Summertime means it’s time for beer and Mexican lagers are gaining popularity around Southern California and beyond.
“We’ve definitely seen this trend of local breweries and larger breweries outside of our region making more light-flavored beer,” said Gary Magnone, co-founder of Hopped LA, a website that covers the local beer industry with video reviews and event listings.
With a slightly sweeter taste, the easy-drinking beer can pair with anything from barbecue to tacos.
“And because we’re in Los Angeles with the large Hispanic population, with our proximity to Mexico … Mexican beers are something the L.A. market understands and they have shown and proven that they like to drink them, myself included,” Magnone said.
So it’s no surprise that brewers are offering the style of beer at their taprooms.
And with summer in mind, here are a few Mexican lagers to try at breweries around Southern California.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
The Bad Hombre
The Brewery: Boomtown Brewery, 700 Jackson St., Los Angeles. 213-617-8497, boomtownbrew.com.
Details: You don’t have to be a bad boy to take on this straw-colored Mexican lager, but you do have to trek to the Arts District in downtown L.A. since this is only available in the taproom. The 4.8% ABV is a straightforward classic lager brewed with pilsner malts, corn and rice.You’ll get a bit of spicy and floral notes with this light brew plus you’ll sound really cool when you order it. Go ahead, lean your elbows on the bar, raise an eyebrow and say “one Bad Hombre, please.”
Casa Azul
The Brewery: El Segundo Brewing, 140 Main St., El Segundo. 310-529-3882, elsegundobrewing.com.
Details: This respected brewery is known for IPAs but decided to try something different in 2016 and hit it out of the ballpark. Right off the bat the 5.2% ABV amber lager won the Gold Medal at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival. It’s an easy beer to drink with just a light bitterness and perfect amounts of sweet caramel and tangy flavors.
Catorce
The Brewery: 14 Cannons, 31125 Via Colinas #907, Westlake Village. 818-699-6165, 14cannons.com.
Details: This is one of Magnone’s favorite Mexican lagers. At 4.5% ABV it’s very smooth with a bit of sweetness a lot of flavor that lingers long after the initial sip, he noted.
El Gallo Macho
The Brewery: Pocock Brewing Company, 24907 Avenue Tibbitts, Suite B, Santa Clarita. 661-775-4899, pocockbrewing.com.
Details: Just the name alone is reason enough to drink this 5.3% ABV lager. It’s made with Mexican lager yeast and aged with lime zest. It’s a darker-color lager but with a subtle smooth flavor.
Playa Larga
The Brewery: Steady Brew, 2936 Clark Ave., Long Beach. 562-982-4046, steadybrewing.com.
Details: If you want to taste this 4.9% ABV beer you better get ready to be ready to go down to the brewery at a moment’s notice. This light and crisp lager made its debut for Cinco de Mayo this year and was gone within three weeks. But the brewery turns one year old on July 21 so they plan on bringing it back by then. That could mean today, tomorrow, or the day after. And it could be gone before summer is over so check the brewery website often, or heck, call them every day if you have to.
Trejo’s Cerveza
The Brewery: Lincoln Beer Company, 3083 N. Lima St., Burbank. 818-861-7169 lincolnbeercompany.com.
Details: Yes, that Trejo, Danny Trejo, Machete himself has a beer. Why? Because even though he doesn’t drink alcohol, there really is nothing Trejo can’t do. But surprisingly, while Trejo is pretty much the toughest looking man in all of Los Angeles, his 4.7% ABV straw colored beer is really smooth with an almost sweet taste, which means you can drink a few and still be able to take Machete in a fight. No, who are we kidding — Machete would destroy any of us.
ORANGE COUNTY
Chihuahua Rosado, Chihuahua Limon, Chihuahua El Primero and Chihuahua Rico
The Brewery: Chihuahua Cerveza, 3107 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach. 949-771-8226, chihuahuacerveza.com.
Details: If you’re all about Mexican lagers then you need to be all about this place because this is what they do. The brewery makes four styles of Mexican lagers. Made with salt and lime, the Limon is great for summer and with tacos while El Primero has more of a sweet finish and is good for when you need something refreshing. The most unique is the Rosado, which is made with ginger, lime and just a bit of cranberry. All three come in at 5% ABV but the strongest of the bunch is the 6.5% ABV Rico.
K-38 Clara, K-38 Oscura
The Brewery: Golden Road, 5410 W. San Fernando Road, Los Angeles. 213-373-4677. 2210 E. Orangewood Ave., Anaheim. 714-912-4015. Goldenroad.la.
Details: Golden Road makes two 4.8% ABV popular Mexican lagers that are like night and day. The K-38 Clara light lager is a more traditional offering with a bit of a citrusy flavor while the K-38 Oscura is a more toasty dark beer.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
El Padre Mexican Lager
The Brewery: Stone Church Brewing, 2785 Cabot Drive, Corona. 951-433-0121, stonechurchbrewing.com
Details: It would be a sin not to try this golden lager. It’s brewed the traditional way using maize and it’s a little sweet with just a hint of hops. And at 6.6% ABV, El Padre could have you on your knees. Note: You’ll only find this at the Corona location.
They Call Me Roberto
The Brewery: Mason Jar Brewing, 29683 New Hub Drive, Menifee. 951-244-5277, masonjarbrewing.com.
Details: You should probably get a discount if your name is Roberto and you order this 4.9% ABV brew, but you probably won’t. What you will get is some spice in your life since this Cinco de Mayo-inspired beer was made with roasted jalapeños and lime zest.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Aventura
The Brewery: Hangar 24, 1710 Sessums Drive, Redlands. 909-242-8111, hangar24brewing.com.
Details: Made with salt and lime, two classic ingredients associated with Mexican beers, it really did take a bit of an adventure to brew the 4.6% ABV Aventura. The sea salt came from the Sea of Cortez in Baja, Mexico. The limes came from a farm in Fallbrook in San Diego County. But they weren’t meant to be added to the beer after ordering. No, they were used to brew the beer giving it just a hint of lime and salt. That combination helps it go great with tacos and ceviche, brewery employees say.
Brewcaipa Mesa Grande
The Brewery: Brewcaipa Brewing Company, 35058 Yucaipa Blvd., Yucaipa. 909-797-2337, brewcaipa.com.
Details: If for some crazy reason you decide to do yard work or any other form of manual labor this summer, this will be the beer you’ll want to drink to refresh yourself since this 5.4% ABV lager has a clean, smooth taste. Or better yet, don’t do any work during the summer and drink it while lying in a hammock.
