Beer review: Pilsen Red

As I sit here on a Sunday afternoon, still deciding whether I want to finish up some writing work today or not, I realize there's a Pilsen Red in the fridge with my name on it (literally: esposo and I write our names on our beers in black Sharpie or the other one of us will drink them). Beer can only help the writing process, I think, so what the hell -- I decide to try it out.

I think this may be the best Costa Rican beer I've had so far (beers from the wonderful and now defunct K&S notwithstanding -- theirs were world-class). I usually favor Bavaria Dark, but a friend of ours (marketing manager for Heiniken in Costa Rica) was telling us about the new "Red" and, when we saw it at AutoMercado last night, we decided to give it a try (there were only 5 Pilsen Reds left in the store, if that gives you any clue as to its popularity).

Ok, before I attempt to tell you what this beer tastes like, let me assure you I am no beer critic. I don't know the lingo and couldn't tell you what's "hoppy" and what isn't. I will say that I tend to like dark beers like Guinness, and amber ales like Sierra Nevada. I like my beer to have a bitterness to it; a "bite" is nice. And I cannot drink light beers whatsoever; mostly they taste like what I imagine piss in a bottle would taste like (e.g., Corona, Bud, Miller, Pilsen and Imperial are all crap if you ask me).

So. Pilsen Red. It doesn't have much head, but the color is a nice, light amber. Definitely a nice aroma to it, and very drinkable with a little bitterness one expects in an amber ale. I think it's still a little light (ala regular Pilsens), but I'm not complaining. If you're a beer drinker in Costa Rica missing the wonderful microbrews back home, give this one a try. And let me know what you think.

P.S. I was going to take a picture, but then I realized I left my camera at son's friend's birthday party yesterday. Supposedly someone who knows us picked it up and will be returning it this week, which I hope happens, not because the camera itself is so wonderful, but because I have some great photos of son riding a horse at his other friend's birthday party from yesterday morning.

P.P.S. When I was pregnant with son, I drank a lot of Kaisers (the non-alcoholic beers). Because, you know, when you can't have something, you want it all that much more. I have to say they tasted better than the regular Pilsens or Imperials! You can make a darn fine bloody beer with half a Kaiser, half a glass of V8 or tomato juice, a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper to taste, and maybe a little hot sauce if you like to kick it up. Actually this also tastes really good with a regular old Imperial; the only way I can drink the stuff!