I'mRocketMan
03-17-2004, 12:34 PM
It seems that there is a new Craft Brewer in Mexico, Casta that has a good sounding lineup of beers!
link (http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-beer17mar17,1,510525.story?coll=la-home-food)
So what are your options? You can order Bohemia which, though still a lager, is aged longer than most Mexican beers and has some body to it, or a Negra Modelo, whose thick, brown, chocolaty taste beer critic Michael Jackson calls "the perfect accompaniment to chicken mole."
Or, if you really want to look like you know what you're doing, you can opt for a Casta, a little-known but greatly heralded beer from an up-and-coming craft brewer, Especialidades Cerveceras. The Monterey, Mexico, brewery is the only one in the country that makes ales, and what ales they make. Mauricio Fernandez and Manuel Zambrano, brothers-in-law, have been brewing beer for years (the Fernandez family established one of the first Mexican breweries in 1890), but it wasn't until 1998 that they decided what was missing in most Mexican beers was the hearty, flavorful robustness of the best European brews.
Hence Casta, which roughly translates as "pure" or "pedigreed" and is a discreet nod to the brewery's adherence to German brewing standards. The line includes four ales: Dorada, Bruna, Morena and Triguera. The most popular, Bruna, is a copper-colored beer similar to the English Bass Ale. Well-balanced and very smooth, it's probably the most versatile of the Casta line as far as food pairings, though it really lends itself to pastor dishes, chicken adobado and the salsa-heavy huachinango, or red snapper, Veracruz.
A match for mole
Several tasters in The Times Test Kitchen also thought Bruna was the best match of the Casta beers with many moles, though my personal pick was Morena, a complex beer made with six malts — including caramel and chocolate — that most resembles those oatmeal-thick Scottish ales that almost seem like liquid desserts. Its heartiness makes it a good match for chorizo or pork dishes as well as skirt steak marinated in garlic, cilantro, cumin and lime. You might also try it instead of port with a cheese plate.
Dorada, with its excellent hoppy nose, seems perfectly suited to typical Mexican antojitos such as tacos, enchiladas and grilled chicken marinated in lime juice. The lightest of the ales, Triguera, is what the Germans call a Weissbier, wheat beer. If you really don't like robust beers, try this. It's well-suited to a summer party or a day around the pool when you feel like breaking out of the Corona doldrums. It goes great with simple Mexican dishes — fish tacos, ceviche, shrimp or lobster, as well as grilled steaks or hamburgers.
Casta has been in the U.S. market only since 2001, so its availability is limited but growing. According to its U.S. distributor, David Smith, the two bestsellers, Bruna and Morena, are available in all Beverages & more! locations, though we had difficulty finding it in some outlets (Smith blames that on an inventory glitch). Dorada should start coming into stores in April. Trader Joe's might start carrying the brand, Smith says, and it's available at better wine and liquor shops, including Hi-Time in Costa Mesa, as well as a few restaurants — Avila's Grill in San Clemente and the Border Grill in Las Vegas.
Despite the difficulty in actually finding Casta, it's already developed a bit of a cult following among beer aficionados, particularly in Southern California, where devotees have been known to embark on road trips to Tijuana or jaunts to Los Cabos in search of what many think is by far the best beer brewed in Mexico. Its spotty distribution may be a bit behind the curve, but its superior matchup with food — particularly Mexican food — makes it el numero uno to Mexican beer lovers. Best of all, you don't need to throw a lime in to kick-start its taste.
Has anyone tried them?
Cheers! Rocket
link (http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-beer17mar17,1,510525.story?coll=la-home-food)
So what are your options? You can order Bohemia which, though still a lager, is aged longer than most Mexican beers and has some body to it, or a Negra Modelo, whose thick, brown, chocolaty taste beer critic Michael Jackson calls "the perfect accompaniment to chicken mole."
Or, if you really want to look like you know what you're doing, you can opt for a Casta, a little-known but greatly heralded beer from an up-and-coming craft brewer, Especialidades Cerveceras. The Monterey, Mexico, brewery is the only one in the country that makes ales, and what ales they make. Mauricio Fernandez and Manuel Zambrano, brothers-in-law, have been brewing beer for years (the Fernandez family established one of the first Mexican breweries in 1890), but it wasn't until 1998 that they decided what was missing in most Mexican beers was the hearty, flavorful robustness of the best European brews.
Hence Casta, which roughly translates as "pure" or "pedigreed" and is a discreet nod to the brewery's adherence to German brewing standards. The line includes four ales: Dorada, Bruna, Morena and Triguera. The most popular, Bruna, is a copper-colored beer similar to the English Bass Ale. Well-balanced and very smooth, it's probably the most versatile of the Casta line as far as food pairings, though it really lends itself to pastor dishes, chicken adobado and the salsa-heavy huachinango, or red snapper, Veracruz.
A match for mole
Several tasters in The Times Test Kitchen also thought Bruna was the best match of the Casta beers with many moles, though my personal pick was Morena, a complex beer made with six malts — including caramel and chocolate — that most resembles those oatmeal-thick Scottish ales that almost seem like liquid desserts. Its heartiness makes it a good match for chorizo or pork dishes as well as skirt steak marinated in garlic, cilantro, cumin and lime. You might also try it instead of port with a cheese plate.
Dorada, with its excellent hoppy nose, seems perfectly suited to typical Mexican antojitos such as tacos, enchiladas and grilled chicken marinated in lime juice. The lightest of the ales, Triguera, is what the Germans call a Weissbier, wheat beer. If you really don't like robust beers, try this. It's well-suited to a summer party or a day around the pool when you feel like breaking out of the Corona doldrums. It goes great with simple Mexican dishes — fish tacos, ceviche, shrimp or lobster, as well as grilled steaks or hamburgers.
Casta has been in the U.S. market only since 2001, so its availability is limited but growing. According to its U.S. distributor, David Smith, the two bestsellers, Bruna and Morena, are available in all Beverages & more! locations, though we had difficulty finding it in some outlets (Smith blames that on an inventory glitch). Dorada should start coming into stores in April. Trader Joe's might start carrying the brand, Smith says, and it's available at better wine and liquor shops, including Hi-Time in Costa Mesa, as well as a few restaurants — Avila's Grill in San Clemente and the Border Grill in Las Vegas.
Despite the difficulty in actually finding Casta, it's already developed a bit of a cult following among beer aficionados, particularly in Southern California, where devotees have been known to embark on road trips to Tijuana or jaunts to Los Cabos in search of what many think is by far the best beer brewed in Mexico. Its spotty distribution may be a bit behind the curve, but its superior matchup with food — particularly Mexican food — makes it el numero uno to Mexican beer lovers. Best of all, you don't need to throw a lime in to kick-start its taste.
Has anyone tried them?
Cheers! Rocket