Graciela, Taller de Cerveza (Brew Pub)

Outside view of Graciela

 Graciela is a brand new brew pub that just opened up in Roma. It is owned by Cervecería Primus, the makers of Tempus beer. It is about time one of the local breweries did something like this!

Inside Graciela

 The inside of Graciela is really nice, there is a front room with a row of tables, a small bar, and then two back rooms with more tables. There is also the small brewing room pictured below where they are currently working on a brown ale.

CheLaboratorio!

 Since Graciela just opened, it doesn't seem like they have reached their full potential. They only had Tempus Doble Malta and Clásica on tap, but the menu mentions that there will be a pale ale. A Tempus Pale Ale? I can't wait to try it!

The bar, with twelve taps!

 The bar has space for 12 taps. What are they going to have? If they manage to keep all twelve operational at the same time, Graciela may become the beer bar of choice in Mexico City.

A half liter of Tempus Doble Malta

For their tap beers, you can order a half liter for 50 pesos, or a full liter for 100 pesos. They come in these enormous mugs, pictured above. In addition to the tap beers, you can ordered bottled beer from Cucapá, Minerva, Baja Brewing Company, Brew Dog, and a few other breweries. There is also a small menu with sandwiches, fries, and other non-Mexican inspired bar food.

Graciela is located at Orizaba 163, just south of Querétaro. La Nacional is right next door, along with La Belga, a new pulquería, and Bop! Records nearby. To get there, exit the Metrobus on Linea 1 at Sonora, or on Linea 3 at Hospital General and use the map to figure out how to get there. The metro stop Hospital General is also close by.

Baja Blond

Baja Brewing Company Cream Ale

5.5%ABV

4 out 5

This cream ale made by Baja Brewing Company out of Baja California Sur is an excellent light, crisp ale which would be perfect for sitting outside on a hot day, or on the beach somewhere. Cream ales are supposed to be very similar to lagers, and that is exactly what it tastes like to me, a high quality lager. Just a hint of maltiness and very refreshing.



Unfortunately I have had a hard time finding this beer, and finally broke down and spent 50 pesos for a single bottle at The Beer Box. Their Baja Red is only 33 pesos at La Belga, so I'm not sure why this particular beer was so expensive, but Beer Box prices are some of the highest I've seen in the city. Because of the price, I probably won't be drinking this beer often (or ever), but it is a really good example of light, refreshing beer.

UPDATE June 16, 2011: I just saw this at La Belga, so pick it up there for cheaper.

La Belga

La Belga is my favorite place to purchase Mexican craft beers. It is a tiny little place, just a small room packed with bottles lining both sides of the store, but they have a great selection. You can find just about any beer made by TJ Beer, Minerva, Cucapá, Tempus, Baja Brewing Company, 7 Barrios, Calavera, and several other Mexican craft brews depending on availability. They also carry a large selection of beers from Belgium (duh), Germany, and the UK, plus a few others from other countries. Unfortunately, their selection of American beers is pretty limited, just a few types of beer from Butte Creek, Eel River, and Samuel Adams.

The major reason I go here over other places (i.e. The Beer Box and El Deposito) is that the prices are slightly cheaper. Since good beer is not exactly cheap in Mexico, saving a few pesos on every bottle adds up quickly. The staff is also quite friendly and very knowledgeable about the beers they carry.

Check out their website for hours, contact info, and pictures of some of the beers they carry. They also have a small fridge in case you want to purchase a cold beer. While you can't sit down and drink beer at La Belga, you can go next door to La Nacional to enjoy several different Mexican craft brews by the bottle or on tap.



La Belga and La Nacional are both located near the corner of Orizaba and Querétaro in Colonia Roma. La Belga is actually on Querétaro, while La Nacional sits on the corner.

Getting to La Belga: Metrobus - Linea 1, Sonora stop; or Linea 3, Hospital General stop. Metro - Hospital General. (You'll need a map to walk from these stops to La Belga).

Baja Red

Baja Brewing Company Red Ale

6%ABV

5 out of 5

Baja Brewing Company is based out of Baja California Sur and was formed in 2007 by several Americans from Colorado (at least that is the story I get from their website). This particular beer, the Baja Red, is a phenomenal Red Ale. Even though the bottle says "ale ambar" this beer is much more full-bodied and full of flavor than amber ales I am familiar with. The only other Baja beer I have had was their oscura especial, which was extremely mediocre. Nevertheless, I look forward to trying some of their other beers if I can find them.

I like a good red ale, but in my experience, they are few and far between. The only other Mexican breweries I know of that make a red ale are Cosaco, with their cerveza roja, and Hacienda Pueblilla, with their Catrina red ale. The Cosaco red ale is atrocious, probably one of the worst beers I have ever had, and while I have not tried the Catrina, I am not a big fan of the other beers made by Hacienda Pueblilla out of Hidalgo (i.e. their pale ale and stout).

I picked up this bottle for 33 pesos at La Belga.

Getting to La Belga: Metrobus - Linea 1, Sonora stop; or Linea 3, Hospital General stop. Metro - Hospital General. (You'll need a map to walk from these stops to La Belga).