Chicagoists "Beer of the Week:" Grupo Modelo's Victoria

By Kevin Robinson in Food on Jul 9, 2010 6:00PM

If you've spent any serious time in Mexico, especially the South of the country, you've heard of (if not tasted) Groupo Modelo's Victoria. And if you've spent any serious time as a beer drinker in Chicago, you've asked in some of the Latino groceries that sell beer if they carry Victoria. Sold at prices far above retail for a lager of its caliber, Victoria was only available under the counter, generally in a caguama, before its official rollout in the market last month.

Poured from the bottle, the beer is a light bronze color with a head that fades quickly. Best served very cold, it tastes malty and spicy, with a sweet and slightly bready flavor. The mild hops taste gives it a good balance of bitterness and Victoria leaves a sweet aftertaste. It's tasty, easy to drink and goes down smooth. At four percent alcohol, it's an easy drinking beer. Overall, Victoria is a solid Mexican beer with some substance that's both drinkable and suitable for knocking back a few beers on a hot day with a little lime.

For a Mexican macrobrew, it's not a bad beer, and is pretty popular in it's native country. Whether it has any staying power outside of the Mexican community remains to be seen. Victoria retails for $8.49 a six-pack, or you can buy it at Mercadito, Nacional 27, Salud Tequila Lounge and Zapatista.