Monday, January 25, 2010

Modelo's 'Chope' Draft Beer

Groupo Modelo started a program to distribute draft beer a couple years ago but has just showed up in San Miguel recently. I went to a Tex-Mex restaurant nearby, it used to be called Don Quijote's in the San Antonio neighbor hood and because it's new, people still refer to it by that name. I went to see what Chope had to offer.


Only available at selected bars and restaurants and when I say selected I mean the bars and restaurants that can affort the $2000 usd. purchase price of the Chope draft system. There are two beers that are served through this system. One appears to be Negro Modelo and the other Modelo Especial. This restaurant had two 1/4 barrels on the floor behind the bar at room temperature and were being dispensed through what appears to be a high-tech jockey box. With stainless steel taps mounted on the all metal and glass machine perched on the bar top. Both taps have a flow adjustment. The beer lines run up from the kegs to the underside.


A special glass is used to served the beer with the logo 'Chope' etched on the side. The beer is served with an impressive head which is part of the selling feature in the Chope program. Including the claim that the beer has a fuller mouthfeel because it is pasturized less than the bottled beer. I'm not sure how this makes a difference or how one can quantify less or more pasturization but it is a slogan that I have come across in numerous web sites that promote it's merits. Surprisingly, the Modelo website doesn't mention Chope at all.

My experience? Seems like the same ol' Modelo coming out of a tap with a larger head and served in a glass that make me feel special all over. The taste is the same.
Still, I think I enjoyed my glass of beer poured from a tap more than drinking from the bottle. Cheers!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nitro dispense?
Would account for the head and the claimed mouthfeel.
Mark

mark said...

I think it may have more to do with the tap heads. I believe they have sparklers on them. The 'tanque de gas' looked to be straight CO2.

Anonymous said...

I was in Mexico last year and a few bars had the "chope" draft beer, Negra and Especial and a third tapper that just added the head. Never seen anything like that

mark said...

Yeah, draft beer down here is a novelty. If I come back and spend more time I will plan to bring or build a kegerator for myself. The locals would be very curious to say the least.

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