New Braunfels Brewing Co. | Death for Breakfast

Once a phrase linked solely with Oatmeal Stouts, the term ‘breakfast beer’ is now applied to beers ranging from Milkshake and Smoothie Fruited Sours to Oat IPAs. Of course, what you may or may not consider to be a true ‘breakfast beer’ invariably depends on what you choose to have for breakfast, but the link between oat content and breakfastiness in a beer remains undisputed.

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Cinco de Mayo | A Collection of Mexican Lagers

Cinco de Mayo has come to mean less about its history and more about parties filled with fishbowl margaritas, music and taco platters, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing. The Mexican-American relationship has undoubtedly been a strained one over the centuries. Indeed, such events as endless immigration issues, the Bracero Program and the U.S.-Mexican War (and subsequent Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo where Mexico ceded 55 percent of its territory to the U.S. — present-day Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah) mark the struggles between two countries. So, sure, there are plenty of real-life, geopolitical issues that can be discussed. And, yes, some confuse Cinco de Mayo with Mexican Independence day, instead of its true meaning: the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (also known as Battle of Puebla Day). But, why not let it be a celebration of Mexican food and culture, even if it’s a bit cheesy (pun intended)? Maybe it’s good to forget the meaning and just have fun. At PorchDrinking.com, that means enjoying Mexican Lagers, demonstrated by the nine writers who recently showcased the style — enjoy!

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Ghost Town Brewing | Toonces Pale Ale

Label art can tell you a lot about a brewery. It’s a bonus in such a saturated market to not only have label recognition for your devotees but also grab the attention of the bottle shop browser. In Northern California you can spot the iconic Anchor Steam from across a liquor store, you know the pastel puns of Humble Sea will always be pleasing, and in the East Bay, the metal-inspired labels of Ghost Town Brewing are always eye-catching.

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Wallenpaupack Brewing Co. | Lake Haze #15: Morning Haze

Nestled in Hawley, PA, Wallenpaupack Brewing Co. consistently churns out award-winning and fan-favorite beers that celebrate a variety of different styles. Whether you’re looking for a Pilsner, Stout, IPA or even an English Pale Mild Ale, Wallenpaupack offers a variety of beer styles with an underlying consistency in quality. One of the beer series that consistently showcases Wallenpaupack’s creativity and brewing expertise is their award-winning Lake Haze IPA series which explores and celebrates a variety of different Double IPAs from West Coast to Imperial and even coffee. The latest edition, Lake Haze #15: Morning Haze DIPA is a creative and ambitious take on how coffee can add and augment the unique flavors in a Hazy IPA.

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Pint Glass History | Athentic Brewing Co. Horton House Pilsner

The American craft beer industry is still a relatively young movement — it started in the 1970s. The youth of our industry really shows when compared to the longevity of beer globally. Sure, the craft beer industry turns 70 this year, but prohibition is still in recent memory. Early pioneers of our craft moved mountains and steam-forged a path that led to Boston having its very own Lager and spectacular views from the coast of Maine. Read More

Policy Kings Brewery | Love Black IPA, Hate Hazy IPA

Policy Kings Brewery made history when it opened in late 2018, becoming Utah’s first Black-owned brewery. In 2021, the Cedar City-based nanobrewery released a pair of canned beers to “pay homage to Black culture,” said owners Deandre (Dre) and Sara Ridgel. The resulting Love/Hate Series features Love Black IPA and Hate Hazy IPA. Initially, two of each were sold together in 16-ounce four packs only at the brewery.

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Hi Sign Brewing | El Berto the Mexican Lager

Craft beer is about people. For most, it’s about the people you enjoy the beer with. For breweries, it’s about people that enjoy your beer. For Hi Sign Brewing’s El Berto, it’s about the person that inspired a beer.
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Ska Brewing | Mexican Logger

What started as a way to quench their thirst ended up blowing up for Ska Brewing and became one of the most widely recognized “OG” craft Mexican-style Lagers in Colorado and the United States. Light, crisp, and refreshing to enjoy, Mexican Logger is perfect to have in hand to welcome the warmer weather in Colorado after the winter months.

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Austin Beerworks | La Verdad Mexican Lager

Austin Beerworks La Verdad is undoubtedly a champion of Texan Mexican Lagers. Its annual release heralds both Cinco de Mayo and the arrival of our sweaty summer season when lying by the pool or floating lazily down the Guadalupe is as much exertion as the weather allows any time after midday here in Central Texas. Now in its fifth year, the La Verdad was last year’s lockdown savior and kept us from parching even when we weren’t allowed in the water.

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Estuary Beans & Barley | Noche de Mar Mexican Lager

We’re still smashing the avocados for guacamole and cracking open Mexican Lagers this week here at PorchDrinking. Cinco de Mayo approaches; for most people, this holiday is simply a reason to drink tequila or cervezas all day. To hell with knowing the origins of, well, anything, right? However, we’re here to help you stock the cooler rather than to hand out pop quizzes. So, check out our series for Mexican Lagers you need to pick up for the upcoming holiday.

The newest Mexican Lager in our series for your day of lounging poolside or grilling is Noche de Mar from Estuary Beans & Barley in St. Johns, South Carolina, near Charleston.

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Gravely Brewing Co. | La Bamba Mexican Lager

It’s officially porch drinking, grass mowing, sitting by the pool and boating season. And some of the best beers to pair with those occasions are Mexican Lagers.

One Mexican Lager in particular that you’ll see a lot of Kentuckians pairing with those occasions is Gravely Brewing La Bamba Mexican Lager. La Bamba has been a fan-favorite at Gravely since opening in August 2018.

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Broadway Brewery | Flor Blanca Mexican Lager

From Boulevard to Budweiser, Kansas City and St. Louis boast some of the largest breweries in the country. However, Missouri’s Craft Beer scene extends far outside of the most populous cities. There are many breweries in Springfield, the Ozarks and Columbia, Missouri, for example, that are producing quality brews with fiercely loyal local followers. These breweries see distribution across the state, and have begun gaining more traction as the craft beer market continues to grow. One such brewery is Columbia’s Broadway Brewery.

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New Belgium’s Torched Earth Ale for Earth Day Is, Literally, Hot Garbage

I’m not sure it’s appropriate to say “Happy Earth Day” anymore. In the face of our rapidly warming planet, the destruction of our natural resources, and the extinction of countless species, it seems more fitting to simply say, “Remember How Much We Blew It?” and reflect fondly on how the Indian cheetah used to exist. In fact, because of this grim state of the world, Earth Day is best celebrated in two ways – taking action, and drinking a beer.

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Cruz Blanca Brewery | Mexico Calling

Mexico Calling from Cruz Blanca Brewery is the beer that Mexican lagers should aspire to be. In recent years, there has been an influx of breweries trying their hand at making a craft version of one the most macro styles of beer on the market. What you’re left with are good beers that end up tasting nothing like a Corona, Dos Equis, Modelo or whatever the brewer drew inspiration from. The beers tend to end up with some punny name consisting of Spanish words that a brewer learned during his high school spring break in Cancun.

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Silver Bluff Brewing Co. | Mexican Lager

Silver Bluff Brewing Co., located on the beautiful Golden Isles (Brunswick and the barrier islands of St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island) on the Georgia coast, brought home some Silver recently at the 2020 U.S. Open Beer Championship. Silver Bluff Brewing was awarded the silver medal for their Mexican Lager in the International Style Pilsner category. Let’s dive in to learn more about this award-winning brew.

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Casa Humilde | Maizal

When you hear Mexican Lager you might typically think Corona or Modelo, but the style is popular in the craft beer community as well. These Lagers are usually a bit sweeter and made with flaked corn, which usually makes the style drier and crisper.

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Xul Beer Co. | Pastry Kids on the Block Vol. 2

Have you ever been sipping on a beer, eating a certain food, or getting a whiff of a certain smell and it invokes a memory, or takes you back to a time in your past? This is called sensory memory, and we as humans absorb these by our sense organs all throughout our lives. Certain foods, drinks, sights, sounds or smells can awaken one of these short memories and take you back in time to a place you’ve been before. Pastry Kids On The Block Vol. 2 from Xul Beer Co. does just that with their delectable Fruited Sour.

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Ellipsis Brewing | …Sunset (New England IPA)

Ellipsis Brewing out of Orlando, FL, is quickly ascending the craft beer ladder in their just over four years of being in business. Some of their top beers have been “Y Can’t IBU”, a zero-IBU Pale Ale, and Happy Pils, a joyously bright Pilsner.

Just entering their tasting room, by the way, is an experience all its own. A bold and unforgettable almost neon blue color on the wall suggests a combination of hype and chill vibes amongst this taproom.

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Back Channel Brewing Co. | Titles (New England IPA)

The folks of the North start to rejoice this time of year because it means warmer days ahead and the start of the baseball season. It also means we’ve made it out of the brutal winter and into beers of the warmer seasons. The thick and dark beers are still around. But, we are starting to see a seasonal change to juicer beers that one can enjoy on patios or sitting in the stadium of your favorite baseball team — Back Channel Brewing Titles is the ideal beer for that. Read More

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion No. 18 | A New Zealand Hops Blend

A beer exuding New Zealand terroir, the latest release of Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion No. 18 consists of four hops from the island country: Nectaron, Nelson, Motueka and Riwaka.

“It’s a celebration of our new grower and merchant relationships that we’ve forged over the past couple of years in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s the first time we’ve had enough supply to go all-in on a blend of 100% New Zealand-grown hops.”

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