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Thursday, December 11, 2008
Down south industro-lager
Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio

I'm risking my entire crediblity here, but what the hell.  Modelo Especial is brewed by Grupo Modelo, Mexico's largest and top-selling brewery. The giant turns out the deplorable, lime-requiring lagers better known as Corona and Pacifico, as well as the respectable Negra Modelo, among other brands.  

Modelo Especial is a fizzy pale lager that would be indistinguishable from Budweiser once poured into a glass.  I tasted a 12-ounce can, freshly pulled from its six-pack ring. A very vigorous pour produced some white head, which had the characteristic industrial lager big-ass bubbles — the product of additions of carbonic acid to the beer. 

The nose is so light as to be almost imperceptible. A little fresh-cut grass aroma is detected. The flavor, what there is of it, is meant for the beach-volleyball playing, keg-standing cup-flippers who have just outgrown Miller Lite. The beer is crisp and refreshing, meant to be served absolutely ice-cold. It isn't unpleasant or bad, just boring. 

As a beer to drink in a bar with a selection that tops out at High Life, Modelo at least is clean and inoffensive. The can design is righteous cool looking and maybe some freshly minted 21-year old will think you look sophisticated swigging from an import .

Other than that, Modelo Especial is just like its north of the border brothers: fizzy yellow piss in a can.

Modelo Especial can be purchased at the Mexican deli on the corner of Ninth and Washington for $11 a six-pack.

Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 9:40 PM  Permalink | File Under: Booze | | Brew Revue | Post a comment
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Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews herethose are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to drew.lazor@citypaper.net.

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