Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 9%
Presentation: Single 750 ml brown caged and corked bottles
Brewery: Unibroue
Country: Chambly, Quebec, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

When you set out to explore the world of beer, and then quickly realize how vast it is and how much there is out there that you’ve yet to try, at times you can get a bit overwhelmed and lost.  Perhaps a bit compulsive in your quest to discover it all.  Because of moments like this I recommend keeping a handful of old favourites in mind, as a way of going back and grounding yourself for a bit, just sitting back and enjoying the company of an old tried and true winner.

One overlooked ale that I love to spend some down time with, and sadly not often enough, is Don De Dieu from Québec’s renowned Unibroue Brewery.  It’s not so complex that I have to grab a thesaurus and pull out a slide rule in order to get the full experience out of it, instead there’s enough subtle goodness in the guise of what seems on the outside as a big beer.  At a hefty 9% alcohol content, this beer can be a bit deceptive if you haven’t defined your personal limits ahead of time.

Another beautiful thing is that almost every beer that Unibroue puts out seems to have some sort of story behind it, some interesting reference from history or folklore.  Don De Dieu is no exception.  In fact it translates as “Gift Of God” from French, which to my mind makes it aptly named.  It doesn’t end there though.  The original Don De Dieu was the galleon that Samuel de Champlain sailed to the New World on the commission of King Henry IV of France himself.  It was with this vessel that Champlain sailed up the St Lawrence Seaway and came to found and settle what is now Québec City.

Although I try to keep things fairly general with my beer descriptions here in KANPAI!, and allow you the reader and beer adventurer to use it a starting point to expand your own personal experience from each new beer you try, I’m going to totally geek out this time around and provide my initial description from back when I first tried this gorgeous Belgian-styled ale, and how it converted me on the spot, making it a long-term favourite ever since.  Consider yourselves lucky that we have this ale so easily accessible now too, I initially had to get my first bottle on a trip out to Vancouver at one point.

Best served in stemware such as an oversized wine glass or brandy snifter, or a Belgian tulip glass or chalice if you have one.  It’s also much more pleasant and subtlely complex the closer it gets to room temperature.  With that preliminary business taken care of, here we go!

“Initially pours out with an aggressive foamy white head that eventually settles down to a solid creamy 1 finger cap in my chalice. Serious carbonation action within this cloudy apricot-hued body, when held up to the light it reminds me of the predominant colour scheme of the label.  The nose is light yet assertive with a parade of aromas, an underlying spiciness that reveals citrus, pepper, vanilla, clove, orange rind, candied banana and cinnamon, which gives way to the fruity esters of apple, pear and pineapple, along with a yeast and wheat presence blanketed within all of that, alcohol is very faint.  Mouthfeel is delicate and creamy, smooth except for a bit of an alcohol bite that rubs its supple hands across your palate, a most welcome texture.  The flavour is just one big magic carpet ride, so much going on that it’s like the many major cities of the Earth whizzing by beneath you too fast to completely take in, but leaving you in awe all the same. Green apples dipped in caramel at first, smothered in a cinnamon/vanilla/pear compote, rolled in bitter orange peels, cloves and pepper, and washed down with the smoothest of hefeweizens with an aged Grand Marnier chaser. And that doesn’t even do it justice. A 1001 Arabian Nights of an ale.”

Well then, back to reality, that was how this ale first caught my attention, and continues to enchant me whenever I can make the time to come back and revisit it.  Not only that, but hopefully this shows you how creative and descriptive you can get if you decide to make notes from all the different beers you are trying.  Make it fun, and make it personal.

Lastly we’ll still get to some food pairings.  As complex as the flavour of this golden ale sounds when described above, much of it is subtle nuance, I really picked this baby apart to its bare elements, and perhaps did not give credit as to how surprisingly mellow this 9% beer really is.  As a result of that, robust and rich foods are out to eat alongside this particular beer, the beverage will get drowned out as a result.  Keep in mind something of an ambitious salad, with elements of baby spinach, dried cranberries, pine nuts, perhaps a citrus based vinaigrette, even topped by chicken or salmon.  Predominantly white fish would match well with the subtleness, even lightly seared scallops.  Lobster or crab too if you`re feeling ambitious or want to celebrate something special.  Consider this heads up about the Gift Of God as my gift to you.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Blanche De Chambly
Chambly Noire
Maudite
Ephemere (Apple)
Ephemere (Blackcurrant)
La Fin Du Monde
Trois Pistoles
Unibroue 16
Unibroue 17
Quatre-Centieme

In-Style:
Duvel
Delerium Tremens
La Chouffe

Lateral Steps:
Chimay White
St. Bernardus Tripel
Gouden Carolus Tripel

For The Adventurous:
Lindemans Gueuze
Petrus Oud Bruin
Le Merle - North Coast

Style: Fruit Porter
ABV: 6.5%
Presentation: 650 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Cannery Brewing Company
Country: Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

For some beer purists the thought of serving your beer with a fruit garnish is appalling enough, yet to actually brew with any variety of “nature’s candy” is an absolute abomination.  They should perhaps chill out a bit.  From beyond recorded history humanity has been adding a diversity of ingredients into the fermentation process to provide an extra element to their malty euphoria, and I can think of a long list of less appealing things than fruit, believe you me.

However to play devil’s advocate dancing on the flipside of the coin, many brewers out there today are using fruit in their creations to try and boost what already starts out as a mediocre beer.  The further result can stem from a poor use of extracts where they overdo it, sometimes giving an artificial or overwhelming character that can be more akin to cough syrup than natural fruit, or skimp on the real deal and advertise an extra ingredient that can’t even be recognized in the flavour, least of all the aroma.  I think it’s these types of fruit beers that gives the whole concept of it all a bad name and turns people off, well apart from their initial bias of a fruit addition to begin with.

Of course it would be a bit foolish for any brewery in the heart of the fruit belt of B.C. to not dabble with such a combination and still be able to maintain their credibility.  On top of that Cannery Brewing gets its namesake from setting up shop in an old fruit and vegetable cannery in Penticton.  With their Blackberry Porter they manage to get just the right balance between the roasted malts and the robust juice from the blackberries, mingling, marrying and complimenting one another.  Really, the only prerequisite for checking this porter out is an affinity for dark roasty ales, as this fruit beer is worthy of you.

Grab your favourite mug for this one, or your trusty pint glass.  Let the bottle sit 5-10 minutes out of the fridge to warm up enough to release the malt and fruit characteristics, although a bit of chill on it is still desirable.  Once poured you’ll discover a dark mahogany porter capped by a tight creamy beige head.  Sweet berry notes up front in the aroma, blending with roasted, coffee and cocoa from the malt.  There’s roasted malt in the beginning of the flavour, melding in with reserved amounts of dark juicy blackberry, dry cocoa, finishing with hints of coffee notes.  You’ll notice that the berries, although noticeable and present, take a backseat to the whole experience.  Carrying the whole show is a smooth, creamy dry mouthfeel, on the lighter side of many porters, making it more approachable and quaffable for the uninitiated-no thick molasses or motor oil stereotypes can be applied here with any serious clout.

Grilled red meat is what you’re going to want to pair this Blackberry Porter up with, the sweetness of it will balance out any char put against it.  Smoked meats should be added to the list too for some succinct contrast.  This is also a great ale to accompany your favourite dressed burger.  Then again, if you can hold out or have saved yourself for dessert, this porter will really shine with baked chocolate goods, or along with artisanal chocolates on their own.  The berry sweetness along with the dark malt will also blend impressively with fruit-focused desserts, bringing out the best of all worlds.  Or to help set the mood for a romantic evening keep a stash of this conservatively sweet porter to share with your sweet baby.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Naramata Nut Brown Ale
Indian Rock IPA
Apricot Wheat Ale
Anarchist Amber Ale
Maple Stout
Wildfire Dark IPA

Other Porters:
Samuel Smith Taddy Porter
Fullers London Porter
Tree Spy Porter
Tree Raspberry Porter
Mill St. Coffee Porter
Rogue Mocha Porter
Okanagan Old English Porter
Paddock Wood London Porter

Lateral Steps:
Stir Stick Stout - Half Pints
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

For The Adventurous:
Rogue Shakespeare Stout
Aventinus
Brooklyn Monster Ale

Jason Foster

Hops make up only a tiny fraction of a beer recipe - almost un-measurable. Even in the most bitter of beers, hops makes up less than 2% of the total mass of the ingredients (excluding water). Malted barley makes up the remaining 98% in weight. Throw in the reality that beer is mostly water, and the total significance of hops in terms of components becomes infinitesimally small.

Yet that little flower throws a big wallop. It offers all the bitterness and much of the flavour and aroma in beer. Whether you are a hophead or like a crisp light lager, hops is crucial to your appreciation.

So, let’s take a look at hops for a bit. First, it is, indeed, a flower from the plant Humulus lupulus, an aggressive vine that is in the same botanic family as cannabis. The hop flower, which actually blooms only on females of the species, grows overlapping green petals forming a shape similar to a pine cone. In fact the flower is usually referred to as a “hop cone” for that reason. These cones are the only part of the plant used for brewing.

It isn’t really the petals brewers are after, but the yellow dust found inside the layers, called lupulin, which contains resins (alpha and beta acids) crucial for brewing. This stuff is intensely bitter, which is why it is so sought after.

But why hops at all? Barley is different than grapes. Barley sugars are more complex, meaning the yeast cannot consume it all, leaving a degree of sweetness behind in the finished product. This is a good thing. However on its own barley-alcohol is too sickly and cloying. A brewer needs to balance that sweetness with something tart, bitter or earthy to make it drinkable.

Before the 1500s brewers used all kinds of things - tree bark, heather flowers, spices, vegetable roots, and so on to create that balance, with hops only a minor player. However things changed for two reasons. One, hops has a potency unmatched by any other agent, meaning smaller volumes could be used for similar bittering results. Second, politics came into play. Certain kings in England and Bavaria (the leading brewing cultures at the time) had certain “interests” in common with the hop farmers, and passed a variety of laws and tax rules to favour the use of hops over other traditional ingredients. Soon, hops were the dominant bittering ingredient, and the brewing world never looked back.

Hops are used in three ways to affect the perception of your beer. Hops added at the beginning of the pre-fermentation boil give beer bitterness - the sharpness you find at the back of your mouth. Hops added near the end or after the boil will impart a hoppy aroma and subtle flavour to the beer. Finally, if hops are added after fermentation is complete - called “dry hopping” - they add an intense flavour and aroma.

The easiest way to determine the flavour and aroma effects of hops would be to do a side-by-side taste test. Pour out a glass of O’Hanlon’s Yellow Hammer and then beside it some Tree Cutthroat Pale Ale. The grain bill in these beers is similar. What is different is the hop schedule.  The hops in the Cutthroat will quickly make itself known to you.

Your palate will quickly learn to discern hop bitterness, flavour and aroma. And with such knowledge you will be able to distinguish different beers by their hop quality. The big commercial lagers from Molson or Labatt are very lightly hopped. Alley Kat’s Full Moon Pale Ale or Anchor Steam, by contrast, use hops more liberally without losing overall balance. And then there are BIG hoppy beers, like Tree’s Hophead or Half Pint’s Humulus Ludicrous (which proclaims to be Canada’s most bitter beer).

Understanding the separate roles of malt and hops can help drinkers figure out where their personal preferences lie. Hop bitterness, unlike the universal attraction of sweetness, can be an acquired taste. Many beer fans can attest to how their interest in hoppy beers grows as they experience beer. Many beer drinkers become bona fide hop-crazy - we call them “hopheads” - and seek out increasingly hoppy beers.

You don’t have to go that far to appreciate a nicely-hopped beer. Personally I continue to prefer a beer that isn’t afraid of hops but remains committed to overall balance.

Going this far is important for understanding hops, but there is another step that hop-interested beer drinkers need to go. In our next lesson I want to talk about the varieties of hops and their impact on beer. But for now go do some homework and seek out a nice pale ale or pilsener on which to practice your new hop skills.

Style: Belgian Golden Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Presentation: 330 ml brown Euro stubby bottle
Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat
Country: Belgium

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Duvel, pronounced doov’l or doovelle or doo’fl (depending on who you ask), means “devil” in a few Flemish dialects, and one thing is for sure, it is overwhelmingly deceptive at first.  Considered the first of the Belgian Golden Strong Ales ever brewed, it is light, sweet, almost a golden cloud in a glass, yet delivers an almost unnoticeable high alcohol percentage that is not for the faint of constitution, or to be mistaken as a session ale.  That’s something that would end in tears…..

Moving along to the brewery itself, in 1871 a brewery-farm was founded by the Flemish Moortgat family in the municipality of Puurs, Belgium, and has remained a family run operation to this day, already into its 3^rd generation of management.  Duvel was originally produced in 1923 as a way to commemorate the end of World War One, and as a tribute to the English and U.S. soldiers who helped fight the occupying German army.  Because of this it was initially intended to be called “Victory Ale”.  The now legendary story is told that upon initially tasting this potential Victory Ale an employee of the brewery exclaimed, “Da’s nen echten duvel!” which was a local slang saying that translates to, “Damn, that’s a devil of a beer!”  Supposedly the comment struck a chord and stuck in the minds of the brewery’s management involved at the time, leading to a last minute name change to what we now know as Duvel.

An ale that is viewed as something as an anomaly even to this day, there was nothing like Duvel at the time of its inception.  First off the higher alcohol content of 8.5% was a direct reflective response to a law passed in Belgium in 1919 banning the serving of spirits in cafes.  This only resulted in several breweries producing high alcohol beers as a loophole.  What started to make Duvel stand out from the rest however was the mashing of very pale malt, so pale it was steamed rather than traditionally kilned in order to produce as pale of a malt as possible.  To keep things remaining light, a fair amount of corn sugar was added to the brew tun instead of more malt.  Flowery, aromatic hops from both Bohemia and Slovenia were used, combined with well water drawn directly from wells sunk beneath the brewery site itself.  Perhaps the most unique ingredient was the use of a distinct strain of Scottish ale yeast from the McEwan’s brewery of Scotland.  Some say the Moortgat’s acquired it after intense negotiations with McEwan’s, others claim it was “appropriated” from the sediment at the bottom of a bottle of McEwan’s bottle-conditioned export Scotch Ale of the time.  Regardless, the alchemy that is Duvel is completed through a triple fermentation process, including a lengthy cold lagering after the initial fermentation to round out the flavours and lighten up the body, then more yeast and priming sugar are added to aid it in bottle-conditioning after it leaves the brewery.  The end result is magic, perhaps with a bit of divine contribution or, ahem, otherwise….  Thusly a new beer style was born!

Traditionally Duvel is served in a burgundy glass, however a large snifter or oversized wine glass will suffice, or better yet a Belgian tulip glass if you are into collecting proper beer glassware.  If you wish to go all the way and track one down Duvel offers their own specially tailored burgundy-style glass.  There is going to be an extraordinary amount of chunky, frothy white head with exceptional retention, so the extra room in the glass will be gratefully appreciated, trust me on this.  It’s stated by the brewery that the ideal serving temperature ranges between 5-10 degrees Celsius, so by the time you pull the bottle from the fridge and get it fully poured into your glass it should be in this range.  If you manage a pour without getting any yeast sediment into the glass expect bright a pale golden body that might be slightly hazed and bursting with active carbonation, yet can nearly be confused for a craft lager.  If the yeast sediment does get poured in, no worries, it’ll just look a bit cloudy but will not detract overall.  In the aroma you’ll encounter clean notes of citrus, faint spice, malt sweetness, and even some alcohol warmth.  The mouthfeel will be smooth, with some more warmth from the alcohol, finishing crisp and dry similar to champagne.  As we head into flavour country be prepared for a more subtle palate, mild sweetness from the malt, patches of fruit and spice from the yeast, with a lemon-rind and herbal green bitterness attributed to the hops, all rolling through your mouth in waves of intermittent harmony.  Citrus and spice lingers in the aftertaste.  Suddenly it’s all over and gone before you know it, like a golden cloud that briefly caught your attention in a mesmerizing moment of bliss, short and sweet, but who can decide whether it was more shorter or sweeter.  You want to reach for another one.  Perhaps that’s when the alcohol percentage may start to finally catch up with you.  May I point out once again the 8.5% alcohol content?  Deceptive indeed.  The devil’s always in the details, isn’t it?

When it comes to pairing with food, Duvel is as versatile as it is deceptive, able to handle being set up with flavour profiles that are sweet, spicy, herbal, salty, savoury, creamy or fruity.  It scrubs and cleanses the palate, and can act as either an aperitif or digestif.  In fact there’s not much it won’t go with fairly well with, and would be worthwhile experimenting on your own with whatever strikes your fancy.  But you didn’t think I’d just leave you hanging like that, did you?  Duvel is great to serve if you’re planning a Thai or Cajun themed dinner.  Salmon or chicken dishes would be a good place to start as well, especially if they have a prominent garlic presence to them.  Yet it’s mild enough to not overwhelm shellfish either.  For the cheese lovers in the crowd this beer is an ideal counterpart to strong cheeses, such as stilton or blue.  Think of Duvel as the classy multitool of beers, there’s not much it can’t handle, yet remains unique and enjoyable on its own.  The perfect place to start for people interested in checking out Belgian beers.

The next steps in the cooler:

In-Style:
Delerium Tremens
Brooklyn Brewery Local 1
Affligem Blond
Don De Dieu - Unibroue

Lateral Steps:
La Fin Du Monde - Unibroue
Chimay White
St. Bernardus Tripel
Corsendonk Agnus Pale Ale

For The Adventurous:
Mikkeller  US Alive
Le Merle
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Petrus Aged Pale Ale

Style: Amber Ale
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 500 ml single cans
6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Tree Brewing Co.
Country: Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

From my experience Thirsty Beaver seems to be the most popular offering from the Tree Brewery of Kelowna (although I’m more partial to their Hophead myself).  Heck, there’s even a local softball team named after it.  When Tree first started brewing this ale back in the Spring of 1996 it was simply called Amber Ale, however in 2005 not only did the name get changed to Thirsty Beaver but the packaging also underwent a total facelift to the cartoony and somewhat goofy incarnation we all know and love these days.  I’ll let you come to your own conclusions regarding any double entendres or innuendo possibly involved…..  More notoriety attributed to this amber ale is that Thirsty Beaver was one of the first craft beers ever to be offered in 500 ml cans in Western Canada, as Tree was the first regional brewery to utilize this format.

In a sense the Amber Ale is an ambiguous umbrella term used to describe a loose style of beer that started to become prominent in the U.S. around the turn of the 20^th century, especially flourishing in the Western states.  Darker than an English Bitter, maltier than the usual Pale Ale, it can range between light copper to light brown in appearance, generally is quite balanced in flavour, tending to lean towards the malty side, however snappy, hoppy versions are not uncommon, especially among Pacific Northwest brewers.  For many they make an ideal gateway beer into the realm of ales from commercial domestic lager drinkers, usually unintimidating and appealing to those comfortable with maltier, sweeter flavour profiles.  Although it’s not very complex, Thirsty Beaver offers a great starting point for the style, especially for people who have only ever sampled something like a Rickard’s Red previously.

Whether you picked it up in the can or the bottle, this is an ale you can gladly pull out your favourite pint glass or mug for, nothing fancy is required to fully appreciate it.  Although it’ll taste alright straight out of the fridge, I’d recommend letting it sit for 5-10 minutes to warm up slightly, in order to help release the sweet malty goodness waiting inside for you.  Expect a ruddy translucent copper colour with a fairly tall white head that lingers a while.  The aroma will be somewhat toasted, sweet at times with a mild caramel character, juxtaposed with hints of floral citrus hops.  With a mouthfeel that is light yet not watery this amber ale remains approachable yet satisfying, easily keeping it within the realm of a session beer.  The taste up front contains moderate amounts of caramelized malt, toasted and dry.  This continues to be the predominant flavour until it is joined by a slight amount of citrus and grassy hops on the finish, although the malts linger on once more in the aftertaste with just a touch of lemon zest.

If served with food I’d suggest trying Thirsty Beaver along with some comfort food, paired alongside burgers, chicken wings or nachos, heck, even poutine.  The malt base would also go well with beef and pork dishes, from a roast to a sandwich or wrap.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Kelowna Pilsner
Cutthroat Pale Ale
Hophead IPA
Spy Porter
Hefeweizen (seasonal)
Raspberry Porter (seasonal)

In-Style:
Pumphouse Fire Chief Red
Yukon Red
Mill St. Tankhouse Ale
Lagunitas Censored
Fish Tale Organic Pale Ale

Lateral Steps:
Fuller’s London Pride
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale
Mt. Begbie Tall Timber Ale
Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

For The Adventurous:
Innis and Gunn Oak Aged Beer
Rogue XS Imperial Red Ale
Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head
Olde Deuteronomy - Alley Kat