Beer Trends & Styles: The 30 Best Mexican-Style Lagers

As someone who gets to see hundreds of new beer packaging every day, I get some keen insight into beer and brewing trends simply based on what I see breweries producing every day.

Over the last year, I’ve noticed one specific beer style that seems to be more and more common across the country. I’m talking about Mexican-Style Lager, and it’s a broad description for four different styles as outlined below by the Brewers Association Style Guidelines:

Mexican-Style Light Lager

Color: Straw to pale gold
Clarity: Appearance should be clear; Chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Low to medium-low pale malt sweetness and aroma may be present. May have adjunct flavors from corn and/or rice
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Very low to low with attributes typical of noble-type hops
Perceived Bitterness: Very low to low
Fermentation Characteristics: Clean fermentation profile; low fruity esters may be present; sulfur may be present in very low levels. Diacetyl should not be present
Body: Very light to light body with dry finish
Additional notes: Clean pale lagers often made with 2-row pilsner malt and may contain corn and/or rice to lighten body. Medium to medium-high carbonation and low final gravity produce a light-bodied beer that finishes dry
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.026-1.044 (6.5-11 °Plato)
 Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.003-1.01 (0.77-2.5 °Plato)
 Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 2.50%-3.40% (3.20%-4.20%)
 Bitterness (IBU) 8-17
 Color SRM (EBC) 2-3(4-6 EBC)

Mexican-Style Pale Lager

Color: Pale to deep gold
Clarity: Appearance should be clear; Chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Low to medium-low pale malt sweetness and aroma may be present. May have adjunct flavors and aromas from corn and/or rice
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Low with attributes typical of noble-type hops
Perceived Bitterness: Low to medium-low
Fermentation Characteristics: Clean fermentation profile; low fruity esters may be present; sulfur may be present in very low levels. Diacetyl should not be present
Body: Low to medium-low with dry finish
Additional notes: Clean pale lagers often made with 2-row pilsner malt and may contain corn and/or rice to lighten body. Head retention may be medium to medium low and low noble-hop character is slightly more noticeable than that of its light counterpart
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.045-1.05 (11.1-12.4 °Plato)
 Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.008-1.012 (2-3.1 °Plato)
 Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.50%-4.00% (4.50%-5.00%)
 Bitterness (IBU) 15-22
 Color SRM (EBC) 3-5(6-10 EBC)

Mexican-Style Amber Lager

Color: Light amber to copper
Clarity: Appearance should be clear with white head of foam; Chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Medium-low to medium-high caramel and bready malt aroma and flavor; light roast and light corn and/or rice flavors may be present
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: None to low with attributes typical of noble-type hops
Perceived Bitterness: Very Low to low
Fermentation Characteristics: Clean fermentation profile; low fruity esters may be present; sulfur may be present in very low levels. Diacetyl should not be present
Body: Light to medium-light body with light creaminess
Additional notes: Addition of specialty malts may provide caramel or lightly toasted complexity to malt profile. The presence of corn and/or rice to lighten body may be noticeable. Medium to medium-high carbonation with dry finish makes these beers very refreshing
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.045-1.052 (11.1-12.9 °Plato)
 Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.01-1.012 (2.5-3.1 °Plato)
 Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.10%-4.40% (4.00%-5.50%)
 Bitterness (IBU) 12-25
 Color SRM (EBC) 7-15(13-30 EBC)

Mexican-Style Dark Lager

Color: Dark copper to dark brown with ruby or garnet highlights
Clarity: Appearance should be clear with creamy, beige to light brown foam. Chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Medium to medium high complex bready toast malt aroma and sweetness from addition of darker specialty malts; light caramel, toast, nutty and/or toffee flavors may be present; Low aromas and flavors from corn and/or rice may be present
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: None to low with attributes typical of noble-type hops
Perceived Bitterness: Very low to low
Fermentation Characteristics: Clean fermentation profile; low fruity esters may be present; sulfur may be present in very low levels. Diacetyl should not be present
Body: Medium to medium-full body with dry finish
Additional notes: Grain bill may contain Munich and/or Vienna type base malts. May also contain corn and/or rice. Small amounts of toasted and crystal malts and/or dextrin may be added for color and slight sweetness.
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.048-1.053 (11.9-13.1 °Plato)
 Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.009-1.012 (2.3-3.1 °Plato)
 Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.50%-4.60% (4.50%-5.80%)
 Bitterness (IBU) 12-28
 Color SRM (EBC) 16-30(31-59 EBC)

While there are definitely differences in the four Mexican-Style Lager categories above, most brewers are only labeling their cans & bottles with the more generic “Mexican Lager.” Here are the typical characteristics of a Mexican Lager:

A Mexican-style lager is a refreshing, crisp, and balanced beer characterized by a light body, pale or golden color, and mild malt sweetness with low bitterness, often enhanced by the use of corn or rice as adjuncts. The style originated in 19th-century Mexico from Austrian Vienna lager traditions, adapted by adding corn to create a smooth, clean, and highly drinkable beer that is excellent with food. 


Flavor: Subtle malt sweetness balanced by a mild hop bitterness. Often described as clean, crisp, and sometimes with a hint of toastiness. 
Aroma: Low malt aroma with potential hints of corn. 
Appearance: Pale to golden in color and clear, with no chill haze. 
Body: Light-bodied, creating a refreshing quality. 
Ingredients: The defining feature is the use of corn or rice as adjuncts, which contribute to the beer’s smoothness, clarity, and crispness. 
Bitterness: Low bitterness, making the beer highly drinkable. 

Historical Context
Vienna Lager Roots:
The style’s origins trace back to the 19th century when Austrian brewers brought their Vienna lager brewing traditions to Mexico. 
Addition of Corn:
To adapt to local conditions and ingredients, brewers like Santiago Graf incorporated abundant local corn into the mash. 
Evolution:
This adaptation lightened the body and added a slight sweetness, evolving the beer into the crisp, refreshing style known today as Mexican-style lager. 

Brewing
Adjuncts:
Flaked maize (corn) is a common adjunct, contributing starches that ferment completely, adding dryness, reducing haze, and increasing clarity. 
Fermentation:
A clean, cool fermentation process is crucial for a smooth, balanced lager. 
Serving:
These lagers are famously served with a wedge of lime, which adds a touch of brightness and complements their refreshing qualities. 

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Over the last few years, I’ve noticed an increase in new beers of the style being packaged by breweries from coast to coast. A quick search on “Mexican Lager” on mybeerbuzz.com will net you over 50 results for new and existing Mexican-style lagers.

A quick search on new beers being licensed shows 305 new Mexican-style lagers were approved in the last 12 months, so clearly it’s a trend that hasn’t died out, and a very popular beer style that I believe will be popular for quite a while to come.

I’ll admit up front that I’m not a huge fan of the style, but as a beer writer, I get to taste a lot of beers. With that in mind, here is my list of my favorite Mexican-Style Lagers (in no particular order & some may no longer be in distribution):

• Lone Tree Lime Mexican Lager
• Firestone Walker 805 Cerveza
• AleSmith Sublime Mexican Lager
• Pike Brewing Mexican Lager
• Lakefront El Wisco Mexican Lager
• Oskar Blues Beerito Amber Mexican Lager
• Ska Brewing Mexican Lager
• Smuttynose El Smutty
• Great Lakes Mexican Lager
• Flying Dog Flashman’s Mexican Lager
• Reubens Brews Mexican Lager
• Odell Brewing El Kernal Mexican Lager
• Jester King Mexican Lager
• Hoppin’ Frog Cervecero Loco Mexican Lager
• 10 Barrel Pub Cerveza
• Terrapin Cerveza Mexican Lager
• Monday Night Taco Tuesday Mexican Lager
• 3 Floyds Fantasmo Mexican Lager
• WeldWerks Long Bones Mexican Lager
• Goose Island Beer For Dancing Mexican Lager
• Boulevard !Vamos! Mexican Lager
• Shiner Cerveza De Verano Mexican Lager
• Mother’s Brewing Madre’s Mexican Lager
• Kern River Brewing Rioveza Mexican Lager
• 3 Daughters Mexican Lager
• Crooked Stave Mexican Lager
• Evil Twin Greenhouse Mexican Dark Lager
• Reuben’s Brews Southsun Mexican-Style Lager
• Two Roads Dos Caminos Mexican Lager
• Cape May Mexican Dark Lager

The Mexican-Style Lager is an interesting and really drinkable lager style, and while I’ve highlighted 30 examples above, there are a lot more out there to try. Agree or Disagree, let us know in the comments.