Abuela’s Cerveza
North 5th Brewery

i was dubious of this one, a mexican lager (which we still do not have a category for here on BA for some reason...), but done with lime, jalapeno, and cucumber, which kind of threw me off, but its real well executed, obviously uses real ingredients which is the key, and they are tastefully and responsibly dosed, obvious but not overwhelming, heat is under control, and the flavor combination really is pretty impressive. i liked all the beers i had from these guys, but their more ambitious stuff was super cool! blonde and unassuming, not quite clear but still pretty looking, bubbly and holding some white head, nearly an inch of it, from the tap. aroma is cucumber first, like fancy hotel water, the lime is there too adding some summery sharpness that works well with the light sweetness from the grain, assuming this has some corn in it, nice so far, while the jalapeno brings vegetal freshness and just a bit of capsaicin, not extreme or anything, almost bloody mary-like with the freshness of the veggies in this, still a beer too which counts for a lot, summery and appealing. the flavor is bright too, cucumber first, crisp and fleshy and verdant, refreshing right as it gets going. the pepper is green bell peppery in the middle and brings just a little bit of tongue and throat heat on the way down, but its cooled the whole time by the fresh and natural cucumber element, and the lagering is good which quickens the whole thing, the heat lingers just a moment and is new again on each sip, a nice attribute of this and a hard thing to execute, very dialed in. i like the lime, adds zestiness and with the acid, i like it being behind the more interesting elements though too, mexican lagers with lime are a dime a dozen, even the good oens, and so them allowing the other elements to run in front is a cool choice, one i definitely dig in the glass. pepper and pale grain are the last things i taste, very drinkable for a flavored beer like this, good carbonation, professional execution for sure. tough thing to nail but they did, nice use of quality ingredients it seems, that makes a difference. dont be scared, definitely go for it! one of the better beers in this space i have had in ages, the cucumber and jalapeno together are awesome.