by Dan Koester on November 27, 2012
At any given time, you can walk into a restaurant or bar and see many of the patrons drinking a Corona or Dos Esquis. These are two of the most popular types of Mexican brews. You have to wonder why so many Americans like these ales when there are massive selections of brews in the United States to choose.
Don’t think too hard; it’s because of the exotic taste and smooth body each has to them. There are many other reasons, but these are the main ones. Let’s examine the different types of brews in Mexico and why so many people love them.
- Corona – As mentioned above, this lager is the most popular beer in the area. Its light body and exotic appeal go great with a wedge of lime in it. That’s how a large majority of people like to drink this ale.
- Sol - This lager is another popular type among tourists who visit the area. You can also get it through American distributors as well. Its taste is compared to that of macrobrews. You have more than likely seen the logo plastered on walls and tee shirts everywhere.
- Pacifico – This ale is much different from the two mentioned above. It is still a lager with a pretty bitter taste. Those who like a dry ales will probably like this one a lot. You can purchase this ale in any distributor as it is just as popular as the others.
These are the three most popular brands of ales in Mexico. There are many more, but these ones are the biggest sellers. If you would like to know more about them you should attend brew tasting in your area as they are held randomly throughout the year.
The reason why so many people turn to these brews instead of American ones is because of the appeal they have. They have laid back, warm effect on most, which makes these drinkers feel more relaxed and comfortable.
If you are looking for a good beer, then you should start with one produced in Mexico. They offer so much more than traditional brews in the States and offer a unique drinking experience each time you indulge in one.
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by Dan Koester on November 21, 2012
As American microbrews have become more popular in the last decade, so have breweries in Europe that are also re popularizing these brews. The art of microbrewing is it is done much like homebrewing. It is more of a do it yourself kind of project, and so many small breweries are opening because of this process. Europe tends to be on the cutting edge of trendy things all of the time, and there is no exception when it comes to beer.
There are many things that you may not know about microbrews. For one, alcohol content can be increased significantly in them as it comes at the discretion of the brewer to make those decisions. They are, most of the time, packaged with artistic labels that make each one unique. Also, a variety of ingredients are put into each one as that makes them so different from traditional brews. Ingredients such as exotic fruits and spices have been known to spruce up these ales from time to time.
Here are some places in Europe where you will find the best microbrews:
- Scotland – This area has been home brewing for many thousands of years. They are known for their ales, which come in a range of four different alcohol contents: light, heavy, export and wee heavy. That is how they categorize brews in their country, and America ones are built on the same concept.
- Ireland – This place has been known and stereotyped for its ale drinkers since its beginnings. Stouts are what this area is known for best. Walk into any pub and you will see many stouts and Irish reds waiting for you to try.
- England – As this area is much larger than the others, there are of course more brews to choose from there. The brewers like to age the beer in caskets as opposed to tanks and barrels. This is how traditional microbrewing is done in this country.
These are some of the more popular areas in Europe where you can enjoy a fine microbrew. There are too many of these ales to list as just about everybody is producing them. If you would like to find out more about them, the Internet is a great place to start. Even better is if you can go over there and sample for yourself.
