular in 1985 because of the demand created by surfers and sport fishermen who had gone to Mexico’s West Coast. Now it is becoming more and more popular. You have to add a lime to this one.

Question by Alejandro G: If you would have to pick the three best selling beer which one would you pick.?
One has to be a lite beer such as miller lite, the second one has to be a full beer such as corona or stella atrois and the trird one has to be a dark beer such as shiner bock or Negra modelo.
Which one would you pick, remember only one of a kind, and it has to be a beer that you would be able to find at a regulas bar, no specialty beers.

Best answer:

Answer by T J
Hmm, sounds like a test question, but an unusual one.

Anyway, you don’t need us. You didn’t ask our opinion on the BEST beer in each category, merely the best SELLING, and you could look up sales numbers and find that out. That’s a question with specific answers.

If you want to know the BEST beer, that’s much more subjective.

But you didn’t ask that question.

Give your answer to this question below!