Vienna Lager: The Mexican Lager?

Originally brewed in Vienna, Austria over 150 years ago, the Vienna lager is characterized by a dark brown/amber hue, a toasty, caramel flavor imparted by the Vienna malts, and its smooth mouthfeel due to the lagering process.  Initially attempting to replicate lager styles produced by their counterparts in northern Germany, Bavarian and Austrian brewers concluded that their water supply was not conducive to brewing the same recipes that they sought to replicate which used lighter grains.  To solve this problem, a Viennese brewer began using darker grains that were better suited to his town’s water profile.  Thus, the Vienna lager was a response to differences in water conditions that varied from region to region.

Ironically, however, despite its name and origin, there are hardly any breweries in Europe today that still brew Vienna lagers.  Instead, this style has a new home in Mexico where it has become a staple for more than a century, largely because of Austrian immigration into Mexico during the late 1800s when expats began employing the same brewing techniques used in Austria.  Recently, the Mexican-style Vienna lager has found its way into commercial success and onto store shelves in the U.S. with notable names that include Dos Equis’s Ambar Lager, Negra Modelo, Bohemia, and Indio.

Taking cues from this famed style, we have researched traditional ingredients and water profiles and have created our very own unique interpretation of the style. We used many ingredients from the old world such as Vienna Malts and Noble hop varieties found in Germany. We decided to give our Vienna Lager a twist by using biscuit and chocolate malts that add a smooth yet subtle complexity of fresh baked cookies with caramel undertones while remaining true to drinkability. We are confident that our version of this classic style will help spark up the new tradition of finer beer in our region. 

 Cheers!

Marc and Dan