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Are there any good Latin American beers?

There's a Latino Market near me that has some Latino beers I haven't tried before. I'm just wondering if there is anything good that gets imported to the US? Are there good beers that don't make it here?

Probably the best beer I've had is Xingu Brazilian Black Beer. I'm sure if this is a good example of a black beer as it is the only black beer I've had.

Someone on the web wrote that Mexican lagers are actually very close to Southern German lagers and when Germans came to Latin America they influenced the brewing style. Supposedly Negra Modelo is like a Vienna lager, a style that fell out of favor in Europe because ... well, you've tasted Negra Modelo, eh?

Is that the reason most Latin beers taste the same?

Kind of an interesting article about Latin products, including beer, being introduced in the to US market ... but I'm talking good beer not Safeway's Arriba brand, so named "because they figured Americans remember the cartoon mouse Speedy Gonzalez, who used to say, "Arriba! Arriba!"


Kind of an interesting side note I found was that lime with beer was originally used to kill any germs on the rim of the bottle because supposedly citric acid will kill some types of germs. Is that true or someone with a fanciful imagination?

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  1. i am not a fan of lagers, so i don't really care for any of the latin american beers i've tried. i remember having bohemia in mexico many years ago and thinking it was really good. could have just been because i was in my twenties in ensenada on a holiday weekend though. ;)

    1. Bohemia and Pacifico are my favorite two. Dos Equis Amber is decent if it is all you can find.

      1 Reply
      1. re: CDouglas

        I agree on Dos Equis. Presidente is a Dominican brand which is huge in parts of New England with large Dominican populations. Haven't tried it though.

      2. There shouldn't be any bacteria on the bottle rim if it had a cap on it. The lime is used as a flavor enhancer--most of these lagers don't taste great alone, and limes are used on all kinds of food in Mexico.
        The beers skunk easily in those clear bottles--that's why you can only choke down a Corona with lime. Obviously if they are really fresh (bought in Mexico) maybe they would taste better. I was just in Mexico and my favorite Mexican lager was Victoria--comes in a brown bottle for what that's worth.

        2 Replies
        1. re: kenito799

          By the way- little secret with corona and limes- take a miller high life next time you are at a bar, get a lime and throw it in it just like you would a Corona. bet you can't taste the difference. Also bet your wallet is .50-1.50 heavier afterwards.

          1. re: kenito799

            I traveled through Mexico for 2 months. Had over 25 different beers. Agree, Victoria is the best.

          2. Corona is like the "Old Milwaukee" of Mexico... it was a joke that it was introduced to the american market as some kind of "high end" beer...

            The best Mexican beer, which you'll almost never find in the US is called "Superior"...

            1 Reply
            1. re: Chicago Mike

              I didn't think Superior was much better than Corona--they and many other brews (including Sol, which does taste a bit better to me) are all produced by the same company, I don't know how the recipes differ. Victoria was markedly better, with more of a light amber color (and in an amber bottle).

            2. The only beer froma tropical country that i have enjoyed is not Latin but rather Jamaican. Dragon Stout.