DALLAS — It’s always a good time to drink Mexican lagers and margarita-inspired craft beers, right? And summer temperatures are perfect for such crisp, refreshing and unique alternatives to the often bland, basic mass-produced Mexican lager.
Most of these brews carry a manageable alcohol by volume, so whether you plan to soon spend considerable time by the pool, in the lake, on the trail or hanging on the patio, these beers are perfect, crushable companions.
Cosmic Cantina Tex-Mex IPA
This beer from Celestial Beerworks is inspired by tacos, no less. Certainly, you didn’t think this list was going to be filled with derivative takes on plain ol’ lagers, did you? This hazy double IPA is brewed with corn tortillas, salt, lemon and lime zest and dry-hopped with Citra, El Dorado and Mosaic hops. It’s unlike any Mexican beer you’ve ever chugged during a TGI Friday’s happy hour with the gang from your office. The can artwork featuring a rendering of Frida Kahlo in space, surrounded by floating tacos, is worth the purchase by itself. Available on draft and in cans at the taproom and select retail locations.
Celestial Beerworks, 2530 Butler Street, Dallas. celestialbeerworks.com.
Muy Importante
Billed as “a perfect blend of a traditional light Mexican lager and a margarita” on Lakewood Brewing’s website, we can confirm that’s just not some hyperbolic ad copy. Brewed with orange, lime, agave and sea salt, it’s way too easy to keep an entire six-pack all to yourself thanks to the beautifully balanced flavors. Available on draft and in cans in the taproom and select retail locations.
Lakewood Brewing, 2302 Executive Drive, Garland, Texas. lakewoodbrewing.com.
Salty Lady Michelada
Those crazy kids of Martin House Brewing have made adventurous and tasty beers with everything from squid ink to pickles and much more. Using their multi-functional Salt Lady gose as a base, Martin House’s Salty Lady Michelada is an inventive sipper that smacks of spice and even some earthiness thanks to the clam juice it’s brewed with. OK, this isn’t a margarita beer or Mexican lager, but it’s certainly close enough, and it’s delicious enough to break the rules for. Available on draft and in cans at the taproom and select retail locations.
Martin House Brewing, 220 S Sylvania Ave., Suite 209, Fort Worth, Texas. martinhousebrewing.com.
Queso Blanco
There aren’t many better bands in North Texas than the swaggering Quaker City Night Hawks. There’s got to be a scientific study somewhere that states the high level of impossibility to avoid crushing cold beers at their concerts. One of their most popular songs, “Queso Blanco,” is the inspiration for Panther Island’s flawless Mexican lager featuring the same name as the song. Available on draft and in cans at the taproom and select retail locations.
Panther Island Brewing, 501 N. Main Street, Fort Worth. pantherislandbrewing.com.
Top Shelf
For those who are criminally unaware, when Peticolas releases a cocktail-inspired beer, you should hop in your vehicle and get on down to their Design District brewery and taproom. Brewed with organic blue agave and aged for three months with tequila-soaked oak, this ode to the margarita zings and pops with lime brightness. And at 10% ABV, this is one beer that packs a bigger punch than the cocktail its inspired by. Available on draft and in cans at the taproom only.
Peticolas Brewing, 1301 Pace Street, Dallas. peticolasbrewing.com.
Lobo Hombre Amber
Brewed with blue corn, flaked yellow corn and a trio of different malts, Rollertown’s Lobo Hombre Amber finishes clean, although it offers a heftier body than your average Mexican lager for a highly pleasant experience. When visiting the brewery’s Celina taproom, you can also sip one of Rollertown’s seltzer-based cocktails such as the Mangonada, Michelada, or Pomegranate Margarita. Available on draft and in cans in the taproom and in select retail locations.
Rollertown Beerworks, 412 N. Oklahoma Street, Suite 106, Celina, Texas. rollertownbeerworks.com.
Orale!
A couple of years ago, Lone Star Beer introduced its own taker on a Mexican lager, and now another iconic Lone Star-born beer name enters the chat. Orale Mexican-style cerveza from Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner Bock) is brewed with agave and two-row malt, offering just a touch of natural sweetness. It’s a little surprising we’re just now seeing this type of beer from Shiner, as the popular brewer has really branched out into new realms of flavors far beyond its flagship Shiner Bock even more in recent years. Available in bars and retail locations throughout Texas. shiner.com.
