El Gato Mariachi incorporates all the traditional Horchata ingredients into a wheat ale base – along with a healthy dose of milk sugar. An addition of rice in the grain bill lightens the body for excellent drinkability, without sacrificing its creamy mouthfeel. The beer features an enticing aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. It pours a milky straw color, and finishes with just the right blend of vanilla sweetness and a touch of cinnamon spice.
The recipe for this new Limited Release was developed in the Asheville pilot brewhouse, and proved to be one of Catawba's best-selling Small Batch releases of 2019.
The release was crafted as an homage to the famous drink of taquerias across Latin America, and envisioned as the perfect beer pairing for tacos. It also happens that Taco is the name of the brewery's Sales Manager's cat. So, when it came time to name the beer and create its character, the idea of a "taco beer" and Taco the Cat naturally aligned. Taco is on the label with the piercing green eyes, dressed in his finest charro suit.
El Gato will be available in tasting rooms on draft and in 6-pack cans throughout Catawba’s 5-state distribution area.