This week, we're moving down south to Miami-Dade to take a look at a beer from M.I.A. Brewing Company, which began production last year.
That beer is the Mal De Ojo, a Berliner weisse that's a part of a unique series of sour beers from the Doral brewery, called their Veladora Series. The Mal De Ojo is an Apricot Ancho Chili flavored beer, joining in with its brethren Siete Potencias (Tangerine Ginger), and Regresa A Mi (Guava Hibiscus).
In Spanish, mal de ojo means "evil eye," or as Webster's declares, "an eye or glance held capable of inflicting harm; also... a person believed to have such an eye or glance." Surely a 4% Berliner won't be cause for any bad juju, and thus far I haven't befallen on any hard times.
Posted by MIA Brewing Co. on Thursday, April 30, 2015
The beer pours a bright yellowish orange, opaque, with a small white crown of foam that dissipates quickly. There are some monstrously citrusy aromas going on, with orange and lemon notes dominating. It hits the palate with a quick and moderate tartness, but backs off and leaves a light but structured flavor full of what reminds me of fresh fleshy starfruit pulp. I found myself with an empty glass shortly thereafter, and could possibly have had glass after glass of this fruity and citrus-forward beer.
Though it is touted as an apricot and ancho chili pepper beverage, I missed some of pepper action, and perhaps those flavors have been muted by the hands of time. Subtlety does not play well with age.
I was able to sample this fine beer at Riverside Market, which had it on tap. Or, if you can venture down to Doral, it is available at the brewery.
Doug Fairall is a craft beer blogger who focuses on Florida beers, and has been a homebrewer since 2010. For beer things in your Twitter feed, follow him @DougFairall and find the latest beer pics on Clean Plate's Instagram.