Try This Delicious Summer-Only Beer Made With Guava

By Ben Kramer in Food on Jul 29, 2015 9:55PM

If you wanted me to go Occam’s Razor on you, I’d tell you 5 Rabbit’s Guava Paletas is a wheat beer made with fruit. While it is the simplest explanation, it doesn’t cover all the bases. A part of the brewery's Paletas series, which is in its third year, the beers are summer only, made with fruit ranging from Mango to Tamarind, and usually draft only. This year though, the brewery decided to bottle one of their summer Paletas, opting to go with the Guava version. Paleta is the Spanish word for “popsicle” by the way, though don’t expect the beer to taste like one.

Curiously enough, the brewery decided to use clear bottles. This decision, as 5 Rabbit Sales Director, Champi Garza, put it, was to, “show off the color of the guava—a nice pink color.”

To allow the color and taste of the Latin American fruit to come through, the team at 5 Rabbit let the guava sit in the tanks after fermentation for eight days. During that time, orange blossom water was added as well. It’s role is not to stand out but, according to Garza, is to help, “balance the beer and the flavor.”

The balance certainly comes through. While the guava is an important flavor, it does not dominate. A layered cerveza, it’s dry, only 3.5% ABV, contains a creamy mouthfeel from the wheat (wheat makes up 70% of the grain bill), an herbiness from the tarragon, and a spicy edge which Garza describes as making “the flavors brighter.” This spiciness is brought on by the use of pink peppercorn.

A unique beer, its watermelon successor is set to be released within a couple of weeks. That version will be draft-only. As for the Guava bottles, its time is running out. Garza estimates the 6-packs will only be around for another 2-3 weeks. Folks interested in picking up a 6-pack should make a trip over to the Fischman Liquors (4780 N. Milwaukee Ave). Hesitate and you may have to wait until next summer to try it out.