Summer Mexican-Style Lager

I was thinking about what to brew here during the middle of another hot and humid NC summer (forecast high of 100F with heat index of 110 today!). I usually brew a German or Czech style pils in the summer but thought that this year I would try something different. I have never brewed an adjunct lager before and have seen alot of renewed interest in light lagers out in the craft community, so I thought I would make a Mexican-style lager for the first time.

First of all, what even is a "Mexican-style lager?" Today there are two types: Negra and Clara. The Negra is basically a Vienna lager and the Clara is the ubiquitous light straw colored version. The use of corn or flaked maize is a key part of what makes it a "Mexican-style" vs its German or Austrian counterparts. I found this informative article on the history of the style by Silver Bluff Brewing out of GA: https://silverbluff.com/what-is-a-mexican-lager-a-guide-to-the-misunderstood-beer-style/. From the article:

...the origin of most common references to Mexican Lager is in the 19th century when Austrian and German immigrants settled in Texas and Mexico. The beer recipes they brought with them were closer to Vienna Lager than Clara and for years, Vienna and Vienna Lagers brewed with maize were the standard in popular commercial Mexican beer brewing.

In 1890, Cerveceria Cuauhtémoc opened and brewed a Czech Pilsner and was the first larger brewery making a beer at scale utilizing the wider-reaching rail system that allowed access to United States malt and brewing equipment. These beers, originally called Siglo XX were later renamed Dos Equis (Two X’s) Lager and Amber.

Ok, so how about the recipe? Very simple: 64% American 6-row, 27% flake maize, and 9% Vienna. For hops, I used Hallertauer Mittelfrueh in the boil to get to 13 IBUs, then added Wakatu (also known as Hallertau Aroma - more on that below) at flameout and then left them in until the wort cooled to pitching temp. This got me to around 19 IBU which seemed about right for this style. I fermented with Novalager yeast which I thought would work well since I wanted to achieve a dry and fully attenuated crisp thirst-quencher for the summer. Here is the recipe:

https://share.brewfather.app/fVf0e5epJHWEJm

I like the way this beer turned out! The aroma is fresh cut grass and corn. Mouthfeel is thin as expected. Very light, crisp, and thirst-quenching. As far as flavor, I am getting alot of grassy, corn cereal type flavors. What surprised me the most though was the hop characteristics. This beer tastes hoppier than the 19 IBU would suggest. I chose Wakatu hops since they are supposed to give the aroma and taste of lime zest - I am definitely getting that in this beer! From the Yakima Valley website https://yakimavalleyhops.com/products/wakatu-hop-pellets?srsltid=AfmBOorfN5ZiQJqjGthKzoU8fD4NuRx2C12ZiOU86MGrJRQa60zY4R9u

New Zealand Wakatu™ HOP PROFILE |

Wakatu™ Hops are dual purpose hop used for flavoring and bittering beer, which are grown in Nelson, New Zealand. They received their name from the incorrect spelling of Whakatu, the Maori name for Nelson. Being bred from the Hallertau hop, they are often semi-correctly referred to as Hallertau hops. Aroma: Floral/lime

What would I change next time? I'd probably try a different base malt as the 6-row in this one seemed to give the beer a bit more of those "grassy" notes than I would have preferred. I'd also probably dial back the maize a bit in favor of more Vienna. I really love the hop profile so wouldn't change that at all. Anyway, this is a really nice easy drinking beer for summer - Salud!