Warm up your weeknights

THE REFRESHING WORLD OF MEXICAN CERVEZA

Few drinks taste better with a meaty, spicy plate of nachos (or any of the other recipes in this story) than a nice, cold Mexican beer, one meant for quaffing rather than sipping. Corona, the top-selling Mexican beer in the United States, is just one of dozens of south-of-the-border brews, the legacy of beer-making Germans and Czechs who immigrated to Mexico in the 1800s. Some of our favorite easy-drinking beers:

Bohemia A delicately hoppy, aromatic, well-structured pilsner in the Czech style. One of the best Mexican beers, it's also one of the oldest: Brewing giant Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma began producing it in 1905.

Dos Equis Created by brewmaster Wilhelm Hasse, an emigrant from Germany, in 1897. The golden, mild Dos Equis Lager (green bottle) is a German-style pilsner; the medium-bodied Dos Equis Ambar (brown bottle) is modeled on a Viennese lager. The dos equis ("two x's") on the label commemorate the start of the 20th century.

Negra Modelo A Munich-style lager brewed by Grupo Modelo, Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma's biggest rival, known by its wide brown bottle, reddish brown hue, and rich malt flavor.

Pacifico An easy-to-drink beer. Pleasantly bitter (light hops) and good for putting out chile fire.

Sol First made in 1899, the golden lager Sol (Spanish for "sun") is clean, crisp, and light.

Tecate A light beer named after the Mexican border town where it was first brewed. Tecate was Mexico's first canned beer.