June 3rd, Toronto, ON

OCB Discovery Pack No.5 will be available at LCBO locations across Ontario starting June.

June 3rd, Toronto, ON – Toronto’s craft brewing powerhouse Mill St Brewery has recently unveiled a new and exciting brew for you to enjoy during this summer. You may remember Mill Street Lemon Tea Beer being available at the Mill Street Brew pub for a short time last year. The brew was originally well received by the public and is now back to please the crowd.

Mill Street Lemon Tea Beer is infused with black tea and lemons to give it a refreshing lemon tea taste. Mill Street’s newest has 5% ABV and will be available in tallboy cans and 330ml bottles.

June 3rd, Guelph, ON – Wellington Brewery is celebrating their 25^th Anniversary by releasing a special Silver Selection 4-Pack.  The celebratory selection pack contains three 473ml cans of Wellington’s tried and true Trailhead Lager, Country Dark Ale and Special Pale Ale.

To make the Silver Selection 4-Pack really special, Wellington has included a brand new beer that was brewed specially for this occasion. Wellington’s Silver Wheat is a 4% ABV wheat beer that the brewer describes as “a crisp, thirst quenching ale with malted wheat and German noble hops.”

Silver Selection 4-Pack will be available in LCBO starting early June.

With summer just around the corner, it is a great time for brewers to roll out fruit-infused ales. One of the recurring seasonal ales that will be around for the entire summer is Great Lake Brewery’s Orange Peel Ale.  This beer is a tried and true option that has been around for a few years now, but this year the folks at GLB have decided to take it up a notch and add orange zest for more “orangy goodness.”

First I should mention that this ale isn’t at all what comes to my mind when I think of anorange infused ale. I actually picture a smooth Belgian-style wheat beer with a fluffy white head and a delicate balance of cloves and orange. And if you were thinking the same, Orange Peel Ale will definitely be a surprise.

The Orange Peel Ale comes in a 650ml brown-glass bottle with 5.3% ABV emphasizing oranges on the label and some orange tin-foil on the neck of the bottle, a nice touch.

The pour: Orange Peel Ale began to deviate from my expectation of an orange ale right from the start. Instead of a hazy unfiltered ale, this beer poured a clear orange color, very similar to orange pekoe tea. Fizzy white head quickly formed at the top of the glass, and just as quickly settled and disappeared leaving some faint lacing.

The nose: Like you would expect; the Orange Peel Ale has a pleasant aroma of fresh oranges with a barely noticeable hop aroma. In fact, the smell was very similar to the smell of freshly squeezed orange juice. 

Body and mouth-feel: Here the Orange Peel Ale continued to shatter my set image of an orange ale by delivering a nicely balanced combination of orange peel bitterness, malt and hop bite. Very different and surprising taste. Medium body, with a noticeable fizzy carbonation that complements the flavour. Label indicated that some honey was involved, although I couldn’t really notice.

Finish: The orange zest + hops combination delivers a lingering bitter finish.

Overall, Orange Peel Ale is a very unique and surprising beer that brought an interesting twist to an otherwise predictable infusion.  I can definitely see myself enjoying a pint or two at one of Toronto’s patios. While the hops + orange zest bitterness can be a little intimidating to some drinkers, Orange Peel Ale is definitely worth a try.

May 3rd, Toronto, ON – Rejoice beer fans, Creemore Springs Brewery has confirmed that their seasonal Kellerbier brew will be making a comeback this year. Kellerbier literally means `cellar beer`in German, and Creemore Springs`variation is an unfiltered brew with 5% ABV,  a bold hoppy aroma and flavour with a touch of citrus.  Creemore Springs Kellerbier will hit the shelves starting May 3rd at a number of and will be available in 473 ml cans. It will also be available on draught at select bars and restaurants.

Courtesy of SloshSpot

Soon after writing the stout beer style guide, I was fortunate enough to come across an unfamiliar brew, which attracted me with its flashy cylinder box detailing Kremlin and overused “Russian” font. The perpetrator was a new special reserve, bourbon wood-aged brew – St-Ambroise Russian Imperial Stout.

The label at the bottom of the cylinder, which said “Extra Strong Stout,” and the 9.1% ABV indication, confirmed that St-Ambroise means business.

Having only tried a few Russian Imperial Stouts – not all of which were good – I was excited to try this new brew. Behind the flashy red cylinder, hides a common brown-glass 341ml bottle with familiar St-Ambroise label.

The pour: As I poured the brew into the glass, the beer’s body looked thick, oily and left an appetizing, fluffy brown head on top of the snifter glass. The color is dark brown without any possibility of letting you see through the brew and the colour remains constant even at the edges of the glass.

The nose: This beer is very aromatic as you will discover during the pour. The aroma is full of bourbon-barrel oak, vanilla and chocolate.

Body and Mouth-Feel:  The palate is bitter sweet, chocolate and caramel deliver the sweetness while oak and hops close with a pleasant bitterness. The aroma of this beer is very well reflected in its taste. And just like its appearance suggested, the beer possesses a full body and a thick molasses-like texture. Medium-low carbonation fits in well with other qualities of this brew.

Finish: St-Ambroise Russian Imperial Stout finishes with a fuzzy warm feeling as alcohol makes its appearance on its way down. The chocolate will accompany the alcohol afterglow creating a pleasant lingering aftertaste.

Overall, St-Ambroise Russian Imperial Stout is a complex and surprisingly satisfying beer. In fact, like many big beers, this one is satisfying to a point where you will probably stop at having just one. This one is best enjoyed in small quantity, poured into a snifter or a goblet.

This beer delivers a great drinking experience and I imagine this one would make a great companion for a rich chocolate cake.

Enjoy!

More after the jump

With St.Patrick’s day festivities just around the corner, I cannot think of a more appropriate time to write a stout style guide. No other beer style is personified by a single beer, or rather a single brewery as much as stout.

Stout popularity was achieved nearly single handedly by one man, Arthur Guinness. The name Guinness, as relevant to the beer world, first emerged in 1759 when Arthur Guinness leased a defunct brewery in Dublin. Although Guinness attempted several ales in their early days, they soon decided to focus on one single type of ale most popular at the time and thus, began brewing porter. After decades of successful brewing, Guinness ales gained popularity in England and West Indies and expanded their product line to feature distinct types of porters that would be referred to as “stouts.” Even though the term “stout” was first recorded in the 1630s in reference to strong dark ales, the name was not truly popularized until the invention of Daniel Wheeler’s over malt and barley roasting process, thus allowing more precision when creating the beer’s roasted flavour.

Stouts are a close relative of porters. In fact the relationship is so close that at times it is difficult to tell where porter territory ends and stout begins. One of the more distinct differences between the two styles is that stouts, especially classic stouts commonly referred to as Irish Dry Stouts, are very dry and exhibit a distinct espresso-like bite achieved by roasting barley rather than using roasted malt. Stouts are always very dark, often pitch black with a roasted aroma of coffee beans, roasted barley and chocolate. On the other hand, classic stouts are, surprisingly enough, very light and frequently are the lightest beer you can order on tap.

Despite the sinister color, roasted character and bitterness, most stouts are below 5% ABV and are relatively low in calories, usually about half the calorie content of a lager of equal volume. Traditionally stouts are enjoyed in a variety of temperatures usually ranging from cool-but-not-cold to room temperature. Stouts may be classified into several categories; the classic Irish Dry Stout is the most common type of stout encountered. Usually when people refer to stout, it is more often than not Irish Dry Stout, specifically the Guinness Draught.

Milk Stout is a somewhat rare category of stouts initially popular in London. Milk Stout’s distinguishing characteristic is the addition of milk during the brewing process. Yeast cannot fully break down milk sugars, therefore milk sugar remains untouched and lends its sweet flavour to the beer providing a sweeter taste and resulting in lower alcohol content.

Oatmeal Stout is a relatively new kind of stout popular with craft brewers in Canada and US. Oatmeal Stouts are not made entirely out of oats as the name might imply. Raw or malted oats are added to a stout during the brewing process to imbue the beer with a rich oaty flavour and oily characteristic.

If you have ever been on a vacation in the Carribean, you have no doubt seen the Guinness Extra Stout. And if you had a chance to try it, you would also know that it is quite different from your normal Guinness Draught. This is an example of the stouts referred to as Foreign/Extra/Export Stouts. Stouts of this type were created as an export item to British colonists in the New World where they enjoyed beer, but unfortunately were too far from home to enjoy the same ales that Brits on the mainland did. To remedy the situation, brewers created a stronger type of stout, increasing its lifespan and allowing it to make the trip to the New World. This particular type of stout was brewed with West Indies in mind where it still enjoys favour of local beer drinkers.

There is also Imperial Stout which may be considered a beer style of its own. Similar to Baltic Porter, Imperial Stout is a variation of the traditional Irish and English stouts created for the Russian court of Catherine the Great. Russians enjoyed stout, but unfortunately it often spoiled before it could reach Russia by sea. In order to fulfill Russian desire for good stout, English brewers created a sturdy 10% ABV stout that would survive the trip. Imperial Stout was well received and enjoyed some popularity in Russia as well as a number of other countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. This stout exhibits most characteristics of other stouts with the exception of a significantly higher alcohol content.

Recommended food pairings for stouts are:

Classic Irish food pairing for Irish Dry Stouts to be encountered at all Irish fares are oysters. Other seafood such as calamari, mussels, crab, clam and lobster will also make a great match. A number of classic Irish dishes are already made with stout or other types of Irish beer and having a pint of stout with a hearty Irish stew will only amplify the experience. Smoked fish is a good companion for a stronger-flavoured stout, especially smoked salmon, trout and mackerel. Deserts may be complemented by stouts in similar fashion as they are by porters, although stouts are better matched with more subtle and light chocolate desserts.  Rich desserts made with dark chocolate will fare well against Imperial Porter, but will overpower a lesser stout.

Stouts to try:

• Guinness Draught – This is a flagship stout most closely associated with the beer style. Fortunately it is available in most establishments where quality beer is served.
• Guinness Extra Stout –Pretty much the only stout and the only Guinness available in the West Indies, great example of the Foreign Stout type.
• Duke of Wellington Imperial Stout – A new brew from Duke of Wellington Brewery that will give you a pretty good idea of what Imperial Stouts are like.
• McAuslan St.Ambroise Oatmeal Stout – A delicious brew from Quebec’s finest. Scarce on tap in the GTA and only available at some LCBO stores, but well worth the effort.

Step 1:
Grab a case of your favourite light pilsner and some liquid blue food colour.

Note: You could attemt to make green beer with darker brews, but light beer results in a better green beer. Think back to your colour theory classes in high school

Step 2:
Pick a mug of your choice for you and your buddies. Pop it in a freezer for an hour to make sure that the brew becomes nice and frosty after you pour it. If you are a bottle drinker, just make sure your brew is nice and cold. Check out the Beer Fridges and Coolers post to help you decide what fridge you’ll want for your birthday.

Step 3:
After you open your bottle of beer or pour it in your mug, squeeze a few drops of blue food colouring into the brew. Don’t worry the food colouring is vegetable based and does not affect the taste of the brew. Blue food coloring achieves a better green than green food coloring when making Irish Green beer. This happens because beer is yellow, so when you add blue food coloring you will get a greener color than if you use green food coloring.

Note: Don’t be to hasty with adding too much food colouring to your beer. You might find that the blue mixes in a lot quicker with the beer and you could end up with a very very dark green beer.

And remember!

Porter is one of the most complicated styles of beer to describe. I’m pretty sure that is because Porter was originally a mix of several beer styles. Similar to how you might order a mixed drink or a martini at the bar, imagine that you asked the bartender to mix a few taps for a highly customized brew. This may sound weird to you now, but in London via the 1700s, mixing different ales was all the rage and bartenders would mix as many as five different ales at the request of their customers.  This trend kept up until brewer Ralph Hardwood analyzed popular combinations and came up with a brew that mimicked the most popular three-beer mix known as the “three threads.” Ralph Hardwood’s new mix was a strong, dark and tasty brew that received the name Mr.Hardwood’s Entire and eventually became the single most popular brew in London. This style of beer became very popular with a particular group in London’s working class, the dock workers, or “porters.” In time, the beer became associated with the group of people that enjoyed it the most and thus became known as “porter beer” or simply porter.

At the peak of its glory, porter was so popular that it was possible for a brewer to make a fortune just by making porter and giving up all other styles. Eventually the fame of this beer reached beyond London and even outside of England with porter breweries opening up in Dublin, Glasgow and all over the British Isles. Arthur Guinness, who is most known for his stout, was the brewer that made porter popular in Ireland and made a fortune doing so. Porter expansion didn’t end there; it went on to take hold in Baltic Sea countries such as Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Poland eventually evolving into its own style called Baltic Porter, featuring a higher alcohol content typical for beer enjoyed in colder climates.

Although porter has not yet achieved the level of popularity it enjoyed back in England, a few brewers in North America have also taken up brewing this style as it was a favourite of many British colonists. Unlike many other styles of beer brought from the Old World, Porter did not evolve into anything distinct in North America. Once Lager and Pilsner became the next big thing in the world of beer, porter popularity dwindled everywhere and eventually porter became less of a crowd pleaser and more of a treat for the gurus.

Porters are best described as dark, full-bodied ales with a complex taste of roasted malts. Porters come in a variety of colors ranging from black to reddish brown. Commonly porters will have the aroma of roasted malts, coffee, caramel and chocolate. Porter beers are usually between 4% and 6% ABV. Expect a significant amount of hop bitterness that is typical for this style of beer, but normally it won’t be as bitter as a stout.

Suggested food pairings for porters are:

Some of the more obvious choices for this beer styles are the standard pub-fare and pretty much anything coming from a char-grill. Steak and burgers will complement the beer beautifully, so will grilled vegetables, chicken and pork. Ribs with smoky hickory sauce will become a lot more enjoyable when matched with a porter. A chocolate or a coffee porter will be a great companion for most chocolate cakes and chocolate-related deserts as well as deserts featuring caramel, maple and walnuts.

Some of the notable porters to try are:

• Fuller’s London Porter – a porter classic from England with a rich chocolaty flavour.
• Mill Street Coffee Porter – a porter from Toronto’s very own Mill St. Brewery featuring a coffee flavour typical to many porters.
• Baltika Porter & Okocim Palone – Russian and Polish that can give you a taste of what Baltic Porter is all about.