Past few years I have had a lot of problems with stale cases of Pacifico. Both with stale / skunky cases of "Ballenas" - the big bottles - as well as
regular sized bottles. This past week, multiple issues again. Bought a case of Ballenas, drove them home, loaded them into the fridge, popped one - -
nasty, metallic, skunky flavor. Second bottle, same thing.
Being a dumb donkey, later in the week I bought a case of skinny bottled Pacificos - repeated steps above - and again, skunky beer. Corroborated the
skunky taste with my wife, then with a cab driver near by, then took the whole case (with two open beers) back up the hill to the same liquor store.
Ultimately they gave me another case (minus the open beers), and it was a bit better, but they were telling me the first case of beer was much newer
than the second one I left with - the second, better case being that 9% more promotional stuff from a couple of months ago.
Have been getting minor cases of the turistas without eating local foods, I'm thinking the skunky beer is making me sick...
Guessing that the issue could trace to the small liquor stores I'm hitting up in Chapultepec, a smaller town outside of Ensenada. With the drop in
tourista visits, perhaps they are selling less beer and it is going stale.
Another theory is that the bottles aren't getting cleaned out well enough - the second (older case) of beer was better, and those bottles appeared to
be brand new.
Both liquor stores I bought from this week swear they don't let the beer heat up - is going straight into their cooler at delivery.
The cases of imported Pacifico I buy at Costco never have this issue... anybody with similar experiences? Thinking I may need to switch to canned
beer...Diver - 9-7-2008 at 07:39 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNaranja
I may need to switch to canned beer...
Heaven forbid !!
And how is it delivered?
Dave - 9-7-2008 at 07:45 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNaranja
Both liquor stores I bought from this week swear they don't let the beer heat up - is going straight into their cooler at delivery.
CaboRon - 9-7-2008 at 07:53 PM
WoW !!
I thought that's what Pacifico tasted like
CaboRon
I've noticed some Pacificos
Bajajack - 9-7-2008 at 07:54 PM
being bad in the last two month's. But then again I bought a case of Modelo Especial and when I got it home and opened a bottle I frigging gagged it
stunk so bad.
Had to every one of them away.shari - 9-7-2008 at 08:21 PM
while we're on the subject...there is a "promo tecate" too on the market right now that is just plain not as good tasting as the regular red one...the
promo can has a silver stripe around the top of it and it says promo...yucky.BAJACAT - 9-7-2008 at 08:26 PM
You better not let Dennis here you badmouth PACIFICOS, he will have your hide BajanaranjaBajaNaranja - 9-7-2008 at 08:52 PM
Yeah, feel like a traitor speaking ill of my typically favorite Mexican beer, but after pouring so much of it down the sink lately...
In a related vein, all of the stinky Pacificos led me to buy a six pack of tall Tecates - the guy at the liquor store slipped in three limes and a
stapled little plastic bag with red crushed clili & salt - Tho it was bright red, the flavor was really mild - not very spicy at all - but really
tasty.
Does anybody know the name of the chili powder that folks slip into beer like this?DENNIS - 9-7-2008 at 09:28 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by BAJACAT
You better not let Dennis here you badmouth PACIFICOS, he will have your hide Bajanaranja
No need to hide as Jose mentions, Lowerorange. Your problem is well illustrated and explained in the "Manual Of Pacifico Appreciation" written by
Lic. Guadalupe Vicente Gus Lorenzo Jaime de Morlulu Sanchez Cabronito y Manosucio. No doubt you have heard of him.
Your problem, according to chapter three clearly addresses your malady and, without having to quote verse, sentence and word, you are severly
constipated. That condition causes what we Pacifico lovers and cervescientists call, well, I really can't say it here but, I'm sure you know what
we mean.
As a remedy, I suggest four or five doses of a product called COLON BLOW. Google that if you're confused and when you straighten out your problem,
jump right into a box of fresh Pacifico and, as they say, Disfrute. [I think that's the Mexican word for Charmin.]Diver - 9-7-2008 at 09:31 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
[I think that's the Mexican word for Charmin.]
DENNIS - 9-7-2008 at 09:40 PM
G'nite.Diver - 9-7-2008 at 09:42 PM
Hey Dennis, maybe Bill knows something we don't ........ nah.
Bill Gates Invests $450 Million in Mexican Beer
Posted by Mark Wilson at 1:16 AM on December 22, 2007
When you're Bill Gates, you've gotta party just as hard as you work. And you've got to invest just was hard as your party. Maybe that's why Bill Gates
just invested $US392 million in Mexico's second largest brewer, Femsa. You know them as the company that makes Tecate, Sol, Superior and Kaiser.
The company does more than bottle beer, though they are the country's oldest brewer that's been running since 1890. It's also the world's second
largest bottler of Coke all while it operates Oxxo, Latin America's largest convenience store chain with over 4,300 locations.
Of course, while Femsa had no comment about the transaction, their shares jumped 7.5 percent after Bill Gates purchased about 3% of the company. I
myself am wondering how the hell my portfolio is short on Tecate stock. [reuters via I4U]
[Edited on 9-8-2008 by Diver]DENNIS - 9-7-2008 at 09:54 PM
Yeah...I heard about his investment, Diver. All of this big business stuff is so large and convoluted any more, I can't even work up an opinion.
Way beyond my simple comprehension.
Hasta Mańanaaha baja - 9-7-2008 at 10:44 PM
Skunky Pacificos?, drink Bohemias!!!Skip_Mac - 9-7-2008 at 11:23 PM
While doing research on brewing a decade ago I ran across industry manuals describing this kind of problem. It was attributed to chemical reactions
in beer stored in clear bottles, exposed to direct sunlight. The process cure is to add a trace of zinc to the brew, or use colored bottles. Sadly
the references gave no clue how to detect the problem in the store...without opening the bottles...or how to drink the stuff after. Sorry you got
stuck with bad beer. Perhaps what we need are suggestions for using skunky beer...other than for attracting skunks.aha baja - 9-7-2008 at 11:44 PM
Beer batter for fish,veggiesHook - 9-8-2008 at 05:52 AM
I've noticed that Pacificos have a higher percentage of getting skunk bottles for some time; a few years, really. I avoid the brand for this reason.
And I agree that it is probably related to being old or exposed to heat. But that was pretty much my experiences in Baja.............and you are a
pretty far shipment by ferry or truck from the breweries over here on the mainland. I havent bought a case of Pacificos over here yet, as I am still
too gun shy of the brand. But I will.
You guys are getting your beer at an agencia, arent you, and not just a sub-agencia or a simple deposito on the corner? I always take my empties to
the agencia near the offices of the beer company in town, no matter the type I am drinking. I figure it's closer to the source. And it's always
cheaper.
I drink beer in enough quantity (and am a cheapazz enough) that I dont buy it in the supermarkets and I DONT drink canned beer unless there is no
other option.
On a related topic, the beer offerings from the distribudor/agencias over here in Guaymas have changed in the last year. Biggest bummer; I can now no
longer get Tecate or Dos XX in the medio size............ANYWHERE. The agencia guy tells me that those are only for distribution to restaurants and
hotels. Yet I know I got a case of Dos XX medios in Mazatlan about a year ago; still have the bottles. BUMMER. I was really looking forward to buying
Dos XX Especial Lager and Ambar down here. So much so, that I had brought four cases of empties of various brands (Modelo, Corona, Dos XX, Tecate)
down with me when I moved here. The Tecate agencia was willing to let me trade the Tecate medios straight across for the deposit on the
Caguamas.............but I rarely want to drink a whole Caguamas worth at one sitting. Plus, it creates storage problems in the fridge when your
fridge space is limited. I'm seeing how one of those spring-loaded rubber stoppers works for keeping it fresh. Will know shortly. Anyway, a case of
Tecate Caguamas with the deposito credit is 186 pesos over here at the agencia near the Tecate offices. This is a much cheaper way to buy it than the
medios, but that damn quantity.................
Modelo is still selling all their beers in the 325ml size. I am using my empties to trade for the occasional Negras I drink with meals. Modelo
Especial tastes too much like Corona for my tastes. BTW, Modelo products seem to be much more more expensive over here than Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma
Brewery products.
That's all for now from your intrepid beer reporter over here on the mainland.
Stay thirsty, my friends.....................
[Edited on 9-8-2008 by Hook]
[Edited on 9-8-2008 by Hook]
[Edited on 9-8-2008 by Hook]Eugenio - 9-8-2008 at 09:28 AM
Pacifico has always had that reputation - it's related to the clear glass it's bottled in - as well as heat - and length of time in storage.
Pacifico draft is a lot better (but rarer).DENNIS - 9-8-2008 at 09:34 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Eugenio
Pacifico has always had that reputation - it's related to the clear glass it's bottled in - as well as heat - and length of time in storage.
Pacifico draft is a lot better (but rarer).
Are you thinking of Corona in the clear glass bottle? Years back, Miller High Life had the same bad reputation, skunky beer, attributed to the
clear glass bottle.Eugenio - 9-8-2008 at 09:43 AM
Yeah - I am - sorry about that - I'll leave the post up there just to warn folks off of Corona - thanks Dennis.DENNIS - 9-8-2008 at 09:49 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Eugenio
Yeah - I am - sorry about that - I'll leave the post up there just to warn folks off of Corona - thanks Dennis.
Your warning is considered a humanitarian act. That stuff is terrible.
By the way...A couple of weeks back I bought a six of Sol with Sal y Limon. [I think it was Sol] This stuff tasted remarkably like citrus flavored
Alka Seltzer. Well, one has to try new products.Mango - 9-8-2008 at 09:59 AM
Yep, I've never seen Pacifico in clear glass. Corona and Sol are both bottled in clear bottles (although, I've seen Sol in brown glass as well)
I tend to get my beer down here at the supermarket... as there is one just a few blocks away. I haven't had any issues with skunky Pacifico from the
non-returnable bottles. That is not to say it could not happen though. I have had a few bad ones here and there, even in the states.
There might be an issue with the cleanliness of the returned bottles. During on of my first trips to Mexico, I noticed everyone in the Cantina using
their bar napkin to wipe the top of each new bottle served to them. I tried this myself and was rewarded with a nice rust stain on my napkin. I've
found this is almost solely an issue with the reused bottles, particularly those stored on ice.
Other than that.. like others have said.. the beer may have gotten warm in transit. Try another store and/or other beer to "scientifically" work at
solving the problem. Keep repeating the experiment, while maintaining locally bought Pacificos for your "control", for best results.
Pacifico will always be one of my most favorite beers of Mexico. I found a place next to my cheap hotel in Mazatlan once that had them for 3 pesos a
beer. For that price, I had a few. The waitress kept disappearing down a little tunnel to a cellar for more after each round... After a several
beers I began to wonder if that tunnel went straight to the brewery. DENNIS - 9-8-2008 at 10:28 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Mango
Pacifico will always be one of my most favorite beers of Mexico. I found a place next to my cheap hotel in Mazatlan once that had them for 3 pesos a
beer.
Early sixties at the huge beer garden [and I mean HUGE] at the Pacifico Brewery in Maztalán, a big mug of cold draft beer, 50 centavos or 4 cents
US. It was a great place to be young.nobaddays - 9-8-2008 at 10:46 AM
Drink the canned hieneken in mexico. it is great !!!
There's nothing like going right to the source...
Mexray - 9-8-2008 at 11:22 PM
...to many good memories of those 3 peso Pacificos in Mazatlan...
We used to go right to the brewery's 'retail' sales window and get great, fresh Pacifico's by the case for cheap! If you had a way to carry it, they
would also toss you a big 'berg' of ice to chip away in your cooler to bring that wonderful amber liquid in those bottles down a few degree's. As
always, a few Limon's tossed into the cooler for wedging into the long necks de rigor...
Many's a day we sat around on the beach over at Isla de Pedria, watching the 'whales' of Pacifico being drained of their contents...not a 'shunk' in
the bunch!Martyman - 9-9-2008 at 03:35 PM
Oh Yeah...I've seen a few beached whales beforePaulina - 9-9-2008 at 03:39 PM
Pacifico used to be my cervesa of choice. And all this time I was just thinking that I was "beer'd out" that's why it tasted so bad. Now I can blame
it on the bottle!
Cool.
P<*)))>{
Only Bohemia
Gypsy Jan - 9-9-2008 at 05:23 PM
I'm a wine drinker, but it is easier to get a good beer in Baja than a good glass of wine.
Pardon my lack of deep experience/education, but I have been told that Bohemia is the only brewery that still adheres to the strict German brewing
standards which, when the breweries in Mexico were set up by German immigrants, includes bottling in dark bottles to preserve the quality of the
product.
A related segue: In San Diego there is a restaurant/bar called Tivoli's Crazy Burger. He serves homemade German sausages sandwiches and
to-your-order constructed hamburgers, because I guess we wants to offer authentic German food and also satisfy the local customers who want something
more familiar.
When I ordered a wheat beer from the three beers on tap to go with my bratwurst sandwich, the waitress asked me if I wanted a lime.
I looked at her in confusion at asked, "Is that common in Germany?" She laughed and said, "No, but most Americans ask for a lime. It drives my boss
crazy, he can't understand why anyone would ruin a good beer with lime."David K - 9-9-2008 at 06:12 PM
Most Hefe's gets a lemon and Blue Moon gets an orange... limes go in Tecate, Pacifico, XX, whatever from Mexico... That makes it a full coarse
meal!Mango - 9-9-2008 at 06:22 PM
I was stuck drinking Natural Light once during a dire emergency. We had plenty of limes left over from some Pacificos that had graced our palate
before the NL.
The lime actually made the Natural Light taste decent. (Just something to
remember during tough times.)
BTW - Thanks for the interesting stories about the Pacifico Brewery.
DK is right, lemon is commonly served with Hefeweizen here in the states.
However; I've noticed in that in Mexico Lemons and Limes are often regarded and called the same thing... which has always baffled me.
Let's Fix this Problem
Sparetimewanted - 9-9-2008 at 08:20 PM
For all of you who suspect that you have skunky beer, please send all remaining bottles from the case to:
Skunky Beer Research
PO Box 85023
San Diego CA 92124
We will get to the bottom of this.......bajasammy - 9-10-2008 at 07:16 AM
Hi Bajanaranja!
What store in Chapultepec did you buy it from? I've had the same problem occasionally, but not since I found 'Alexas' (main drag on the way to El
Faro on the right).
The guy that runs the place is really great, and he even has free ice (although not the purified 'margarita-ble' type). He's got a great selection
too - Tecate, Sol, XX, Pacifico, Corona (we like to keep a variety on-hand ).
........ nah. 
).