Purple Hand Honey Ale

Purple Hand Honey Ale

1 out of 5


5.0%ABV

This beer is really boring. If there was a blind taste test between a Bohemia Clásica and this, it would be hard to tell the difference. It basically tastes like one of the better commercial lagers. It is supposed to be a honey ale, but the flavor of honey is so unnoticeable.

This beer is also fairly expensive. I bought it a long time ago at the Beer Box for something like 45 pesos if I remember correctly.

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.

Cerveza Colonial

Cerveza Colonial Brown Ale

6%ABV

4 out of 5

If I never have another cerveza obscura from Mexico, I would be perfectly happy. Every brewer here tries their hand at what in my opinion is an extremely boring style with little innovation. I was ready for more disappointment before cracking open this bottle of "Cerveza Colonial Black," but I was completely mistaken. Instead of the bland vienna-style lager, I was treated with a well-crafted brown ale that was medium-bodied with a very nutty flavor. Nut browns are not my favorite style of beer in general, but this brew produced by Cervecería Valladolid is high quality and worth trying if you happen to like brown ales.

I don't know anything about Cervecería Valladolid since I could not find any information online, nor is there anything on the bottle. The only thing I could find was a reference to two other beers produced by them: Cerveza Valladolid and Cerveza Bullshark. I definitely look forward to trying these other beers as soon as I can find them.

I found this bottle at The Beer Box.

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 Querétaro

Querétaro Amber Ale

5.5%ABV

2 out of 5

Cervecería Querétaro only makes this one Amber Ale. This medium-bodied ale is copper colored and cloudy, and has hints of vanilla and malt. It is a drinkable beer, but not great. The brewery does have potential though, so I look forward to any future beers they make or a new version of the Amber Ale.

Finding this beer in Mexico City is not easy. I found this bottle at the Beer Box for about 30 pesos, but I have not seen it available anywhere else for sale or to drink. 

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.

Cerveza Toro

Toro Golden Ale

5.1%ABV

4 out of 5

I was very pleasantly surprised when I tried this bottle-conditioned ale from Querétaro. The flavor is fairly unique and extremely refreshing. It pours fairly cloudy, like a hefeweizen. The beer itself has a nice mix of malt, vanilla and apricot flavors. If someone was trying to sell me a beer that tasted like that, I'd probably say no thanks, but I really did like this beer.

This particular bottle was enjoyed at Makena for 55 pesos. I have not seen it for sale at my usual places to buy beer, but according to the Toro website, it is available at The Beer Company and The Beer Box. Last time I was at a Beer Box, they didn't have this beer. I still haven't had the chance to check out the Beer Company, but I will soon and hope to report back with good news.

Simpatico Beer

Simpatico Pilsner (?)

4.6%ABV

3 out of 5

I had never seen or heard of this beer the other day when I went to The Beer Box looking for some new beers to try. The beer itself is a very light golden beer, I think it is a pilsner. Since there is basically no information about this beer online, or on the bottle, I can't be one hundred percent sure. It doesn't have much flavor at all, just a small hint of malt. It isn't a particularly bad beer if you are just looking for a simple light refreshing beer, but there isn't a whole lot that really draws me to it.

Simpatico is made by Cervercería Mexicana, based out of Tecate, Baja California. It seems this beer was first made back in the 1980s, and then disappeared from the market? I don't really know the story, but there is an interesting facebook page of people from all over the world looking for this beer. It seems it has a bit of a cult following which makes sense in comparison to other standard Mexican lagers, but compared to the recent crop of craft brews, Simpatico isn't really all that special.

You can buy this beer for 29 pesos at the Beer Box.

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.

Belgian Beers

Here is a random selection of Belgian beers that I have laying around the house. Belgian beers are relatively easy to find in Mexico City. I'm not exactly sure why, but it is much easier to find a large assortment of beers from Belgium than just about any beer from the U.S. While I don't think I have had a Belgian beer I truly disliked, it is a rare occasion that I will buy one here in Mexico because they are so expensive. Individual bottles usually range in price from 40-60 pesos. The only reason I have so many pictured here is Superama was having a clearance sale on their imported beers for 25 pesos/bottle.

I do not plan on reviewing individual imported brews, but if I was going to recommend one of the 12 pictured here, I would suggest the St. Bernardus Wit, the best wheat beer I've had in a long time.

You can find these and other Belgian beers for sale at La Belga, El Deposito, The Beer Box and occasionally at large supermarkets.

Cucapá Honey

Cucapá Honey Amber Ale

4.5%ABV

4 out of 5

I am pleasantly surprised at how good this beer tastes. For months I have been avoiding this beer because I thought the honey would make it sweet (I really prefer bitter beers). While Cucapá is my favorite Mexican brewery, I know they make some duds (i.e. their Oscura). I was completely wrong on this one. The first thing I noticed was the hops in the nose, not too overpowering but certainly enough for me to notice. There is a faint hint of honey in the nose, but upon tasting the honey almost completely disappears. Only in the finish did I get a small taste of the honey, mixed in with some malts. This beer is very drinkable and if you are looking for a light beer with lots of flavor, you would be hard pressed to find something better in Mexico. It is a toss up over whether I prefer this Honey Ale or Cucapá's Clasica Blonde Ale when I want something light but tasty. Looks like I'll need to do a side by side comparison in the future!

Get this for takeout at El Deposito, La Belga (for 27 pesos), or The Beer Box. Drink it at La Nacional (for 55 pesos) or El Deposito.

Getting to El Deposito: Metro/Metrobus Patriotismo.
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).
Getting to La Nacional: Right next door to La Belga, on the corner of Orizaba and Querétaro.