Try?
I am always fond of matching beer and food
by country of origin. There is a lot to be said for the practice, and I
think it adds to the local feel you get when dining, even if you’re not
dining in the area your food and brew come from. That was exactly the case
when my beloved Barbara and I decided to stop by our local Don Pablo’s
restaurant for dinner and a few drinks.
It was a beautiful day indeed here in Atlanta, the sun shining and the temperature a warm 75 degrees. Sitting out on the patio (or beer garden, as I like to think of it), I ordered a tall cool glass of Dos Equis Special Lager to start things off. What better way to enjoy the Mexican atmosphere than with one of my favorite Mexican beers?
And Dos Equis Special Lager is definitely a personal favorite among Mexican beers. This is not styled after Vienna type lagers like Negra Modelo or Dos Equis Special Amber, mind you, instead it is more in the lines of Pilsner style beer. As such it is more fairly compared to Mexican brews like Corona, Sol, or Modelo Especial. In my opinion, it beats the lot of them, having much more flavor. This is especially true when compared to Corona.
Dos Equis Special Lager is readily available in bottles for about $7 a six-pack or so. Unfortunately, it is packaged in green glass, not a good choice for any beer. The low hopping rate will likely reduce incidences of skunking, but it can still occur if the bottles are exposed to sunlight or even fluorescent light. The glass of Special Lager I drank was draft, so this was not a concern.
Dos Equis Special Lager is brewed by Cerveceria Moctezuma, one of Mexico’s largest brewing concerns. The company was founded in 1884 by a German immigrant, Wilhelm Hasse, and there is a pronounced German influence to the beers. The company also produces an excellent Special Amber, which is styled after a Vienna lager. Special Lager is a more recent creation, imported into the United States since 1983. It has only been brought in on draft for about seven years now.
The name “Dos Equis” means “two x’s”, and the label features the trademark “XX” symbol. The symbol were meant to signify the coming twentieth century (XX is 20 in Roman numerals) when the original Dos Equis Amber was introduced in 1897.
Dos Equis Special Lager pours to a deep golden color with a moderate
head formation and a crisp malty nose. The palate is clean and very
drinkable with an agreeable biscuit like malt flavor. Unlike other Mexican
imports like Corona (or domestic lagers like Budweiser), there is no
discernible adjunct flavor here to detract from the crisp malt character.
The finish is well balanced, not really bitter but not sweet either.
I thoroughly enjoyed this crisp, refreshing lager. It is so deserving when considered against other beers in its class. It’s a natural companion to Mexican fare, and my glass went extremely well with a plate of grilled portabella fajitas, bursting with fresh grilled vegetables and accompanied by Mexican rice and refried beans.
It was a beautiful day indeed here in Atlanta, the sun shining and the temperature a warm 75 degrees. Sitting out on the patio (or beer garden, as I like to think of it), I ordered a tall cool glass of Dos Equis Special Lager to start things off. What better way to enjoy the Mexican atmosphere than with one of my favorite Mexican beers?
And Dos Equis Special Lager is definitely a personal favorite among Mexican beers. This is not styled after Vienna type lagers like Negra Modelo or Dos Equis Special Amber, mind you, instead it is more in the lines of Pilsner style beer. As such it is more fairly compared to Mexican brews like Corona, Sol, or Modelo Especial. In my opinion, it beats the lot of them, having much more flavor. This is especially true when compared to Corona.
Dos Equis Special Lager is readily available in bottles for about $7 a six-pack or so. Unfortunately, it is packaged in green glass, not a good choice for any beer. The low hopping rate will likely reduce incidences of skunking, but it can still occur if the bottles are exposed to sunlight or even fluorescent light. The glass of Special Lager I drank was draft, so this was not a concern.
Dos Equis Special Lager is brewed by Cerveceria Moctezuma, one of Mexico’s largest brewing concerns. The company was founded in 1884 by a German immigrant, Wilhelm Hasse, and there is a pronounced German influence to the beers. The company also produces an excellent Special Amber, which is styled after a Vienna lager. Special Lager is a more recent creation, imported into the United States since 1983. It has only been brought in on draft for about seven years now.
The name “Dos Equis” means “two x’s”, and the label features the trademark “XX” symbol. The symbol were meant to signify the coming twentieth century (XX is 20 in Roman numerals) when the original Dos Equis Amber was introduced in 1897.
Dos Equis Special Lager pours to a deep golden color with a moderate
head formation and a crisp malty nose. The palate is clean and very
drinkable with an agreeable biscuit like malt flavor. Unlike other Mexican
imports like Corona (or domestic lagers like Budweiser), there is no
discernible adjunct flavor here to detract from the crisp malt character.
The finish is well balanced, not really bitter but not sweet either. I thoroughly enjoyed this crisp, refreshing lager. It is so deserving when considered against other beers in its class. It’s a natural companion to Mexican fare, and my glass went extremely well with a plate of grilled portabella fajitas, bursting with fresh grilled vegetables and accompanied by Mexican rice and refried beans.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
