The flagship pale Mexican lager — pale-to-deep-gold, clean, and lightly malty, with a touch more body and noble-type hop character than its light-lager sibling. Typically 4.5–5.0% ABV. Brewed with pilsner malt and frequently corn and/or rice to lighten the body, it is the template most drinkers picture when they think of “Mexican beer,” and the most exported (Corona Extra, Modelo Especial, Pacifico).
In the glass
Origin
Mexican lager brewing descends from the Central European tradition carried to the country by German and Austrian immigrants in the second half of the 19th century. While the darker Vienna-descended lagers (Negra Modelo, Dos Equis Ambar) preserved an older, maltier Austrian style, the pale lagers followed the worldwide drift toward light golden beer over the 20th century. Grupo Modelo, founded in 1925, built Corona into one of the most valuable and most-exported beer brands in the world; its pale lager profile — bright, light-bodied, and crisp — became the defining commercial Mexican style. The category is split between Grupo Modelo (Corona, Modelo, Pacifico) and Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, now Heineken Mexico (Tecate, Sol).
Notes
This is the standard-strength pale Mexican lager: a half-step up from Mexican-Style Light Lager in body, malt, and hop presence, and a different beer entirely from the darker, Vienna-lineage Mexican amber and dark lagers. Corona is built to take a lime, but Pacifico and Modelo Especial carry slightly more structure and reward drinking on their own. Pacifico in particular leans a touch grainier and more bitter on the finish than the ultra-light Corona.
Defining examples
Pacifico Clara·Corona Extra·Modelo Especial·Sol·Victoria (pale expression)