El Rio from Manayunk Brewing Co.

El Rio is a Mexican-style lager with 4.0% ABV from Manayunk Brewing Co. out of Philadelphia. Traditionally what differentiates a Mexican lager from a traditional American-style lager is the darker color and presence of a more malt-forward flavor. Despite their paler coloring there isn’t a direct connection between the American style and ABV, both Mexican and American lagers run the ABV gamete, albeit all are on the lower side.

El Rio pours to a light chestnut brown color with some noticeable carbonation bubbling to the service when fresh out of the can. The aroma is bright with noble hops and rich, slightly copper smell from the mixture of Pilsner, Vienna, Munich and CaraMunich malts.

The flavor is malt forward with notes of biscuit and toasted malt featuring alongside an essence of caramel and toffee that are present, but never become overly sweet. A hop backbone definitely levels out El Rio from becoming too bready, but still, this beer is anything but hoppy, especially at 19 IBUs. The finish is crisp and clean, with a touch of sweetness despite the brew’s thinner body.

Whether it’s one of those unseasonably warm days in the late winter or a blazingly hot summer day this lager is excellent for quenching your thirst. Those familiar with more common lagers like Yuengling will appreciate the slightly more pronounced malt flavor without differing too much from the mellow flavor a lager should offer.

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