Von Ebert launches Dusk and Dawn Mexican lagers for Cinco de Mayo pairing
Von Ebert paired a dark and pale Mexican lager for Cinco de Mayo, using Dusk and Dawn to show how much range a familiar style can hold.
Von Ebert Brewing used the Cinco de Mayo run-up to put two different reads on Mexican lager in front of drinkers at once. Dusk and Dawn both landed at 5.3% ABV, but the Portland brewery split them into a Mexican-style dark lager and a Mexican-style pale lager, a tidy way to show that “easy-drinking” does not have to mean interchangeable.
Dusk leaned into lightly toasted notes and subtle caramel sweetness. Dawn went the other direction, with crisp orange blossom, light corn sweetness and cracker malt. Those are the kinds of details that matter in a style family like this, where the difference between bland and balanced often comes down to how carefully the brewer layers malt character without burying the clean finish. Sam Pecoraro, Von Ebert’s brewmaster, said the brewery wanted to evolve traditional Mexican-style lagers with its own flair, and he framed the release around a “From Dusk till Dawn” theme for Cinco de Mayo drinking or grabbing a four-pack while the weather warms up.
The beers were available on draft and in 16-ounce cans at all Von Ebert locations, with select Northwest retailers, restaurants and bars also getting the release while supplies lasted. That gives the beers a natural place in the cooler-weather-to-patio transition, where lagers need enough character to stand up to food but still stay light on their feet.
The timing also fit Von Ebert’s N. Mississippi operation, where Tehuana Mexican Cuisine is on site every day of the week. That makes the pairing obvious in the best possible way: Dusk with tacos that can take a little toasted malt depth, Dawn with nachos or burritos where bright carbonation and grainy snap keep each bite moving. At the taproom, Von Ebert also was selling Clubhaus Lager 20-ounce steins for $3 and pouring Volatile Substance NW IPA for $5 during weekday hours, keeping lager front and center even outside the seasonal release.
The new lagers also landed in the middle of a bigger growth story for Von Ebert. Founded in 2018 by Tom M. Cook and Tom S. Cook, and named for the family matriarch the brewery calls “Grandma Ebert,” the company said its N. Mississippi site helped push production and distribution from about 4,000 barrels a year toward 20,000. That expansion has carried Von Ebert beyond Portland into Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California and Japan, while Clubhaus Lager’s 2025 World Beer Cup gold medal gave the brewery a strong proof point for its lager program.
Cinco de Mayo itself commemorates the Mexican victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In the United States, it has become a broader celebration of Mexican culture, often built around food and drinks, and Von Ebert’s pair of lagers fit that bill without flattening the style into one note.
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