The way we see it, there’s no wrong time to drink a refreshing, crisp lager. Spring, summer, fall, even winter(!), we enjoy a easy-drinking, refreshing pilsner or pale lager all year long. And while there are a ton of great American made lagers, we prefer to sip on a no-frills, thirst-quenching Mexican lager whenever possible.
No, we aren’t talking about Mexican-style lagers. Although we’ve put back our fair share of 21st Amendment El Sully and Ska Mexican Logger over the years. We’re talking about the likes of classics like Tecate, Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, and Dos Equis. Crushable, no-frills Mexican lagers.
Keep scrolling to see where your favorite Mexican lager landed on our list.
8.) Sol
ABV: 4.5%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
4.5% ABV and only 138 calories, this beer is named for the sun because you probably spend a lot of time drinking it during the summer months. Who is to say you can enjoy this crisp, lightly sweet, thirst-quenching lager the rest of the year as well, right?
Tasting Notes:
The nose is all citrus peels, sweet corn, cereal grains, and honey starts everything on a unique note. The palate is surprisingly sweet and has a ton of corn, cereal grains, orange peel, honey, and sweet malt flavor. It’s not overly exciting, but crisp and refreshing.
Bottom Line:
This is a well-made Mexican lager. It has a unique sweetness that sets it apart from some of its counterparts.
7.) Dos Equis Lager Especial
ABV: 4.2%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Meaning “Two X’s” in Spanish, Dos Equis is one of those brands that you’re likely to find at almost any beer store you walk into. Its Lager Especial is a 4.2% ABV pilsner-style lager known for its crisp, lightly hoppy flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Sweet corn, cereal grains, floral hops, and lightly fruity aromas are prevalent on this beer’s nose. Drinking it brings forth notes of corny sweetness, honey, floral hops, citrus peels, and light fruity flavors. The finish is sweet, fruity, crisp, and lingering.
Bottom Line:
This is the definition of a no-frills Mexican lager. It’s a simple, easy-to-drink lager and that’s all there is to it.
6.) Corona Extra
ABV: 4.6%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
There are no Mexican lagers (or any Mexican beer for that matter) more well-known than Corona Extra. Made with simple ingredients like water, barley malt, non-malted cereals, and hops, this well-balanced lager is known for its simple, crushable flavor.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is defined by the cereal grain, corn, yeasty bread, honey, and floral aromas Corona fans love. There’s more corn on the very sweet palate along with freshly baked bread, lemon peels, and more lightly floral hops. There’s not much to it, but it does the job.
Bottom Line:
Drink it on its own, as cold as possible, and it’s a crisp, lightly sweet, refreshing beer. Add a lime wedge and it’s something else entirely — transporting you to the tropics no matter the weather outside.
5.) Carta Blanca
ABV: 4.5%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Carta Blanca might not have the name recognition of some of the more well-known beer brands, but this Mexican pale lager is no less memorable. This 4.5% ABV surprisingly complex, highly refreshing lager has been brewed since 1890.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of cereal grains, wet grass, bready malts, caramel, honey, citrus peels, and floral hops greet you before your first sip. The palate is loaded with sweet corn, hay, wet grass, honey, light fruit, citrus, and floral hops. The finish is crisp and bittersweet.
Bottom Line:
If you’ve never tried Carta Blanca, the time is right to add this sweet, grainy, lightly floral crusher to your refrigerator rotation.
4.) Tecate Cerveza Original
ABV: 4.5%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Tecate was first launched in 1944 as a post-shift beverage for tired miners in Baja California, Mexico. It’s known for its malt backbone and crisp, refreshing, balanced flavor profile. If it’s good enough for hard-working miners, it’s good enough for us.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with aromas of sweet corn, cereal grains, biscuit-like malts, honey, citrus peels, and bright floral hops. There’s more of the same on the palate as this balanced brew has a ton of caramel, bready malts up front, followed by grassy, floral hops and citrus zest.
Bottom Line:
Another beer that’s not overly exciting in the flavor department. But it doesn’t need to be. It’s balanced, flavorful, and perfect any time of year.
3.) Estrella Jalisco
ABV: 4.5%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
You might know Jalisco as the state where the town of Tequila is located. But Estrella Jalisco is a crisp, thirst-quenching pilsner that has over 100 years of history in Mexico. It’s another lesser-known Mexican lager that deserves your attention.
Tasting Notes:
Sweet malts, corn, grass, hay, orange peels, and floral hops are noticeable on the nose. The palate continues this trend. There’s a ton of cereal grain, sweet corn, caramel malts, citrus, honey, fresh-cut grass, and floral, earthy hops. It’s lighter than some of the other beers on this list and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Bottom Line:
Light, sweet, and balanced, Estrella Jalisco is one of the most crushable, crisp lagers on this list.
2.) Pacifico Clara
ABV: 4.5%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Pacifico is a crushable, 4.5% ABV pilsner-style beer brewed with 2-row and 6-row barley as well as roasted malts and specially selected hops. The result is a sublimely crisp, surprisingly flavorful light, easy-drinking beer.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is all bready hops, cereal grains, light corn, lemon, and floral hops. Sipping it brings you flavors like sweet corn, cereal grains, freshly baked bread, citrus, and floral, herbal hops. The finish is a nice crisp mix of sweetness and gentle bitterness.
Bottom Line:
Pacifico is a great choice for fans of classic, European pilsner flavors. It has a nice mix of malt sweetness and hop bitterness.
1.) Modelo Especial
ABV: 4.4%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Brewed the same way since 1925, Modelo Especial is well-known for its refreshing, no-frills flavor profile featuring a perfect balance between malt sweetness, light citrus, and floral hops. It’s brewed with simple ingredients like water, barley malt, unmalted grain, and hops.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of sweet malts, cereal grains, orange peels, honey, and floral, herbal hops greet you before your first taste. Drinking it reveals notes of candied orange peels, hay, sweet corn, caramel malts, and a nice kick of herbal, earthy, floral, lightly bitter hops. All in all, a very well-rounded, crushable beer.
Bottom Line:
If you only try one beer on this list, make it Modelo Especial. It’s balanced, flavorful, and has a nice hops fragrance and flavor.
