Beer Saturday - Barrilito, Small Beer in a Tiny Barrel

After my last post for #BeerSaturday I thought I would move on to the more delicious and flavorful micro brews of Mexico, which are actually more numerous than you'd expect... Instead, it seems like I'm moving further down on the quality spectrum, to the Barrilito or Little Barrel, another one of Grupo Modelo's big faves.

Modest Size with even Smaller Impact

The name of the beer is quite obviously related to the vessel it is served in, a fat little barrel that fits nicely in your hand. This out of the ordinary bottle, however, is also where the cool uniqueness of the beer stops. Inside you'll find a beer that's a bit too far on the light side for my taste, supposedly a type of "American Pilsener." (Is that like a Bud?) In any case, it goes down rather quickly, which is not necessarily bad. The Germans would call this "süffig".

The size of a bottle, with its 325 mL does not even fill a pint glass, and its 3.4% alcohol is definitely among the weaker beers. Since the selection of completely alcohol-free beers (0.0%) in Mexico is marginal at best, this beer may suit itself perfectly if someone does not want to get (that) drunk. Perhaps they still need to drive, so they will only have a couple (or perhaps a few) of Barrilitos.

Tweaking the Application for a Redeeming Result

So now, that I've done such a fine job of downtalking this beer, let's explore what it may be good for. After all, we're in Mexico, the home of Micheladas. And if you think about it, a Barrilito offers itself ideally for such a beer-mixed drink. Since a bottle does not fill a pint glass, there will be ample room for all the other ingredients (chili, lime juice, Maggi, Worcestershire sauce, and whatever else people use to spice up a Michelada). Personally I am not a fan of this cultural specialty, and I prefer to only add a bit of lime juice to my beer. But since I brought it up, let me show you what a Michelada looks like:

image source

If you're wondering why anyone would submit themselves to such a combination of ingredients, the reason is ridiculously simple: A Michelada is the perfect cure for a hangover! The lime juice is always good, the salt, chili, and sauces give you back your lost electrolytes, and the bit of alcohol is a perfect counter-beer.

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