Playa Cerveza
Railway City Brewing Company

At The Cookie Bar on Drouillard Rd. in nearby Windsor. On tap and chilled, 4oz. in a flight of ten beers. My sixth beer from the St. Thomas, Ontario brewery, and third for 2025. Leading an outing of my Responsible Beer Drinking Club...

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Apr 27 2022 and served barely chilled. My assumption is that this is re-labelled Train Reaction, or at least a refinement of that recipe (a 4.5% sea salted light lime lager).

Pours a clear, effervescent golden-yellow, topped at first with one finger of foamy, sparkling white head that crackles and pops its way to oblivion within three minutes or so. Very attractive, but the nose is uninspired at best - corn husk, cereal grain and a weak hint of lime zest.

I still say this is a solid, clean-tasting light lager: I'm getting corny cereal, grainy/doughy pale malt sweetness and a decent squeeze of lime zest acidity that lingers past the finish and into a slightly sweet & salty aftertaste. Light in body, with crisp, aggressive carbonation that exhausted itself quickly. Exceptionally drinkable.

Final Grade: 3.54, a B grade. I think it was a good idea to toss the lime green label art and focus more on the "Mexican lager" angle vs. the "lime beer" one. Lime beers have had their day in the sun - I mean, if anything, they're nearly due for an ironic hipster revival - but Mexican lagers are currently on the upswing. Besides, the lime isn't actually that prominent... though the sea salt does add a nice twist to an otherwise boring theme. In summary, Playa Cerveza is very good for a light lager - I'd drink it again, but realistically this is not a style I purchase very often.