Salitos, Mexican style beer of Panamanian heritage brewed in Germany

Stopped off at what looked like an independent bottlo on Queen Street, Melbourne, in the hope of finding an untried beer. The Wigs Cellar did not disppointed with an unusual unbranded white six pack of what was described by the proprietor as “Mexican beer”. On initial inspection, the six pack appeared generous as it contained a pair of 3 varieties of a beer called Salitos, yet cost the same as a six pack of Corona. Upon subsequent drinking, the proprietor may have been simply wanting to shift something that may not take off.

The home Salitos website is in Spanish, and I think that Salitos has its origins in Panama City in 1882. Very difficult to ascertain what has happened since, but according to the Australian website it is now “the trend-setting brand at the beaches and clubs of South America. In the meantime, it has established itself as the fastest-growing tequila-beer brand in the world”. That maybe true, but it is brewed in Germany by the brewer that makes Warsteiner.

The three beers (well one beer and two beer RTD’s) offered were Salitos Cerveza, Salitos Mojitos and Salitos Tequila. The Cerveza is nothing earth-shattering, a unobstusive lager with a little more maltiness than a Corona – to which the proprietor compared it. The Salitos Tequila, however, bore little resemblance to beer. The Australian website promises “perfect blend of South American beer and hot-blooded Tequila” – it is fact beer mixed with lemon and tequila flavoured soft-drink. The 5.9% gives you a kick, but this tastes not dissimilar to a lemon Ruski – the beer has been overwhelmed completely.

The Salitos Mojito has a similar mix of 58% beer and 42% mojito flavoured soft drink. Mrs BotF found it “cider-like” and quite enjoyed it. I found it as sweet and sickly as a bottle of creaming soda. Green colour’s pretty weird too. The closest rum got to this drink is a reference on a website. The bottle opener on the bottom of the Salitos bottle amused the kids is a cute gimmick, but a little superfluous given the bottles are twist tops. Maybe they know girls will be a big drinker of this stuff. A beer RTD.