It’s summertime (almost), and the drinking is easy. And during Cinco de Mayo, it’s easier. Raise a glass of tequila to Mexican independence, but when you’re ready to back it up with a cerveza chaser, make sure to keep it in the Northwest. There are plenty of breweries that are crafting bueno Mexican-style lagers that are worth a sip — any time of year.
What makes a Mexican-style lager? Thanks to the German and Viennese settlers who brought their brewing style to Mexico nearly two centuries ago, they’ll be golden, light and clear. Often, adjuncts like flaked maize will provide a smidge of sweetness, sometimes salt and citrus, too. Of course, those items are often later added to the edge of a can or bottle of their Mexican counterparts — whether you wish to do so with these Northwest beauties is up to you.
Mexican Lager
pFriem Family Brewers | Hood River, Oregon
What rises to the top when you think of pFriem Family Brewers? The same thing that rises to the top of a glass when you pour out any of their crispy lagers and pilsners: impossibly delicate bubbles that build into a light, sublimely sweet head. Their Mexican Lager is no exception. With a whiff of orange blossom and a kiss of sweetness from the flaked maize, this cerveza is, at once, firmly grounded in the Mexican tradition and elevated, as only pFriem can do.
4.6% ABV | pfriembeer.com
Curandero Mexican Lager
Clairvoyant Brewing Company | Boise, Idaho
A rock-skip away from a series of ponds that is a regional summertime swimming destination, Clairvoyant’s low-key Boise neighborhood brewery seems exactly the right place to enjoy the effervescent Curandero before, during and after a day by the water. With just a hint of lemony acidity on the taste buds, this bright and buoyant lager is as refreshing as a plunge into the nearby Boise River.
4.0% ABV | clairvoyantbrewing.com
Bad Hombre
Level Beer | Portland, Oregon
There’s nothing bad about this hombre, as the judges of the 2024 Oregon Beer Awards will certainly tell you. Earning a silver medal in the International Lagers category, this balanced lager is built on a sweet hint of corn — which practically demands a lime wedge. And once you are finished, if you are at their brewery and beer garden, make sure you try Level’s riff on a Mexican amber lager, the malty Cerveza Obscura.
4.8% ABV | levelbeer.com
Mexican Style Lager
Chuckanut Brewery | Burlington, Washington
Chuckanut is one of those breweries that continues to spin gold each year with its kölshes, pilsners and lagers. It’s no surprise they’d do the same with a Mexican lager. Bright as the sunshine with just a hint of breadiness, this sip is a worthy addition to the bright, beautiful beers that have always been the calling card of Chuckanut.
4.3% ABV | chuckanutbrewery.com
Mexican Lager
GoodLife Brewing | Bend, Oregon
One should only have to consider the name of this Bend, Oregon, brewery to know that it extols the lifestyle and recreational virtues of this magnificent region. A Mexican lager fits naturally into that ethic — light and floral, without any bitterness. An easy-drinking beer that is light straw in color, it begs to be a steady outdoor companion in on the trails, by the river — or in the backyard.
5.0% ABV | goodlifebrewing.com
