Desperados - Tequila Flavoured Beer

WHAT do you get when you mix tequila with Mexican-style beer - a recipe for disaster?

It could be, depending on the mix of both ingredients, or you can come up with a very easy-to-drink and refreshing drop that can creep up on you, and that's exactly what Desperados tequila-flavoured beer is.

While the name may be Mexican, this is in fact a French product. It is clear, clean and rich gold in appearance with a white head that disappears pretty quickly - pretty standard for Mex beers.

It has a sweet, almost shandy aroma to it (though I have heard it described as something far less glamorous).

Having the tequila with a hint of lime means this is a very easy ale to drink, though the additives tend to mask the true nature of the base product.

There's a hint of tequila, not noticeable, and it leaves you with just a touch of bitterness.

The best way to describe this is as a 'party beer' both externally and internally.

At 5.9 per cent it does have a kick, and after a few you know you are drinking a 'loaded beer'.

It doesn't sit heavily in the gut but I did find that after a few it could become a bit too sweet.

It will appeal to non-serious beer-drinkers or those who like sweeter brews.

Look, this is a good-time beer, designed to get the party started, and as such don't expect complexity in the taste or nature of it.

Just chuck on your sombrero, crank up the music and go muchos locos!

MY TIP

Make sure you don't intend to go anywhere except downhill if you plan to have a session on this.

Serve it up nice and very cold and enjoy it straight out of the flash-looking bottle. At about $35 a six-pack, it's not cheap but it is a lot of fun. You may have to hunt it down through specialist beer outlets - such as The Garden Cellars.