7 Barrios de Cervecería Lesnez

Cervecería Lesnez is based out of San Luis Potosí and produces the 7 Barrios line of beers. I'm generally not impressed, although their Brown is pretty decent. They also make an blond ale which I haven't seen available anywhere in the city.

7 Barrios Amber Ale, 2 out of 5, 5.1%ABV 

This beer was fairly nutty, with hints of caramel and vanilla. Definitely did not taste like an amber ale to me. It may have been too old and certainly wasn't enjoyable.

7 Barrios English Brown Ale, 4 out of 5 , 5.1%ABV

The Brown is the best of the 7 Barrios beers I have tried. It was easy to drink and slightly hoppy, not something I'm used to tasting in most of the boring brown ales available in Mexico City.

7 Barrios Hefeweizen, 1 out of 5, 5.1%ABV

Wow, this is one of the worst hefeweizen's I've ever had. Very weak and light, almost no flavor at all. There is a slight hint of sourness to it that makes it unpleasant.

You can buy all three of these beers at La Belga.

Bayernbräu Weissbier

Bayernbräu Weissbier

<6%ABV

3 out of 5

When I think of German-style beers, the first thing that comes to mind is that they taste like bananas. Not all of them, but I've had a few too many that do. This weissbier, made in Puebla, tastes just like bananas. I tend to like wheat beers, but not when they have an overt banana flavor. If you like that style of beer, then you'll probably like this weissbier. I also found the beer to be slightly too carbonated.

Bayernbräu Brewery in Puebla seems to have recently started making this beer again. I had learned of the brewery many months ago and starting investigating where I could find their beer, but came up empty. A Beer Box employee told me they closed up shop. Obviously he was wrong and I'm glad to see they are producing again.

You can find this beer for sale at La Belga.

Minerva Imperial Stout

Minerva Imperial Stout

6%ABV

3 out of 5

When I think of Imperial Stouts, I think of beers that could substitute for a meal. They are thick, creamy, and full of flavor. Minerva's Imperial Stout has a decent flavor, but it is so watery that I would hesitate to even call this a regular stout. Maybe a black lager instead? It isn't a bad beer by any means, there are nice aromas of chocolate and coffee, and you can really taste the toasted malts. It is actually a fairly drinkable beer that I wouldn't mind having again, but if people buy this and think this is what an imperial stout should be like, that is really unfortunate.

You can find this beer just about anywhere that sells craft brews. My local Superama usually has this and the pale ale available for about 18 pesos a bottle. You can also get it at La Belga, El Deposito, The Beer Box, Beer and Fashion, The Beer Company, etc etc.

Calavera Smoky Scottish Ale 80/-

Calavera Smoky Scottish Ale

5.4%ABV

5 out of 5

I have been a little harsh on Calavera on this blog but I knew they could do better than the beers I have previously sampled.  They nail it with this Smoky Scottish Ale, which I absolutely loved! I remember seeing this beer for sale when I first arrived in Mexico, but never got around to trying it. It disappeared from the market for a while, but now it is back and I just tried it for the first time. It is a fairly light-bodied brown ale with a slight sweetness and nuttiness, and a slight hint of caramel. The underlying flavors really complement the smokiness of the beer well. One thing I don't particularly like about run-of-the-mill browns is that they are sweet, which for me, makes it hard to drink more than one. The smokiness in this beer, which is very very noticeable, dries the beer out a bit and makes it much more drinkable. I am also a complete sucker for anything smoked: cheese, oysters, chiles, beer, etc. If its tastes smokey, I'll probably like it. So, if you don't like all things smoked, then maybe this beer will be a little too strange or unappealing, but if you do, then I highly recommend it. Next time I'm at the beer store I'm stocking up, because this beer is about to become a regular.

I purchased this 330ml bottle at La Belga for ~30 pesos. It is also available in a 750ml version.

Cucapá La Migra Imperial Stout

Cucapá La Migra Imperial Stout

8.5%ABV

5 out of 5

Yes! Cucapá does it again! This beer is absolutely amazing. Previously I had tried the Winter 2010-11 version of this beer, and while I thought it was ok, it was not the greatness I had come to expect from Cucapá. This imperial stout is much hoppier than most other versions of the style, but I am a complete hop-head and that is why I like this beer so much. It almost comes close to a Black IPA in hoppiness, though not quite. It also has nice chocolate flavors that really complement the hops and roasted malts. The bottle says it also contains piloncillo from Sonora which one might think would make the beer sweet, but the sweetness is not overpowering. In fact, the beer has a fairly bitter finish. The one thing I would like to see is some more body in this beer, it is fairly full-bodied, but when a beer is labeled as an imperial stout I expect a much creamier beer. Still, this beer is great and I'm already dreaming about the next time I can have one.

I got this 650ml bottle at La Belga for 120 pesos.

Red Pig Mexican Ale

Red Pig Amber/Pale Ale?

5.5%ABV

4 out of 5

This beer was very surprising. The brewer, Cervecería Mexicana, doesn't make the most exciting beers, and there is no description on the bottle that told me what to expect regarding this beer. A 4 out of 5 is a little generous, should be more like 3.5, but I don't want to start using fractions.

 Red Pig is a medium-bodied copper colored ale, pours with little head, and tastes like a slightly sweeter version of a pale ale. It is slightly caramely and pretty hoppy, but finishes dry and sort of flat. It is somewhat similar to the Minerva Pale Ale, but I think I prefer the Red Pig for its slightly more complex flavors. If this beer was slightly less watery and a bit more hoppy, this could be a really solid and interesting beer. I find this beer to be fairly drinkable and won't hesitate to drink it again if the price is right.

Red Pig is available at La Belga for 25 pesos/bottle.

Cerveza Rio Bravo

Rio Bravo Pilsner

4.6%ABV

3 out of 5

This is a decent pilsner. It is pretty boring, nothing really interesting to say about this beer. Its slightly bready and malty, easy to drink, pretty much what one expects from a pilsner. The Rio Bravo beers are certainly preferable over the national beers, but what they do is so close to the macro-brews that their beers just end up being kind of dull.














Rio Bravo Special Dark Beer Brown Ale

5.5%ABV

2 out of 5

This brown ale is light-bodied with slight caramel flavors, and is fairly easy to drink. But, it is just another boring brown ale that is only a step above the dark, vienna-style lagers from Bohemia, Negra Modelo, etc.
















Both beers are produced by Cervecería Rio Bravo out of Tecate, B.C. Or is it Cervecería Mexicana? The bottle includes both names, so I'm guessing that both companies are the same. These beers cost around 25 pesos/bottle, and you can find them at La Belga and La Gran Vía. Last time I was at La Belga they only had the brown ale. I picked up the pilsner at La Gran Vía. I've also seem the brown ale at Liverpool before.

Minerva Diosa Blanca

 Minerva Diosa Blanca White Ale

4.5%ABV

3 out of 5

Minerva's white ale pours with little head. The beer itself is a pale yellow, slightly cloudy, and just lightly carbonated. It was very drinkable, had a fruity aroma and slightly fruity taste, but finishes dry and bitter. The Diosa Blanca is not the best example of a white ale, but certainly passable and I wouldn't mind drinking this again. Another example of Minerva transforming what could have been an amazing beer into something bland and boring.

I purchased this 660ml bottle at La Belga for 70 pesos. You can also find it at El Deposito.

Cucapá Obscura

Cucapá Obscura Brown Ale

4.8%ABV

2 out of 5

I love Cucapá. If given a choice among Mexican craft brewers, I'll pick their beers over any other. But, I do not love this beer. Cucapá's Obscura is little different than the myriad brown lagers that litter the Mexican landscape. It is light, watery, and very boring. The only thing that makes this better than a Bohemia Obscura or a León is that Cucapá's version has a more noticeable roasted flavor. But that is it. I'm being harsh because I know Cucapá can do better. For what it is, this beer is very drinkable. However, I would prefer to drink just about anything else.

You can find this beer at La Belga, El Deposito, The Beer Box, La Nacional, and Graciela.

Cerveza San Vicente

Cerveza San Vicente White Ale (Belgian Wit)

6.3%ABV

5 out of 5

Of all the Belgian-inspired Mexican craft brews I have tried, Cerveza San Vicente from Guadalajara is the cream of the crop. The brewers call it a Belgian Wit, but with the cilantro and orange added to the beer, the beer better resembles a Saison Ale. Not quite as good as Saison Dupont, but much better than some of the saisons I've had by the better American craft brewers such as Great Divide and Dogfish Head.

As you can see in the picture, this beer pours with an enormous amount of head. It has a wonderful spicy aroma, with noticeable, but not overpowering, wheat, orange, and coriander flavors. This beer is also extremely easy to drink and quite refreshing.

I have only seen this beer available at La Belga. This 750ml bottle cost 125 pesos and was well worth it. It seems that the makers of this beer only produce a small amount at a time, so if you want to try it, get over to La Belga asap.

Cervecería Hacienda

Catrina Red Ale, <7%ABV, 0 out of 5

Hidalgo Stout, <7%ABV, 0 out of 5

Jaguar Pale Ale, <7%ABV, 0 out of 5

Cervecería Hacienda made by Hacienda San Juan Pueblilla out of Hidalgo, produces three different beers, a red ale, a stout, and a pale ale. The best thing I can say about these beers is that they have really cool labels, and it seems other people agree. It may be that there was something wrong with the batch from which I drank these beers, but I sort of doubt it. In the Fall of 2010, I had tried the pale ale and the stout and remember them being rather unpleasant. For the sake of the blog, I decided to give these beers another shot. The stout and the red ale I drank in Oaxaca at El Olivo, the pale ale was purchased at La Belga in Mexico City. All three of these beers were incredibly sour, and did not even remotely resemble the style of beer. A pale ale without the taste of hops? check. A stout without the flavor of roasted malts? check. The red ale? I don't even know what they were attempting there.  The closest thing these beers resemble is a poor attempt at a home-brewed cider.

It is really unfortunate that these beers are completely undrinkable, I really wanted to like them. I'm a bid fan of Hidalgo state, and want to see some quality beer come out of there. Hopefully the brewers at Cervecería Hacienda spend some time on their recipe and engage in some serious quality control. My guess is that something is going wrong in the bottling process that is ruining the beer, but I could be wrong.

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.

Poe Brown Ale

Poe Brown Ale

6.2%ABV

3 out of 5

Cervecería Pública Condesa has been producing this brown ale since 2009. It is a decent example of a brown, although a little bland and watery for my tastes. It is certainly drinkable and much better than any cerveza obscura you are going to find by the two major companies in Mexico, but it is not the finest example of a brown.

The Poe had not been available for a while, but a new batch is now available for sale. You can drink it at Makena and El Deposito, or buy a bottle at La Belga.

El Deposito World Beer Store

 I can't believe it has taken me this long to write something about El Deposito, one of the most important beer bars/stores in Mexico City. At El Deposito you can find nearly all the Mexican craft brews, a large selection of imported beers, and a constantly rotating selection of imported and Mexican craft brews on tap. What is also nice is that all the beers you can buy here for takeout are also available to drink at the bar, in case you want to spend an evening out sampling a variety of beers.

There are a couple downsides to El Deposito, which means I don't go as often as I would like. First, they have a small, but largely terrible selection of food. They do have popcorn, which is what I usually get when I come here, but if you are hungry, go somewhere else first. Second, this place is very expensive. Draft beers usually run anywhere from 60-120 pesos, and some of the bottled beers have a pretty steep markup if you want to drink them at the bar. Even buying beer for takeout here is more expensive than at La Belga.

On the weekends, this place is usually packed, so it doesn't seem like the prices are driving enough people away, and they typically do have several beers on draft that you won't find anywhere else. On this particular visit where I took the pictures, they had draft beer from Tempus, Cosaco, Ocozol and Azteca. On previous trips they have also had beer by Fuller's and Calavera. In addition to beer, you can also pick up some glasses from local and international breweries if you are looking for a souvenir.

El Deposito is located at Baja California 375 in Condesa. The easiest way to get there is from the Metro/Metrobus stop Patriotismo.

Cucapá Lowrider Ale

Cucapá Lowrider Double Rye Ale

7.2%ABV

5 out of 5

I love barley wines. However, they are often too strong to drink on a regular basis. The Lowrider Ale is a nice compromise when you don't feel like sipping on a single beer for a few hours. You get the body and flavor of a decent barley wine without the high alcohol content. This full-bodied copper colored ale is dry due to the rye, and tastefully hoppy. Cucapá definitely hit a grand slam with this beer. I do wish the rye flavor would come out more but that is certainly a minor complaint for this very well-crafted cerveza artesanal.

The Lowrider Ale is available in 650ml bottles for 120 pesos from La Belga.

Tijuana Güera

Tijuana Güera Pilsner

4.6%ABV

4 out of 5

Similar in style to most Mexican lagers, just done a whole lot better. Why drink a Bohemia when you can drink this?

The TJ Güera and Morena are also some of the cheapest craft beers you can find in the city. At Al Andar, you can drink these for 30 pesos a bottle. They are also available for 23 pesos a bottle at La Belga, and for more at El Deposito and Corazón de Maguey.

Tempus Reserva Especial

Tempus Reserva Especial Scottish Ale

6.1%ABV

3 out of 5

I took this particular photo at Lucille's in Colonia Roma. The Reserva Especial is sometimes called "Maple" depending on where you drink it (such as at Al Andar). Maple is a fitting name, because this golden-colored ale does have a pretty strong sweetness to it that resembles maple syrup. It also has a slight caramel flavor. I am not very familiar with Scottish Ales (the ones I have tried I didn't like), so I can't say much about how close this resembles that particular style. However, it is fairly drinkable. The sweetness makes it difficult to have more than one, but if I drink Tempus beers, it is a toss-up over whether I choose the Reserva Especial or the Doble Malta. Both beers are drinkable, but not particularly exciting. I look forward to the day Tempus branches out into other styles that are more appealing and original.

The Reserva Especial is slightly less available than the other Tempus beers, but still fairly easy to find. You can drink it at Lucille's in Roma or Al Andar in the Centro Histórico. You can buy a bottle at La Belga or El Deposito.

Minerva Colonial

Minerva Colonial Kolsch

5%ABV

3 out of 5

The Minerva Colonial is a very decent light beer. It is easy to drink and has a nice bready and malty flavor. It reminds me a bit of a better quality Pacifico.The Colonial is not a particularly exciting beer, but certainly preferable over a beer made by the two giants of the Mexican beer industry.

You can find Minerva beers in many different places in the D.F., including supermarkets like Superama and Soriana. You can also pick this up for takeout at La Belga, El Deposito and The Beer Box, or drink it at El Deposito, Lucille's, and Corazón de Maguey.

Cucapá Runaway IPA

Runaway India Pale Ale

7.5%ABV

5 out of 5

This is the best IPA made by a Mexican brewer, hands down. It has a nice golden hue, aromas of citrus and flowers, and a good amount of hops that is not overpowering. It is also a very drinkable IPA, especially compared to some of the more extreme IPAs made by American craft brewers.

You can find the Runaway IPA in a 650ml bottle for 120 pesos at La Belga. It is also available for slightly more at the Beer Box and El Deposito.

Tempus Doble Malta

Tempus Imperial Altbier

7%ABV

3 out of 5

Tempus is brewed by Primus, based out of Tlalnepantla, Estado de México. Their doble malta is a slightly dark, golden color with strong malt and caramel flavors. It is also light-bodied and fairly easy to drink.

This Doble Malta and other Tempus beers are available just about anywhere that serves cervezas artesanales in the city. You can find it on draft at Zazá, La Nacional (next door to La Belga), and Makena. In the bottle, you can drink this at Al Andar, Lucille's, and El Deposito. You can also buy this for takeout at La Belga, El Deposito, and The Beer Box.