Cranky Reviews

Caught Red Handed

Mexican Style Lager

Beer Type

11 to 14

11 to 14

Honourable Mentions

Rating

Caught Red Handed

Red Rocker Lager

Red Rocker Brewing and Railway City Brewing Co.

4.3% Alcohol

He can’t drive 55 but he’s still rockin’ at 77

Jimi’s baby stayed in a red house over yonder, but Jimi had a plan B, if his baby didn’t love him he knew her sister would. Taylor told us that loving him was red, burning red, a tragic tale of a love so perfect it was destined to fail. * But the Red Rocker in question who tells us to “Move over brother, Red’s a mother”, is none other than Sammy Hagar of tequila fame and fortune ** and now with a beer of his own. With a somewhat suspect mascot of Bogus Otis, a chicken who has no idea why he crossed the road.***

Hagar’s latest alcohol-based venture is Red Rocker Brewing out of Michigan which was launched in 2024. They have crossed the line, and it is now brewed under license in Canada by Railway City Brewing. They tell us it’s a lager “brewed in the Mexican style” although there is no corn in the recipe.

A bright golden pour, white wisps of head. Definitely a malt aroma. The first taste is hoppier than I thought it would be for a lager, the malt is still front and center but the hops and crisp finish make it seem more like an ale than lager. The malt gradually takes over but no lager sweet yet. Here is the lager sweet now. What emerges is a not at all bogus, traditional, easy drinking light tasting lager, refreshing. Rock on Sammy.

*Editor’s Comment: Jimi Hendrix’s ( James Marshall Hendrix, yes it’s his real name)1966 song Red House was the first song written by Hendrix that he recorded. Our reviewer may not be too swift, but he is a Swiftie. Taylor Swift’s 2012 song Red from the album of the same name is thought to be an autobiographical account of her brief relationship with the actor Jake Gyllenhaal. At the time he was 29 and she was 20.

**Editor’s Comment: Red is a 1977 song by Sammy Hagar, and while performing the song all dressed in red, with a red guitar, he was deemed the Red Rocker and the nickname stuck. Hagar’s music career has been intertwined with his business ventures. He co-founded Cabo Wabo with his Van Halen bandmates in Baja Mexico. In 1996 he introduced his tequila brand Cabo Wabo Tequila. A few years later he had a top ten hit with Mas Tequila (more tequila) a song which went hand in hand with his business ventures. Of fame, and definitely fortune, he sold his share in Cabo Wabo Tequila for $100 million, a significant contributor to what is estimated to be his $150 Million net worth.

***Editor’s Comment: Hagar is a master promotor, with his rock shows, podcasts, restaurants and other ventures all tied together. The mascot of Red Rocker Beer, also happens to be Hagar’s first tattoo. He got it on his right arm when he was 14 years old and called it Bogus Otis. It cost him $5. It also cost him nothing to use as a mascot for his beer company.

Final Rating: In the Red at 14 out of 20

Mexican Style Lager

Beer Type

11 to 14

11 to 14

Honourable Mentions

Rating

Other Info

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *