Style:  Flavoured Lager
ABV:  5.3%
Presentation:  6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery:  Amber’s Brewing Company
Country:  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Following the trend of the rest of their line-up, this offering from local microbrewery Amber’s Brewing Company is planted firmly and securely outside of the box and the norm. This is a curious beer indeed, a lager brewed with real maple syrup. Actually it’s a fantastically crafted beer for those with an open mind to enjoy. There’s only one stipulation: you have to enjoy the flavour of maple. There’s no getting around that with this one.

Available in 6 packs of standard sized bottles, and maple as the theme, from the tree on the label, to the appearance, smell and taste of it. Served in a tall glass, pint glass or mug would do it justice. Possessing a light amber maple colour capped by a short lasting bubbly cream-coloured head, there’s a crisp carbonated mouthfeel of a lager, but the smell and the taste of it strongly reminds me of buttery maple syrup drenched Belgian waffles. Seriously. A beer perfectly suited for breakfast? Perhaps. However with the intense flavour yet light body, it is suitable for having more than one in a sitting. If you enjoy the flavour of maple that is…..

For those of you who are into the all-day breakfast concept this maple lager pairs great with pancakes, waffles and French toast, along with sausage and hash browns. Not only does it also pair surprisingly well with roasts (beef or pork) and grilled meat, but would stand in for a fantastic addition to marinades, including ribs. Lots of potential for this unique local beer, both in the glass and on the other end of the fork.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Australian Mountain Pepper Berry
Bub’s Lunch Pail Ale
Kenmount Road Chocolate Stout
Pale Ale

More Unique Beers:
Pi Jiu - Sherbrooke
Pumpkin Pi - Sherbrooke/Alley Kat
Mateveza - California Organic Brewery

Lateral Steps:
Warsteiner Premium Dunkel
Negra Modelo
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

For The Adventurous:
Samichlaus Bier
Trois Pistoles - Unibroue
St. Bernardus Abt 12

Style:  Fruit Lambic
ABV:  4%
Presentation:  355 ml green bottle
Brewery:  Brouwerij Lindemans
Country:  Belgium

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

In the early 1800’s the Lindemans family of Belgium started brewing large amounts of Lambic ale during the winter time on a large farm they owned in the area of Vlezenbeek. This was a financially sound decision as they already produced barley and wheat during the growing seasons, which are necessary for this style. In fact Lambics are traditionally brewed with a malt bill of 30% wheat and 70% barley malt, seasoned with hops, and left to spontaneously ferment by wild yeast, while fruit is at times added later for flavouring. It was in 1930 that the Lindemans family made the decision to focus solely on the activities of the successful brewery. They started brewing the Peche Lambic style in 1987.

Honestly folks, you are in for an absolute treat here, I practically envy anyone who’s yet to try this treasure of a Peach Lambic, it’s one of my own personal favourite beers. It even stands out from among the other types of Fruit Lambics. Really, the only thing that will get in the way of your bliss will be some sort of individual abhorrence to peaches (and if that’s the case you should probably just stop reading here and tune in next week). For those of you who are still raring to go, let’s get to the good stuff.

Good things come with some effort, so you’re going to have to prepare for this one. Not only are you going to require a bottle-opener to unearth this treasure, but also a corkscrew, as there is a synthetic cork hiding underneath that foil and bottle cap. As well I would recommend stemware for this ale, a chalice ideally, however a snifter or an oversized wine glass will do just fine. If you want to get really fancy a champagne flute is even recommended by the brewery itself, especially when pairing this with food, ideally with dessert. In a pinch you can get away with a wide-lipped mug or a pint glass.

This Peach Lambic is best served chilled, however as it slowly warms the fruit flavours and aroma will become more pronounced. It pours out a bright hazy marmalade colour, and the aroma of sweet peaches is immediately present the moment the bottle is uncorked. There is a little bit of head on top of the ale at first, but it disappears rather quickly, however you’ll notice a lot of bubbling carbonation action within the beer itself. The flavour itself is a straight-forward peach, as if sweetened by icing sugar, with a little bit of wheat grain noticeable in the background, and is delivered by a medium-bodied mouthfeel with a bit of tingling carbonation. Yet it truly is greater than the sum of its parts.

It’s no stretch of the imagination that this Peach Lambic would be able to substitute for dessert itself, and would easily compliment some cheesecake. Also with chocolate or any sort of chocolate dessert. Food pairings suggested by the Lindemans Brewery are as diverse as the likes of sorbet or peach cobbler, to egg rolls, Waldorf Salad, or even Belgian Waffles.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Lindemans Cassis (Blackcurrant) Lambic
Lindemans Framboise (Raspberry) Lambic
Lindemans Kriek (Cherry) Lambic

Other Fruit Lambics:
Boon Framboise
Mort Subite Kriek

Other Fruit Beers:
Peaches N’ Cream Okanagan Fruit Ale - Tin Whistle Brewing
St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale
Aprikat - Alley Kat
Melbourn Bros. Apricot
Black Berry Porter - Cannery Brewing
Pump House Blueberry Ale
Ephemere Apple - Unibroue

Lateral Steps:
Le Merle - North Coast Brewing
Mort Subite Gueuze
Duvel
La Chouffe

For The Adventurous:
Petrus Oud Bruin
Duchesse De Bourgogne
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Malheur Brut Reserve

Style:  English Pale Ale
ABV:  4.7%
Presentation:  500 ml brown bottle
Brewery:  Fuller Smith & Turner PLC
Country:  England, UK

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

It states “Outstanding Premium Ale” on the label of this English Pale Ale, and although I’ve had beer labels lie to me in the past, this one most certainly lives up to its own bold claim. Although there have been several changes in ownership, beer has been produced on the grounds of this Chiswick located brewery for over 350 years now, and presently most of their ales are exemplars of its own particular style. London Pride is no exception as this brewery‘s flagship offering, and if you’ve yet to discover the full rounded flavours that the world of ales has to offer, consider this one of the finest invitations and introductions that you can get.

One thing to keep in mind with the English style Pale Ale is that in general it tends to be a bit more balanced than its younger American version cousin, and if anything will lean more towards the sweeter maltier side of the flavour profile, therefore being a more approachable option for people who haven’t developed a taste for bolder hop character.

This ale is ideally enjoyed slightly chilled, but not quite room temperature, in order to fully appreciate the balanced nuances within the flavour. A pint glass or mug will serve just fine. Expect a transparent rustic copper amber appearance from this London Pride, with a foamy white head. Within the aroma, if the ale is not too cold, you should be able to pick out notes of crisp sweet malt, toffee, even some buttered bread, while the combination of 3 different hop varieties exude a grassy, spicy nature that is earthy yet possesses a soft citrus zest. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, and balanced between a light smooth roundness with enough carbonation to provide a crisp finish. Lastly the balance continues in the flavour where at first the malt provides the palate a buttery, toasted toffee that blends smoothly with mild earthy and herbal hops in the finish, which offers a crisp finish but doesn’t overpower the backbone of the malt.

For those of you who enjoy having a few of the same beers in a sitting this English Pale Ale is ideal for a session ale. With food it is pretty versatile, pairing well with your favourite comfort foods, while more specifically being an excellent dance partner with savoury foods, grilled meats, roasted chicken and turkey, Cajun dishes, and pasta dishes with white sauce. Heck, even the empty sturdy brown half litre bottles are perfect for you home brewers in the crowd to hang on to. Is there anything that London Pride can’t do? I don’t think so.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
ESB Ale
Vintage Ale
Organic Honeydew Ale

In-Style:
Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale
Pedigree Pale Ale
Bass Pale Ale

Lateral Steps:
Innis And Gunn Oak Aged Beer
O’Hanlons Yellowhammer
Hobgoblin - Wychwood

For The Adventurous:
Lead Dog Ale - Yukon Brewing
Brooklyn Monster Ale
Maximus - Lagunitas