Sol

21/12/09 19:36 Arkivert i: Lagerøl | Gluten lavt

Sol_Beer_325_Ml

Sol er et annet av de best kjente ølmerkene fra Mexico, og som Corona blir den solgt på ufargede flasker som framhever den skinnende gullgule fargen, og det er slik ølet har fått sitt navn, Sol, som betyr det samme enten en sitter på en krakk i Stavanger eller i sanden i Monterrey der bryggeriet befinner seg. Ølet var spesiellt populært i USA og Europa i 1980 årene. Oppskriften på dette ølet ble skapt av Alberto Aldrete, en ambisiøs gårdbruker som var stolt over sine meksikanske røtter. Opprinnelig ble det servert med salt og friske sitroner, og slik oppstod den noe merkelige tradisjonen med å servere Sol og andre meksikanske øl med en limebåt stukket i flaskehalsen.
Sol er ikke noe humlemessig granatsjokk, men har en fruktig maltaroma og en behagelig tørrhet.

Vi tar med litt til vi har sakset fra nettet for de som vil ha litt dypere kunnskap:

Sol, also known as Sol Cerveza, is a Mexican-produced Lager that was created in 1899 in the city of Orizaba, Mexico, who were still celebrating their new independence as a country. When Napoleon III of France tried to invade Mexico in 1861 after wanting to take advantage and conquer the developing country, there was an influx of people coming over from Europe. And with them they brought over their recipes for their own style of beer they produced, which was Lager. Lager is defined as being fermented in low temperatures from the bottom up.

Sol was created in 1899 in the city of Orizaba, which is outside of Mexico City, in a small brewery called ‘El Salto Del Agua’ (The Waterfall). Orizaba is said to be the closest city to the highest point in Mexico, therefore the closest city in Mexico to the sun. The beer was made by a German brew master who used his knowledge of Lager recipes along with experimenting of different ingredients, to create what he called ‘El Sol’. He named it ‘El Sol’ (The sun) after a ray of sunlight shone through cracks in the brewery’s roof causing his freshly produced bottles to be illuminated by the sunlight. It was in the early 1900’s the brand decided to drop the ‘El’ in ‘El Sol’ and change it to ‘Sol’ like we see today. The brand also claimed they used only the closest waters to the sun to produce their beer, which added to the soon growing popularity of the beer. The sun was an influence on not only the name, but the way they marketed it as well. It soon on became a hit with the working-class people of the city who enjoyed having a cold beer or two after a hard day’s work. Later, towards the late 1980’s to early 1990’s the brand realized how popular the beer was with younger people and decided to relaunch and remarket their brand to include that age group and market. The main ingredients of Sol include water, malted barley, glucose syrup, and hop extract. The beer has a ABV (Alcohol by Volume) of 4.2 %, giving it a crisp light taste. Sol today has started being brewed and produced by solar energy, making use of the sun and using a renewable energy source instead of a non-renewable one. It is also said that the brand has been using special light resistant hops as ingredients, to protect and preserve the identifiable great flavour/taste. Sol is best served cold with a lime wedge in it and is perfect for a hot summer day.

Milestones

Mexico’s Independence

The key milestone that got the ball rolling on production of beer such as Sol in Mexico, was Mexico gaining their independence as a country. They wanted to split from Spain and be on their own, so they decided to go to war with the Spanish Empire in order to do this. After 11 years of war and bloodshed, Mexico was finally able to gain their independence and separate from Spain. And with this allowed for them to have more freedom in what they were doing, such as beer brewing. With the influx of European brewers coming to Mexico, along with local brewers, the people of Mexico were able to brew freely without worry. It also gave people the ability to try to brew beer, who had no prior experience.

Sol becomes a part of Heineken

Another milestone for the brand was when it became a part of another major beer brand, Heineken. Although it was said to be partnered with Heineken since about 2004, Sol didn’t become a part of Heineken’s global group of products until 2010, when Heineken purchased the Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma brewery where Sol is made in 2010. It is not said specifically why Heineken purchased Sol, but it is most likely to add to their wide portfolio of beers owned. And although Sol is now a part of Heineken, the beer is still mainly made and produced in Mexico to stay true to its roots.

Sol now brewed using solar energy

Heineken announced in 2020 that all beer being made in the Zoeterwoude brewery in the Netherlands would be produced by solar energy. There were 9212 solar panels installed at the brewery in order to use a renewable source of energy, rather than wasting resources. The brand is claiming it is a new way for consumers to ‘taste the sun’ which is one of their slogans.

Stikkord;Mexico, Heineken, El Salto Del Agua, Nederland, Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma