Jackson Free Press

Negra Modelo has become my favorite Mexican beer. I was perfectly happy with Corona until I discovered this darker, much tastier beer. Although Negra Modelo is a dark beer, it does not have the bitterness that most dark beers are notorious for. This is a smooth, slightly sweet and flavorful brew that complements traditional Mexican dishes very well.

According to my trusty copy of "The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing" (Harper Collins, $14.95) by Charlie Papazian, Negra Modelo is one of the few Vienna-style lagers left on the market. Yes, Viennese beer comes from Mexico. Don't be confused. Austrian brewers fled to Mexico prior to World War II, bringing their tasty beer with them. As I said, unfortunately not many of those Viennese brews remain, but Negra Modelo is a great example. Papazian actually compares it to a German Oktoberfest, believe it or not.

The best Negra Modelo I have sampled was in Austin, Texas. The boyfriend and I had just arrived and were dying of thirst when we spotted a Mexican restaurant that specialized in seafood. (Speaking of, why are there no decent fish tacos in Jackson? It's not like we can't get good fish and seafood in these parts. But I digress.) The beer was brought to me in a huge frosty fishbowl of a glass with lots of lime. It was perfect.

Before I go on, you should know that I have a great deal of book smarts, and I know when to come in out of the rain, but common sense is really not my strong suit. I will go to great lengths to do something the hard way even when there is a much easier way. So when I tried my first Negra Modelo, I fastidiously began trying to peel the foil off the top of the bottle so I could open it. After a few minutes and a good bit of frustration, that boyfriend of mine reached over and popped the top off, foil and all. Yeah … I didn't know you could do that. I really do learn something new every day. Anyway, if you're having some spicy grub soon, grab a six-pack of Negra Modelo, ignore the foil, pop the top off and don't forget the lime.

Previous Comments

ID

84831

Comment

Looove the beer talk. Wish it were here more often (Hint!). Negra Modelo is a good beer. It's nothing fancy, but it's a very crisp, flavorful lager. It's certainly a refreshing choice when eating spicy food. It's also one of the few beers that I drink in which a piece of fruit (in this case, the lime) can work well with. Usually, fruit is just a head killer that adds nothing for me.... but it does here. And, FWIW, I learned to homebrew from Papazian's book. He's one hell of a goofball, but that book is golden.

Author

millhouse

Date

2007-01-03T22:39:39-06:00

ID

84832

Comment

millhouse, if you don't work for a beer company, why don't you come write about beer for us? Talk about a connoisseur. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-01-03T22:58:04-06:00

ID

84833

Comment

Well... I definitely don't work for a beer company! :p I'll shoot you an e-mail in the near future! There may be an obstacle here.... dunno.

Author

millhouse

Date

2007-01-03T23:25:18-06:00

ID

84834

Comment

"Relax, have a homebrew!" :) I was glad to have the opportunity to talk beer for a bit, myself! I'd be interested to hear more from Millhouse, too!

Author

andi

Date

2007-01-04T09:44:55-06:00

ID

84835

Comment

milk is for babies. If you want to get bigger, drink beer.

Author

Kingfish

Date

2007-01-05T00:15:10-06:00

ID

84836

Comment

and if you want a real beer, drink this: http://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/images/Spa-Optimator.jpg

Author

Kingfish

Date

2007-01-05T00:17:36-06:00

ID

84837

Comment

[quote]"Relax, have a homebrew!" :) [/quote] Yeah... that's the stuff. :) It was especially frustrating advice while I was making my FIRST batch... kinda hard to "relax" and "have a homebrew" on your first go-round. Kingfish - Optimator = good stuff. Current ABV restrictions make it unavailable in Mississippi, though. Hopefully that will change before long... Ms. Ladd - YGM. ;-)

Author

millhouse

Date

2007-01-06T14:43:22-06:00