Beers in Mexico - Review

Tecate, a very common beer found in Tijuana, and all over Baja California. Pretty light stuff, very regular stuff, nothing special, pretty much like your Heineken. Drinkable, cheap, but not AWESOME.

Time for the more interesting stuff locals drink here. Modelo, Sol and Corona, common Mexican beers found around the world, is slightly better here. Of all the 3 beers, I would say Modelo is the best here, but nothing to celebrate as it still taste mass produced, but consistently ok.

Beware of Beer + Clamato....It exists here!

Some say beer in a can taste not as good, and after trying Tecate in a bottle and can, as well as Corona and Modelo, I would say I agree with them.

 Now with the good stuff here.

Tijuana beer is a craft beer, and I would say, the taste of Tijuana Morena is much better than all the previous beer I've tried. The bouquet of the beer is still lacking and I would say that if smell was part of the experience (which it is), this beer is definitely short of perfection.

Tijuana Bufadora is slightly darker and does have a good taste as well, the beers are pretty light, very drinkable, but again, the aroma of the hops are not present like Samuel Adams or much of the other German beers I've tried.

Modelo and Negra Modelo is also pretty good. They are great largers, rather blonde, rather light and sweet after taste. Negra Modelo is my favorite thus far, I would say perhaps the taste may not be as great as the Tijuana Beer, but I do like the overall after taste and drinking experience.

Potro is surprisingly interesting to me. Its a dark beer, in fact, it looks like its beer + coffee, and does have a burnt taste to it, but the beer is smooth, light and does not taste anything like a stout. I rather like it, but take it from me, I don't like stouts.

I like Guinness only when it is cold and very fresh, and this is a very much lighter version of Guinness. With almost no aftertaste at all.

Barrilito was the last one I've tried, and compared to the group, I could not even recommend it. I would say, if it was any other day, I may have liked it, but with many other good beers in front of me, I would not say the same.

I would say the beers of Mexico are definitely worth trying and for their price, they are fantastic. Do it the Mexican way too, add some lime and it does improve the taste greatly!

-- Robin Low

Ricky's @ Rosarito Beach BC

Ricky's bar seems like a Mexican bar from the 1980's with relatively impressive sound system. It is very quirky and seems weird at times.

There is Halloween decorations and a X-mas Tree, random signed dollar bills, ladies underwear and bras on the walls. Could it be that fun a place?

Then comes Ricky, a man in his 60's with a cowboy hat and a unique laughter that brightens up the place. Ricky can go up and down the pole all night long! And the crowd continuously cheers him on!

Going to Ricky's is definitely an experience, and the drinks is cheap. There is live entertainment as the patrons sometimes participate in the "festivities"

Its Christmas, Halloween and what ever thing you want to celebrate at Ricky's Bar all year round!

If you are at Rosarito Beach, Baja California, MEXICO, do come by and check it out.

-- Robin Low

 

Don Quixote

Art by David Silvah 

Don Quixote is considered the most influential work of literature from the Spanish Golden Age and the entire Spanish literary canon.

And incidentally, it is also one of my favorite stores in Japan.

It sells all sorts of random stuff at a relatively low price.

Well, I really love the various art done in Baja Galley on Don Quixote and was wondering if there can possibly be a collaboration for some real Don Quixote products to be sold in Japan?

I think it will be a hit!

-- Robin Low

Tecate - The beer and the town.

I tried Tecate and rather liked the flavor. And I traveled to a small town in Baja California to visit Tecate.

Tecate is surrounded by hills and mountains, and the road is windy and interesting, and drive is enjoyable.

When I arrived at Tecate, the Beer factory is there!! And of course it is easy to find Tecate Cerveza everywhere. In the middle of the town, there is a beautiful town square, where you can find cafeterias, ice cream shops and craft stores, along with a beautiful park. The park is kinda small, and there are amigos serenading in the street corner.

Tecate is famous for Bread and Beer, a strange combination, which I am not sure if you should have them together.

Tecate Brewery also offers a brewery tour, but you need to make sure you check with them as they only open for specific hours.

Its a very beautiful place  and the journey is relaxing. Great place to chill and visit!

-- Robin Low

Bacon Pancakes.

 

Bacon pancakes, makin' bacon pancakes,
Take some bacon and I'll put it in a pancake,
Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna make,
Bacon pancake!




Bacon Pancakes are awesome!

Receipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 8 slices bacon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and egg. Whisk flour mixture into buttermilk mixture just until moistened, with small to medium lumps remaining.
   
   
2. (Do this while singing the above song) In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet or on a griddle, cook bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon is browned on one side, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook until golden and crisp on underside, 1 to 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels; pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use).
   
   
3. Heat skillet over medium. Pour 1/4-cupfuls batter into skillet and top each with a bacon slice. Cook until some bubbles appear on top of pancakes and a few have burst, about 2 minutes. With a spatula, carefully flip pancakes and cook until browned on underside, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter, bacon side up, and loosely tent with foil. Keep pancakes warm in oven and repeat with remaining batter, adding more bacon fat if needed. Serve with pure maple syrup if desired.
   

These bacon pancakes are simply amazing! They will change your life!

-- Robin Low

Samuel Adams -- New World Beer Review

Sam Adams -- New World is a limited edition beer -- A Golden Tripel with Notes of Spice and Tropical Fruit.

This is a pint of beer with a 10% alcohol content. (There is yeast in the bottom, so this is an ale)

Color: This beer is pale golden color, clear.

Smell: You can get a whiff of herbal hops, and tropical fruit, like pineapple and some spices. If you have tried the Sam Adams Boston Larger, this beer smells quite similar with an added fruit smell.

Taste: Refreshing and flavorful. Very Smooth. Definitely taste some sweetness and little bitterness from the hops. It does not taste like a 10% beer at all, but after a pint, you can definitely feel it. There is also a fine layer of yeast at the bottom of the bottle, so the bottle can still age if you don't drink it, but it is definitely tasty and will not stay long in your collection.

This is a limited edition beer available at the Sam Adams Gift shop in Boston by the Brewery.

Try it while it last!

Almost Perfect, one of the best beers I've tasted!

-- Robin Low

Jack Reacher (2012) Movie Review.

Jack Reacher is a fictional character created by British author Jim Grant. (Child Lee)

Tom Cruise is Jack Reacher and this movie turned out to be actually a pretty good action comedy! Starting the movie with a sniper scene, the movie starts off as a crime investigation as you do see the sniper and someone else getting blamed.

Yes, the plot was a little predictable, and there are some obvious bad guys that you don't get to know much about just that they are "bad people". However, there are some scenes that are genuinely funny! Tom Cruise tries to intimidate people throughout the movie and nobody really cares. In this case, Jack Reacher is a really dangerous man, and could deliver his threats, but as he is short, his threats were simply ignored.

Robert Duvall's role as an old rifle range owner is also hilarious as he was supposed to support Jack Reacher in the final assault, but his shooting skills was questionable as he was an "old man" He also brought a weapon for Jack Reacher -- a knife, where his opponents had automatic weapons. So yes, Tom Cruise brought a knife into a gun fight.

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More about Jack Reacher (Comic Character)

Jack Reacher is a former United States Army Military Police Major. He was born on a military base in Berlin in 1960. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he served 13 years in the Military Police, during which time he became part of a fictional military police unit, the 110th Special Investigations Unit, formed to handle exceptionally tough cases, especially those involving members of the United States Army Special Forces.

Though he was demoted from Major to Captain in the prequel novel The Enemy, he regained the rank of Major by the time he mustered out in 1997. He received many military awards during his career, including the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Soldier's Medal, the Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983.

Since leaving the Army, Reacher has been a drifter. He wanders throughout the United States because he was accustomed to being told where to go, when to go and what to do for every day of his life from military childhood to military adulthood. He also felt he never got to know his own country, having spent much of his youth living overseas on military bases and at the military school West Point. He usually travels by hitchhiking or bus. As a drifter, the only possessions he carries are money, a foldable toothbrush and, after 9/11, an expired passport and an ATM debit card. He has never possessed a driver's license.

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Overall, the pace and action is actually pretty good. The movie is rather enjoyable and the unexpected comedy is hilarious.

Rating 7/10


-- Robin Low