Celebrating the Mexican Army’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th is a little different this year. The usual Cinco de Mayo festivities will, and should be, a lot more subdued this year, but there are a ton of options to take the party home with west coast takes on Mexican-style Lager. Though many of these beers amount to similar grasps for crispness with light lager sweetness, there are interesting tweaks that keep this category interesting and fun to pair with appropriate foods like street tacos and nachos. .

Ex Novo Brewing Milagro Oscuro

Mexican lagers are most often modeled after Corona and the like, but occasionally we get the true negra-style dark Mexican lagers that really show off how tasty this style can be. As they have done with their equally rare Dark Mild, Portland’s Ex Novo Brewing is offering their own Dark Mexican-style Lager that we recently enjoyed a few (three) pints of on their Beaverton patio. This is a light beer with a medium body, light nutty coffee notes, toasted honey nuts, slightly burnt whole wheat toast, and just a bit of caramel and hops to balance it out.
Available for pickup, next-day delivery and shipping to select states right now. $10 a 4pk. ABV: 5.8% IBU: 18

Reuben’s Brews South Sun

Seattle brewery’s take on the Mexican-style Lager is a classical rendition focused on the light and crisp body with a touch of Vienna malt for subtle sweetness and the traditional flaked corn that provides a little more bready sweetness and body. Southsun is then hopped with German Saaz hops, a not towards this styles original influence in European beers. Available on draft and in cans, distributed Puget Sound, Oregon, and Eastern Washington in addition to Reuben’s Seattle taprooms in Ballard. You can order online for easy and safe pickup in Ballard at ReubensBrews.com/Shop, or come by the Taproom anytime 12pm - 9pm daily.

Trap Door Brewing Saint Pablo Mexican-Style Lager

It’s not often you see a Mexican-Style Lager with New Zealand hops, but that’s exactly what this new can and draft release features. Motueka is a newer hop variety lauded for it’s fresh tropical lime flavor and aroma, which sounds perfect for a light summer beach lager to pair with some Mexicana. Saint Pablo is a crushable lager made for warm weather and available now on draft and in 16oz cans from the brewery in Vancouver, Washington. 4.2% ABV.

Coin Toss Brewing Comunidad Mexican Lager

The limited seasonal release from this Oregon City, OR based brewery is a very American hybridized take on the style. Instead of the super pale or yellow base beer of most, this is a more golden lager with four specialty grains and instead of corn it uses flaked rice to lighten the body and improve crispness and drinkability. Coin Toss will also tap a Michelada version on Wednesday for their Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Full Sail Sesiόn Cerveza

Possibly the best version of Full Sail Brewing’s expansive Session line of beers is the Sesiόn Cerveza. It’s so good that it’s one of the only U.S. made craft Mexican-style Lagers that you can purchase year-round. Like the Reuben’s Brews iteration, Sesiόn Cerveza is a traditional pale Pilsner malt base with flaked corn, but a little bit more of an Oregon flavor from Celeia and Northern Brewer hops that have a touch of mint and lemony spice to the light thirst quencher. Available in 11 oz. bottles, 12oz cans, 6-packs in 12-packs, 19.2 oz cans and in the Session Mashup variety 12-pack and draft. 4.5% ABV | 15 IBUS |

Bottle Logic Siempre Exmplorando con Lima!

¡Compañeros innovadores! Bottle Logic Brewing out of Anaheim, California takes the flaked corn crisp Mexican-style lager and conditions it on lime peels so you dont have to squeeze any citrus in yourself

Pizza Port Mexico Surf Trip

Kind of an updated version, Pizza Port Brewing out of Carlsbad, California features flaked corn and pale malts like other renditions but uses modern citrusy hops for brightness. 5% ABV 10 IBU.

54-40 Brewing 1862 Mexican-style Lager

Washougal, Washington’s 54-40 Brewing celebrates El Día de la Batalla de Puebla with a light bodied and slightly malty but crisp Mexican-style Lager available in 6-packs and draft. 4.8% ABV and 10 IBU

Epic Brewing Los Locos

Out of their main brewery in Denver, Colorado, Epic Brewing has taken what they have learned making Gose’s and added a dash of sea salt and a splash of lime to a bright golden lager. Expect a little tang with the crispness for an extra refreshing beach quencher. 5.1 % ABV.