What better way to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the great city of Victoria, Canada than a beer from the Spinnakers Brewery</strong>?
It’s quite lovely to see the Empress Hotel with a hop looming over it.
Christmas Beer of the Day – Father John’s Winter Ale
The Brewery – Howe Sound
The Beer – Father John’s Winter Ale
The Details
“A rich, malty seasonal ale brewed every fall for the winter months, this ale is made with four different malts, Nugget & Hallertau hops, and a complex blend of spices. It is named for John Mitchell, Howe Sound’s original brewer.”
Vices & Versa
Craft beer and clever names go hand in hand. And thanks to the Beer Advocate magazine, I found another great one for a Canadian beer bar.
Vices & Versa is in Montreal and has 33 Canadian craft beers on tap from places like Hopfenstark, 3 Musketeers, Brasserie Dunham and more!
Whenever your beer travel takes you to Montreal, this should be a required stop.
2500 IBU’s
Now that the highest ABV battle is pausing (thankfully) a new battle front is opening with Alpha-fornication.
This is what the brewer, Peter Chiodo has to say about it, “Clocking in at 2500 IBUs and 13.3% ABV, Alpha-fornication proves that sometimes people climb mountains just because they’re there. And sometimes, Beer Geeks will try anything on a dare. The hoppiest beer we know of was a meager 2007 IBUs, so we bested that and then some. We Flying Monkeys see extreme beers as the continuing evolution of Craft Brewing and the expansion of Ontario beers. It’s not just a contest of bravado to see who can make the world’s strongest beer (even though now we’ve got the world’s hoppiest one covered); it’s a movement – a movement to showcase the craft and how complex and versatile beer can actually be.”
Named for the alpha acids, or the compounds in the hop plant that are the source of hop bitterness, Alpha-fornication is brewed through highly creative and complex manipulation of the high alpha acid hop varieties, Warrior (17% AAU) and Centennial (11.5% AAU). A hop-steeped wort re-circulated through an additional “Hop Vorlauf” punches up the insane intensity of this brew to a stupefying 2500 IBUs. Keeping with the concepts of extreme brewing, the 13.3% ABV of Alpha-fornication adds bigness to this beer.”
I am not so sure about this one. Maybe a small taster will be enough but I do like the end of the press release that talks about the series that Alpha-F is part of, “Created as part of the Flying Monkeys’ Everest Experiments, a series of extreme beers showcasing the complexity and versatility of artisan brewing, the Flying Monkeys are actively engaging the expanding minds and palates of Ontario’s craft beer drinkers.”
O’ Canada – Crannog Ales
Out last Canadian stop is Crannog Ales in British Columbia.
All of their brews are certified organic, unfiltered and unpasteurized. And here are a couple to look for:
Gael’s Blood Potato Ale
“This rich Irish red ale is made with organic potatoes for an exceptionally smooth, rich body. It is extraordinarily rich in malt flavour, with just the right amount of hop finish. It’s an immigrant ale, uniting the staple food of Ireland with plenty of new world hops.”
Back Hand of God Stout
“Lean in body and powerful in flavour, Back Hand of God Stout has won many consumers’ choice awards. This dry stout is easy to drink, rich and inviting. It is extraordinarily smooth and mildly hopped with a distinct coffee/chocolate presence.”
O’ Canada – Dieu Du Ciel
Don’t be scared off by the labels on the Dieu Du Ciel beers. Yes, they are a little freaky but they match the beers quite well.
Here a couple to whet your appetite…
“Corne du diable aka Horn of the Devil IPA is a contemporary interpretation of the classic English India Pale Ale. This new style, born on the west coast of North America, is characterized by stronger and hoppier beers. The result is a red ale expressing caramel flavours coming from the malt, sharp bitterness and powerful hop aromas, thanks to dry hopping”
“La Rescousse (To The Rescue) is a noble Altbier that celebrates life in all its diversity. Malty up front with accents of toasted bread, the well-balanced hops provide a tongue-tingling finish and give this copper ale with mahogany highlights its freshness, complexity and unique character. Dieu du Ciel! Brewers will donate 11 cents for every bottle sold to Fondation de la faune du Québec, in support of efforts to save endangered species such as the wolverine, the copper redhorse, and the western chorus frog. “Liberté, égalité, biodiversité !”
O’ Canada – Half Pints Brewery
The second installment of Canadian breweries takes us to Half Pints Brewery in Winnipeg.
They have a Little Scrapper IPA with Amarillo and Cascade hops. As well as a brown, amber and stout. All of which are unfiltered and unpasteurized.
They also conduct “flavor training” courses and have cask ale nights.
O’ Canada – Propeller Brewery
Our first north of the border brewery is from Halifax. Let me introduce Propeller Brewing.
Now let’s get down to the beers that interest me…..
ESB
“Our ESB is a rich, full-bodied English-style bitter, brewed with carefully selected malts and hops. This copper coloured, English styled ale is our best seller. Smooth, Full bodied and All Natural, like all our beers.”
Kristall Weizen
“Literally “crystal wheat.” A Kristall Weizen is a filtered pale Weissbier. It pours “crystal”-clear rather than yeast-hazey. Propeller Kristall Weizen is made with special Weizen yeast, German Noble hops and equal amounts of barley and wheat malts. Like its Hefeweizen counterpart, Kristall Weizen develops a richly-textured, firm, white head in the glass. Very light, spritzy-effervescent and refreshing on the palate, with creamy texture and gentle, lightly fruity character, it finishes with a touch of dryness. Propeller Kristall Weizen pairs well with summer heat and good times… Prost.”
What’s great about their site is the glassware and temperature recommendations as well as a “Prop’r Learning” section that educate people about not only their brewery but about beer in general.
Cheers: A History of Beer in Canada
Here is what the press release has to say…“The author of Notes on a Beermat: Drinking and Why It’s Necessary is back. Nick Pashley brings his wit to bear on beer’s illustrious history in Canada, from Prohibition (and who thought that was a good idea?) to the beer that turned Quebec City drinkers blue and actually killed sixteen of them in 1966. Where else this season will you find a book that includes Prince Charles, Paris Hilton, Ron Keefe, and Rocco Perri, the great Hamilton bootlegger of the 1920s (you may be able to find him today encased in cement at the bottom of Burlington Bay)?”
From that description, it looks to be a fun book. I have recently read two history books. Both great topics. One was as dry as day old toast. The other is bright and lively. I certainly hope this book is more of the latter. You can find this at Amazon. (And to digress, shouldn’t Amazon ship beer?)
Review – Howe Sound Nut Brown
To Canada we go for a Nut Brown…