Country #2: Mexico

Viva la Mexico!
For this proud North American nation, I have chosen to drink not the well-known Corona (which I think is not a very great beer), but Dos Equis. I've never been to Mexico, but apparently, Corona is like Australia's Fosters: a cheap, nasty and thoroughly unpopular export beer and no Mexican can understand that anyone drinks it.
Anyway Dos Equis ("two crosses" in Spanish) produces a couple of beers but their flagship drink is a pale lager, and I quaffed one while devouring two beef tacos from the awesome Mexican joint Guzman y Gomes (which has several branches in Sydney). Like Corona, it's not a very full flavoured beer, but it's not bad, and goes down very easily with spicy and tasty Mexican food.


Name: Dos Equis Lager
Country of production: Mexico
Style: Traditional Lager
Taste: Light and mild flavour, recommended for spicy strong-flavoured food
Cost: $8 from Guzman y Gomez
Availability in AU: Low
Cred: Low (but admittedly higher than Corona)
My score: 6 out of 10 beer banditos

Country #1: Germany

OK I figure I might as well begin with one of the great world powers of beer, Germany. The Germans have been making excellent beer for hundreds of years and their beverages really need no introduction. Here I am at the nice German / Austrian restaurant Essen in Broadway, drinking a very refreshing Krystalweizen style beer by one of the top German beer producers, Schoefferhofer. I've gone off wheat beers (aka weiss or weizen beers in German) quite a bit over the last few years, but this is one style that I still like: a Krystalweizen. This is a wheat beer that has had the residual yeast filtered away, giving it a very clear complexion and a crisp, refreshing taste. It was served with a small slice of lemon and was absolutely delicious.

Name: Schoefferhofer Krystalweizen
Country of production: Germany
Style: Filtered wheat beer
Taste: Quite light and fresh, slightly herbacious, low to medium hops. Very quaffable.
Cost: I paid AU$10 for a 500ml at Essen restaurant
Availability in AU: Medium to high
Cred: none really
My score: 8 out of 10 beer goggles

Coming soon will be a beer from Mexico (and no it's not Corona). I should probably knock Australia off the list too. I'm currently tossing up between a Mountain Goat Organic Steam Ale (a current fave of mine) and one of the beers from the excellent Sydney brewer pub, the Lord Nelson. Redoak could be a good option too. Any suggestions / requests / furious criticisms?