Mexican-Style Lagers Are Craft Beer's Summer Jam

mexican craft lager beer cinco de mayo
Andy Kryza/Thrillist
Andy Kryza/Thrillist

Taco lovers take note: craft-brewed Mexican-style lagers are on the rise, and they're flooding the market this summer. Thanks to a growing demand for session (i.e., light on the booze) beers, as well as an increased acceptance of previously poo-pooed adjunct ingredients like corn and rice, more and more established American microbrewers and ambitious nanos have been throwing their sombreros into the crisp, easy-drinking summer beer ring lately -- and for good reason.

“Mexican lagers are all about celebrating the good times, with or without the lime,” says Joshua M. Bernstein, a Brooklyn-based beer writer and author of The Complete Beer Course. “Whether partnered with tacos and nachos or sipped in the backyard or by a beach, Mexican lagers deliver instant refreshment and it's great to see American brewers create full-flavored, thirst-quenching alternatives to the imports.”
  
Balanced, palate pleasing, and smooth, these poolside bad boys are determined to revolutionize your summertime beer stock. Below are seven prime examples that are leading a pack of summer beers that are miles (and miles and miles) away from anything close to ordinary.

el sully 21st amendment craft beer mexican lager
Andy Kryza/Thrillist

4.8%
San Francisco, CA
21st Amendment’s latest release is El Sully, a sunny little 4.8% Mexican lager ideal for beachside imbibing. The California craft mainstay dropped a load of flaked maize into their smooth sipping session, rounding it out with a mix of mildly spiced Northern Brewer and effortlessly clean Magnum hops. The result? A restorative summer chiller fit for high-volume guzzling.
 

5.2%
Durango, CO
Back in 2002, Durango, CO’s Ska Brewing was one of the very first American microbreweries to put out their version of a Mexican-style lager, and what might have been a risky move back in the industry’s early days definitely paid off. The Logger is lawnmower beer at its finest -- a dose of earthy Saaz hops balances out the sugary corn while effervescent carbonation and a 5.2% ABV keep things sublimely light and crushable.
 

4.9%
Frederick, MD
With a mellow malt bill and a distinctly zesty finish, Flying Dog’s Uno Agave Cerveza is a thing of thirst-quenching beauty. A post-fermentation tincture of bitter lime peels and sweet agave syrup gives the Maryland brewery’s seasonal cerveza its signature zip while a boatload of biscuity flaked maize softly sends the 4.9% brew well into chugging territory.

Beerito photo
Andy Kryza/Thrillist

4%
Lyons, CO & Brevard, NC
A new kid on the Mexican lager block, Oskar Blues’ Beerito is the latest in the can-centric Colorado brewery’s lineup. This 4% ABV refresher manages to pack way more punch than your average Corona-esque fare, its rich amber body teeming with roasty honey and aromatic tree nuts. Crispy noble hops slide in at the finish, cutting through any residual sweetness.

8%
Minneapolis, MN
Clocking in at a dangerously drinkable 8% ABV, Minnesota’s Indeed Brewing is responsible for the heftiest lager of the lot. Floral and fruity with a well-heeled fresh, grassy bitterness, this imperial lager is bursting with all the bright, body-defying flavor you can imagine. Grab one of these tall boys when you’re craving something light on the palate but heavy on the liquor.

4.8%
Salt Lake City, UT & Denver, CO
Epic Brewing Co. celebrated this year’s Cinco de Mayo with the release of their latest and greatest creation: Los Locos, the uber-creative Salt Lake City brewery’s first ever Mexican-style lager. The 4.8% ABV brew distinguishes itself from the light lager masses by incorporating lime juice and briney sea salt into the recipe, a genius move inspired by warm-weather favorites like gose and fruit beer. With each sip, the citrus invigorates the taste buds while the body coasts by on a wave of smooth corn, finally crashing into a shore of salty dryness that just begs for another.

5.4%
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland’s Great Lakes is known far and wide for its solid array of expertly crafted beers and their spring seasonal Mexican-style lager is no exception to the rule. Clocking in at 5.4% ABV with a subtle tartness, gentle body, and exquisitely floral nose, the hibiscus flower-infused Grandes Lagos is a proudly Midwestern take on the classic style. Best served lakeside alongside fresh mango salsa, tortilla chips, and all the sun Ohio can muster.

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Meredith Heil is a staff writer for Thrillist. Lately she’s been drinking like there’s a message in a bottle. Follow her at @mereditto.