Monday, September 20, 2021
Great Mexican Beer Fiesta Offers Unique Tastes
Denver Beer Co. on Sept. 11 held its Great American Beer Fiesta once again, offering up three beers made in collaboration between the Denver brewery and three Mexican breweries. It was a tradition launched by Jason Buehler, the late Denver Beer brewmaster whose repeated trips to Mexico led not only to a deep connection to the budding beer makers in that country but to the launching of Cerveceria Colorado, the Mexican-style brewery housed in the former barrel room of Denver Beer Co's Platte Street taproom.
This year's three beers show a range of styles, each with a unique ingredient.
The best of the trio is Chipotle Amber Ale, made in collaboration with Cerveza Caserio in the Gulf Coast town of Tampico. Made with meco chipotle chiles, this was a fascinating experiment between two breweries that had never used chipotle in a beer before but kept adding it a little bit at a time until they reached the point where the burn was apparent but not overwhelming, Denver Beer director of innovation Andy Parker said.
What's impressive here is that the heat rises gradually — a little bit at first on the aroma, and then a little bit more on the tongue and a little bit more on the backbite, until you are entranced with the smoky zing and what it can do to a mild beer. Cerveza Caserio brewer Humberto Saldivar said he wanted to use something more balanced than the habaneros and poblano peppers that he's put into his beer before, and he clearly seems to have nailed it.
Also impressive is the Café de Olla Stout made in collaboration with Cerveceria San Pascual Baylon in the city of Cholula. Brewery co-founder Nico Capasso wanted to make something akin to the the traditional Mexican coffee made in earthen clay pots, and he and the Denver Beer team created a beer that tastes both exotic and familiar and leaves you swirling it around on your taste buds to see how many flavors you can pick up.
There is star anise, clove and orange peel in here, but what sets this apart is piloncillo, a caramelized sugar added to the kettle in just the right amount to give this a cushioning sweetness without making a dark and properly spiced beer into something that actually is sweet. It will remind you of some of the bigger-bodied stout experiments popular with Colorado breweries now, but there's nothing that tastes quite like this.
Finally, there is the Blood Orange Gose (pictured at top of blog), made in collaboration with Mexico City's Cerveza Cru Cru, a brewery known for its drinkable beers and the lauded beer competitions that it organizes. Head brewer Luis Enrique de la Reguera said he wanted to use a kind of fruit that can't be found in Mexico but add it to this classic style in a way that calls to mind a michelada, the traditional Mexican drink made with beer, lime juice, tomato juice and spices.
The kettle sour may be on the traditional side, but it's decidedly not sour, with any mild tartness overshadowed by a big dose of orange that renders it overly subtle. Still, if there was a Mexican/Denverite collaboration equivalent of a lawnmower beer, this may just be it, giving you refreshment without the lasting imprint that the other two beers will leave upon you.
The Great Mexican Beer Fiesta offerings are on tap until they run out at Cerveceria Colorado, but brewery co-owner Patrick Crawford said he expects they may last a month or longer.
Labels: Cerveceria Colorado, Cerveceria San Pascual Baylon, Cerveza Caserio, Cerveza Cru Cru, collaboration beers, Denver Beer Co, Great American Beer Festival, Mexican beer
