Beer Review – Sol Mexican Beer – Cerveza Importada
Again, it has been a little while since my last beer review… this time I’ve been in a little town called Jamieson, which is about 3 hours drive north east of Melbourne. Jamieson is near Mount Buller – one of the well known ski mountains within striking distance of Melbourne – and it is a beautiful place set in the Australian bush. Lots of trees to sit under, fresh air to breathe, birds to watch and feed, rivers and streams to paddle and swim in, and more fresh air. It’s a wonderful place to hang out and do very little except relax (and partake of the occasional amber foaming frothy). Jamieson is also where my friend Rick and I recorded many of the nature sounds for our Relaxation Music …..
My father-in-law has a holiday house in Jamieson, which is a great place to stay. This holiday house has a ‘fridge. In that ‘fridge I put several “stock standard” cans of Melbourne Bitter and Victoria Bitter…. obviously some local beers….. which are, I guess, the staples of beers drinkers, at least in Melbourne / Victoria / Australia anyway. However – I digress……
Back to the beer review at hand – Sol – a Mexican Beer that appears to be exported around the world.
“Sol” is Spanish for “Sun” or “Sunny”, and this beer is certainly a light, sunny colour as are most Mexican beers. It looks like Mexican beer, it smells like Mexican beer, but I’m pleased to say it tastes much better than many other Mexican beers I’ve been lucky enough to sample.
Its clean, crisp, light taste was actually a nice surprise. I’m not a fan of some of the insipid beers that come from Mexico – the kind that need a wedge of lime squashed in the top, or some other kind of fruit additive. This Sol Mexican beer certainly didn’t need anything shoved down the neck of the bottle to improve its taste. It had a subtle taste – not strong, but certainly not weak – that actually left hints of “another one would be good…” at the back of my mouth. I suspect that if I had another bottle, I would have opened it too.
A quick search on the internet revealed that Sol Mexican Beer appears to have several “official” websites. The Australian Sol Beer websiteappears to be heavy on the “party with Sol” vibe, but surprisingly devoid of information about the beer itself. The UK Sol Beer website also is fancy with graphics, flash moving pictures, and other stuff, but again is not forthcoming with too much beer info…. however, the text below is copied from the Australian Sol website:
” Brewed in Mexico, Sol is an easy-to-drink beer with a smooth and refreshing flavour. It all started on a sunny Mexican morning in 1899…
On a clear sunny morning just outside Mexico City in 1899, in a little brewery called “El Salto de Agua” (“The Water Fall”), the sun’s rays creep over a brewing pot, inspiring the German brew master, to name his new beer “El Sol” – Spanish for “The Sun” At that moment, “El Sol” was launched as a beer for the working class – offering them a beer much more refreshing than the predominant heavy European-style beers of the time.
By 1924, “El Sol” – keeping its original design – is renamed simply “Sol” and begins its expansion into the national market, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico region. Despite a steady demand for its clear, smooth and refreshing character, Sol more-or-less remained a small regional brand until the early 90s…
In 1993, Sol underwent an aggressive national relaunch. The market conditions at the time assured Sol’s success, and by 1997, Sol was present in 90% of the Mexican market. On the back of its phenomenal rise on a national scale, Sol also began to achieve great success at an international level – most notably in Europe, where each year Sol expands and strengthens its market presence.
Today, Sol has gained the preference of consumers all around the world. Its refreshing image, its smooth and pleasant flavour and the world-wide meaning of its name has allowed Sol to conquer an important part of markets in the Americas, Asia, the Middle-East and also right here in Australia. Much has changed since that sunny morning in 1899, but one thing that hasn’t is the need for Sol beer’s unique ice-cold refreshment.”
Interesting, as is the Wikipedia page about the Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery – the makers of Sol Mexican Beer.
I enjoyed my bottle of Sol. I’ll happily give it a very good 8 out of 10 on the Forty Beers Cheers O Meter.
Ahhhh – the wonders of beer. I wonder what my next present opening and beer review will bring. I must admit that I am enjoying this Forty Beers gift !
Thanks,
Matthew – Beer Reviews , Beer Review ,
Tags: Beer Review, Lager, Mexican Beer
