“Cinco de Mayo,” Spanish for “the sink is full of mayonnaise.” OK, not really. We made that up, which is only fitting, because the idea that May 5 is a big holiday celebrated throughout Mexico is also made up. This yarn was spun by some PR hack for Corona beer in the ’80s when the company sought a way to get Americans to drink more beer. Since this is not an especially hard task, they didn’t work especially hard on the idea, not even hard enough to note that Mexico’s real Day of Independence is Sept. 16. Cinco de Mayo commemorates The Battle of Puebla, where Mexicans defeated the French army, and in Mexico is primarily a regional holiday. Today, the Grit & Grain Podcast will be in the Peaks & Pints Events Room discussing Mexican lagers as a precursor to the May 5 dropping Friday, May 2, giving you plenty of time to plan for your Cinco de Mayo libations. We offer five such beers in our Peaks & Pints Beer Flight: Cinco de Mayo Prefunk to enjoy while listening to the podcast, as everyone is welcome.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Cinco de Mayo Prefunk
Chuckanut Mexican Style Lager
4.3% ABV
A bronze medalist at the 2018 Washington Beer Awards, Chuckanut Brewery’s Mexican Style Lager is a traditional Mexican style beer made with a percentage of Northwest-grown and malted barley for the color of sunshine with a light body, slightly bready malt flavor, and thirst-quenching finish.
Wet Coast Costa Mejor Mexican Golden Lager
4.9% ABV
The Mexican Lager style is controversial because it can refer to many different beers, but generally, the reference is to a clean lager with low bitterness and high clarity. Using corn in the form of flaked maize enhances crispness and decreases the cost of the malt bill. Flaked maize is corn with proteins, oils, and other components removed that can be added to a mash during the brewing process. Pilsner malt is typically the base malt, with more of an amber color, which commonly also uses Vienna, Munich, Victory, and other similar malts to impart their respective characteristics. Wet Coast brews Costa Mejor Mexican Golden Lager with Pilsner and Vienna malts, flaked maize, and a slightly spicy bouquet of hops.
Rainy Daze Lucha Libre
4.9% ABV
When you shove your nose in a pour of Rainy Daze Lucha Libre Mexican Lager, you’re immediately greeted with all the notes you’d expect from a traditional Mexican beer — grain husks and dried maize. This lager is crisp with light malt notes, slight corn sweetness, and low bitterness.
Bale Breaker La Mas Buena Mexican Lager
5% ABV
La Mas Buena Mexican Lager is a nod to tradition, crafted with flaked corn and Pilsner malt. After years of Spanish-speaking customers in Bale Breaker’s taproom asking for “la mas buena” (translation: “the best one”), the Yakima Valley brewery decided to set a new standard for excellence with an authentic Mexican lager that is crisp, smooth, malt-forward with bread notes, and refreshing.
pFriem Mexican Dark Lager
5.2% ABV
pFriem Mexican Dark Lager takes a classical approach to brewing a Vienna lager, combined with ingredients and techniques used in Mexico. German-inspired pilsner malt and Vienna malt sourced locally make a bright and beautiful toasted base, while flaked maize softens and rounds out the beer’s body. The addition of dark malts provides a rich, dark color while imparting a toffee and chocolate aroma and flavor. German-grown hops provide lovely grassy and herbal aromatics.
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