The Ultimate Beer Pairing Guide for Every Type of Taco

Whether you’re tailgating, partying on the beach, or just celebrating another week of Taco Tuesday, no combination hits the spot quite like tacos and beer. It’s a time-honored pairing that evokes a breezy, coastal lifestyle no matter where you are, especially if you chase a homemade street taco with a crisp Mexican lager (don’t forget the wedge of lime). Even the most mediocre taco-and-beer combination can make for a fun meal, but why not go for the very best? That’s why Chowhound asked Diego Cardenas, senior beverage manager at Oyamel New York City, for his expert opinion on what beer pairs perfectly with every type of taco.

Cardenas says you can’t go wrong with Pacifico, the popular Mexican-style pilsner. A pilsner is a kind of lager with a crisp, slightly hoppy taste, and Pacifico is uniquely beloved for its exceptional smoothness. Cardenas loves serving it at Oyamel, noting that “its crisp, clean profile with subtle malt character makes it an ideal match for the bold, spicy, and citrus-forward flavors in our taco offerings at Oyamel. It refreshes the palate without overwhelming the food.” It’s hard to ask for anything more from a beer pairing, but Cardenas advises that the ideal beer pairing “should definitely vary based on the protein and preparation” of your filling. For the nitty-gritty on how to pair beer with all types of tacos, Cardenas broke down his favorite recommendations.

If you’ve ever seen a giant, marinated cylinder of pork roasting on a spit at your favorite taqueria, you’ve witnessed the beauty that is al pastor. This hugely popular Mexican dish actually has international roots, as the “al pastor” cooking method (which directly translates to “shephard’s style”) was first introduced to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants spit-roasting shawarma. Though the pork in tacos al pastor is made similarly to lamb shawarma, it has a totally different flavor profile due to its marinade, which features chiles, citrus, indigenous spices such as achiote, and often pineapple atop the cooking spit.

These uniquely smoky, fruity qualities are what make tacos al pastor pair so perfectly with Dos Equis Ambar Especial. The beer, famously a favorite of The Most Interesting Man in the World according to the brand’s viral advertising campaign, is a Vienna-style lager with a full body and distinctive amber color. Diego Cardenas describes it as a “light, slightly sweet amber lager with enough malt backbone to complement the achiote and pineapple marinade” of al pastor. Pair these two Mexican classics together for a complex flavor explosion.

There are plenty of different fish to use in tacos, each with its own complementary preparation style, ingredient profile, and ideal salsa pairing. But, whether your fish is fried, grilled, or raw, there’s a good chance you’d enjoy it even more washed down with a sip of Pacifico. Diego Cardenas has made his affection for Pacifico known. While he says the Mexican pilsner-style lager pairs well with all types of tacos, it particularly shines with seafood. “In Mexico … almost all seafood, we pair it with Pacifico,” he says. “It naturally complements seafood with its bright, refreshing malt notes, and works great with battered fish.”

The history of Pacifico traces back to the turn of the 20th century, when three German settlers opened a brewery in the Mexican port town of Mazatlán on the Pacific coastline, making it a natural counterpoint to fish from that same region. According to the brand’s official website, the beer was later popularized by surfers in Baja California — also known as the birthplace of fish tacos (at least in their most famous form). With that geographic connection, it’s no wonder Pacifico is the natural choice to drink with fish tacos.

Despite what Americanized menus and school cafeterias may have you believe, tacos aren’t just limited to the standard ground beef, pork, or chicken that we’re used to. There are a number of unique Mexican taco styles with specific regional origins, some of which involve particular methods of preparation and others that use traditional ingredients. One style that started in the western state of Jalisco and has exploded in popularity in recent years is birria, in which spiced, slow-simmered beef or goat is served in a griddled tortilla, often with a side of broth called consumé. Because birria tacos are typically savory, heavy, and greasy, Diego Cardenas recommends pairing them with Victoria beer, a “Vienna-style lager with toasty malt flavor that enhances the richness of the birria.”

Victoria is refreshing yet robust enough to drink with rich proteins — including ones that are made from organs. According to Cardenas, the “caramel and toasted malt flavors pair well with the richness of tacos de lengua, sesos, cabeza, and tripa.” Respectively, that means tongue, brain, head, and intestines. Though you’re unlikely to see tacos de lengua or tripa on the menu at your local U.S. taqueria, they are popular in many areas of Mexico, especially when paired with a cold bottle of Victoria.

If you prefer a poultry-based taco — maybe you don’t eat red meat, or you’re just a die-hard fan of the bird — Mexican cuisine has plenty of delicious options to choose from. Besides classic chicken adobo street tacos, a reliable stand-by, two of the most delectable chicken taco preparations are chicken tinga and chicken mole. According to Diego Cardenas, each has its own ideal beer pairing. Chicken tinga is made from shredded chicken in a tomato- and chipotle-based sauce. It’s a little bit spicy, a little bit smoky, and a whole lot of yum. To “balance the smoky heat of the tinga,” Cardenas recommends drinking Carta Blanca, “a light-bodied lager from Monterrey … with [a] crisp, clean finish.”

Chicken mole, on the other hand, is one of the most complex, varied, and controversial Mexican staple dishes. Though you may know it as the “savory chocolate sauce” dish, chocolate actually isn’t the main ingredient of mole, though mole negro does, in fact, contain unsweetened dark chocolate in its recipe. There are a wide variety of different mole sauces with different characteristics, though virtually all are made with chili peppers, spices, and often fruit and nuts. For a chicken taco made with this rich, layered sauce, Cardenas recommends pairing with Modelo Negra “on draft if possible.” He says, “it’s a richer body, Vienna-style Dunkel lager that is higher in complexity than other Mexican beers, balancing the complexity of mole without clashing with its layered spices and sweetness.”

While it’s often mistaken for birria, beef barbacoa is its own distinct dish, consisting of incredibly tender beef, goat, or lamb cooked in an oven pit dug in the ground. It’s typically wrapped in maguey leaves and topped with herbs and spices before it’s lowered into the in-ground oven. If you’re making barbacoa at home, you might have to forgo the pit and use a slow cooker instead — many restaurants do the same — but your end result should still be tender, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth meat for tacos. Such a taco deserves a beer pairing with equal heft and history, and according to Diego Cardenas, that beer is Modelo Negra.

Cardenas calls the combination of Modelo Negra and barbacoa “a classic pairing in Mexico.” In fact, he says, “We sometimes add this beer into the barbacoa preparation itself, too.” Modelo Negra is the most popular dark beer in Mexico and is characterized by its rich amber color and medium-bodied, caramelized flavor. Drink a frosty glass of this smooth, iconically complex beer with an order of barbacoa tacos for a delicious taste of Mexican tradition.