Beer of the Week: La Flama Blanca

From the Beer Writer: As evidenced right on this website when San Diego Beer News staffers shared the beers they plan on drinking on New Year’s Eve, the last night of the year inspires beerophiles to dig into their cellars for rare, special and, quite often, high-alcohol ales. But as many January 1 hangovers have proven over the years, New Year’s Eve is a marathon, not a sprint. Sure, you can have your own personal strong ale fest, but you can also go the session-beer route and get just as much enjoyment out of beer-flavored beer that can be drunk in great quantities over the hours leading up to the midnight ball-drop. I’m not even talking about IPAs here. New Year’s isn’t about contemplating hop-varietal combinations, bittering units and whether Mosaic is better than Strata. What we need as we prepare to slam the door on this universally challenging year is to go easy on ourselves and administer a steady flow of smooth, tasty, easy-drinking, high-quality beer into our beings. A four-pack (or two) of Chula Vista interest Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing‘s crowd-favorite pale Mexican-style lager, La Flama Blanca, should fit the bill nicely. Refreshing with a light sweetness in keeping with the style, it’s an everyday beer that’s well suited for a special occasion spanning many hours, especially on a year when we’d do well to spend less time thinking about what’s in our glass and more time considering what’s far more important: family, friends and neighbors, those we’ve lost and those we are blessed to still have, even if they’re farther from us than we’d like right now. There is light at the end of the tunnel, like a brilliant white flame guiding us to better days. Let us toast to that!

From the Brewer: “One of the first beers we brewed and one that’s always available to quench your thirst, our Mexican lager hits the mark every time. La Flama Blanca is built for backyard barbecues and easy drinking with friends and family. Crisp, refreshing and crushable, it’s a light-gold straw color with a foamy white head, and nice balance between sweet malt character and hop bitterness. Brewed with Noble hops and flaked maize, it’s a local favorite and a permanent fixture in our arsenal of beers. La Flama Blanca reigns supreme!”—Steve Garcia, Co-founder, Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing