This week I ask the attention of those of you who are fans of Corona Extra – the beer that gives you the beach, the sand and the crabs.
Anyone who enjoys Corona tends to do so with a lime stuffed into the bottle. The reason isn’t just aesthetic; any self-respecting beer drinker will tell you that Corona without the lime tastes like Chihuahua urine. Just trust me on this. It does.
Why? Corona is sold in those wonderful clear glass bottles, which allows all that sunlight to hit the beer and cause the hops to react adversely – which creates that skunkiness that people associate with a limeless Corona.
A lot of people don’t care about that. As long as the lime is tucked in the bottle, the taste is almost non-existant, making a completely inoffensive and safe beer that you can slam down all night. Plus, the neat logo makes you look cool doing so.
I don’t mean to completely single out Corona. You can insert the name of your favorite beer that you must turn into a fruit salad in order to stomach it.
This column is about having fun with beer, right? What’s fun about Corona Extra anyway? To me, Corona is the beer embodiment of a guy you see at every single party you go to, a guy everyone loves. He’s rich, has a nice car, and apparently is good-looking, though you have no idea why people think so. He also puts on way too much Old Spice deodorant. Without it, he smells terrible. Oh, and whenever you talk to him, he has absolutely nothing to say. Maybe a few instances of the words “epic,” or a failed Family Guy quote. He always wears some goofy hat.
The average shmuck might find him fun, but you want something with more substance.
With that, I’d like you to meet Dos Equis Ambar – Corona’s bigger, more sophisticated, ultimately cooler older brother. He’s a conversationalist, a real gentleman, oh, and makes John Stamos look like Bob Saget. Somebody once called him the Most Interesting Man in the World.
But unlike his younger brother, he’s not at many parties. It’s a shame, since he’s got his brother beat in style, taste, sophistication and fun.
First off – throw the lime away. It’ll obliterate any of the yumtacularity this beer has. Putting lime in the beer is like getting out your finest bone china and serving microwave hot dogs on it.
Like most of my favorite beers, Ambar sits on your tongue for a while and throws a few different sensations at you. The first thing you’ll notice upon the first sip is a slightly flowery, almost bitter taste – that’s hops. An equal character of the beer is malt – that burnt corn taste that is pretty much absent from your typical domestic beer. The combination of hops and malt is balanced by a sweetness that reminds me a great deal of brews from Ellensburg’s Iron Horse Brewery. If you like Light Rail Ale, try this.
Most surprisingly, this mesh of flavors never confuses or puts too much pressure on your tastebuds. It goes down smooth, and it is the ultimate cure to a hot day.
This is a Mexican beer, after all. You’ve got to be able to enjoy this with a big plate of carne asada or enchiladas. Ambar isn’t content to just help wash it down – it actually complements the heavy, spicy food very well, with the sweetness accenting the food. Ambar is an over-achiever like that, unlike it’s little brother.
I suggest pouring Ambar in a glass. It’s definitely got its younger beat in the looks department. It pours a beautiful caramel with slight red hues, and the head (or bubbliness) is a light tan color and sticks around for a long time. It looks as yummy as it tastes.
Hops, malt, a special character (in this case, a mild sweetness), and pairing ability with food – those are my big four signs of a good, well-balanced beer. Ambar doesn’t hold my tastebuds at gunpoint like last week’s brew did. Instead it gives them a nice massage and tells them everything in the world is just gonna be just peachy keen.
The next time you’re shopping for a good Mexican beer with character and substance that is still refreshing as all hell (okay, a bit more refreshing than hell), give Dos Equis Ambar a go. If you decide you don’t like it, and want to dispose of it properly, drop me a line. I’ll be glad to drink it for you.
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