Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 8%
Presentation: 750 ml caged and corked brown bottle
Brewery: Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij
Country: Belgium

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

At one time there were two people running and operating the Denmark based Mikkeller brewery. However in 2007 the latter half of the Mikkeller name, Kristian Klarup Keller, received an offer he couldn’t refuse in his other passion within the Journalism field, and suddenly this brewery was a one man show. That last man standing is Mikkel Borg Bjergsø. He’s taken on many unique approaches to his brewing, the most notable of acquiring the mantle of “Gypsy Brewer”. The term has been applied to him so frequently that it’s practically become a universally coined title.

Mikkel Borg Bjergsø doesn’t brew out of any one particular location anymore, doesn’t own a brewery set up, but produces his beers now out of different facilities. Not just other Danish breweries either (of which there is currently a large selection), rather the myriad options of traditional and craft breweries that encompass Europe, along with the trail-blazing and limit-pushing craft breweries of the U.S. who have carved out their own reputations. Pushing the limits is what Mikkel of Mikkeller has taken on as a personal mandate. Maintaining the highest degree of quality within his creations is his other principle.

Another distinct trait of Mikkeller is that he very rarely brews the same beer on a regular basis, constantly pursuing new and unusual interpretations of classic styles, testing the boundaries of brewing finesse, and then moving on to the next challenge or inspiration. While this throws some people off because it is so out of the norm, it has also attracted to him a loyal following of well-wishers and curiosity seekers who applaud his bravado and eagerly await his next palate expanding invention.

In the case of USAlive! We have something of a hybrid beer experiment. He had originally brewed a beer called It’s Alive at the very prolific De Proef Brouwerij facilities in Belgium, something of a personal homage to the traditional monk-brewed Trappist ale produced by Orval. The twist with USAlive! is taking this same Belgian style ale and adding a generous dose of American style hops. Amarillo, Cascade and Tomahawk hops to be exact, all of which comprise intense characteristics of citrus (especially grapefruit) and earthy pine. The result is a hybrid of Old World brewing tradition along with one of the major touchstones of the American Craft Brewing scene. Here’s a beer that bridges the pond, so to speak.

This is a fairly big beer, so as a rule of thumb consider glassware with a wide rim that will help expose all the volatile elements. My pick would be an oversized red wine glass or large brandy snifter, while a chalice or goblet is the way to go if you’re in possession of some Belgian beer glasses. As with many styles a pint glass or wide mug will do as a backup option. From experience I found that this ale tastes best while still somewhat chilled. Since it’s a large bottle I’d let it sit out for a good 15 minutes before uncorking.

Once poured, your glass will be filled by an intense copper hue that will exhibit a bit of a haze, but this is the result of the live yeast that was added during bottling. There is some mild caramel malt on the nose along with some brown sugar, however the main focus will highlight notes of grassy, citrusy, floral hops. Modest bready and caramel malts are present at first in the flavour, along with a slight earthy funk, then exhibiting aspects of spicy hops blended with leafy greens and sharp grapefruit on the finish. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with a light carbonation and dry texture.

Since this isn’t a common beer style the choices for food pairing gets a little more esoteric as well. Artisanal cheese fans should rejoice for the fact that a bottle of this hybrid beer will easily compliment a platter of sharp, old and pungent varieties. Pheasant and duck are also good options. The dry earthiness will match the general flavour of the pheasant, while the citrus quality of the hops will cut through the fattiness of the duck. Best to keep other game meats in mind as well.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewer:
It’s Alive
Monk’s Brew
Jackie Brown
Big Worst
Black Hole
Beer Geek’s Breakfast
Beer Geek’s Brunch Weasel
Frelser
Funky E Star
Black – Islay Edition
Barrel Aged 1000 IBU
Mikkel and Menno

In-Style:
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Lateral Steps:
Orval
Anchor Liberty Ale
DDC Corne du Diable

For The Adventurous:
Fuller’s Vintage Ale
Thomas Hardy’s Old Ale
Alley Kat Olde Deuteronomy

Style: Fruit/Wheat Ale
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: McAuslan Brewing
Country: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

If you’re honest enough with yourself you’ll eventually come to realize that when something defies both convention and your own personal bias, then you have to admit to a job well done, even if it is grudgingly. Except for me there is no grudge involved whatsoever when it comes to the St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale from Montreal’s enduring McAuslan Brewery, although sadly it does tend to get overlooked in my own perspective when it comes to beer shopping.

I’ve stated in a previous column on Fruit Beers that one of the major downfalls of this diverse style, one with already fairly loose parameters, is that the use of fruit can often be used in order to conceal an already bland or mediocre base beer. Of course with enough of this type of product on the market it’s enough to drive people away after only one or two bad experiences, especially if they weren’t keen on the whole prospect to begin with.

Fortunately the St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale doesn’t suffer from this affliction—in fact the opposite is true. Even without the addition of fruit this would be a decent quality American style Wheat Ale. For the base they’ve employed malted wheat and a blend of different barley malts to help enhance the addition of natural apricot essence as the fruit component. The result is a solid beer, regardless of any contrary predispositions. Naturally if you are not partial to apricots to begin with this may be an obvious one to sit out on and pass by, it can’t be helped. But for the rest of you let’s check out this notable orchard inspired ale.

Glassware is a fairly open option with this fruit beer. A tall fluted Pilsner or Wheat glass can be optimal, however you won’t be missing out too much using a pint glass or a mug either. This particular beer may be subtle and well-rounded, but is not some delicate flower that needs to be treated with kid gloves. Allowing it to warm 5 or 10 minutes will allow the nuances to open up while still retaining enough of a chill to keep the experience enjoyable.

As is expected for an ale of this sort the appearance is a clear bright reddish-gold, crowned by a thick creamy white head. The nose will pick up orchard scents of apricot and peach, with hints of tropical fruit even, although only mild notes of clean grains in the background. A fine balancing act also takes place within the flavour between the sweetness of the apricot and the natural tartness of the malted wheat. Nothing becomes overwhelming or seems out of place. All carried along on a smooth and assertively carbonated mouthfeel.

While this Apricot Wheat Ale makes a great hot weather patio beer, there’s also enough going on within it to warrant it as a sweeter go-to choice any time of the year when the mood strikes. Yet when it comes to food I would recommend a minimalist approach of keeping things light and simple. Think along the lines of non-spicy Vietnamese soups, baked Brie, or salads tossed with a fruit vinaigrette dressing. White fish is a good option as well, especially if it’s been prepared with a citrus component. On the snacking side of things this Fruit Beer will help wash down tortilla chips dipped in a mild mango salsa.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
St-Ambroise Pale Ale
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout

Other Fruit Beers:
Cannery Blackberry Porter
Pump House Blueberry Ale
Liefmans Fruitbier
Lindemans Kriek Lambic
Wild Rose Wraspberry
Alley Kat Aprikat

Lateral Steps:
Yukon Chilkoot Lager
Pump House SOB
Crabbie’s Ginger Beer

For The Adventurous:
Unibroue Don de Dieu
Coney Island Albino Python
Red Racer IPA

Style: American India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 355 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Central City Brewing
Country: Surrey, B.C., Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Perhaps I may have mentioned it in a previous column, but I’ll openly admit that I’m something of a hophead. It took me years to acquire a taste for these complex bitter leafy green cones, the yang to the yin of the malt within the production of modern day beers. Until that point I shied away from hoppy beers, preferring to hang around with brown ales, stouts and mild pale lagers. When I did come across a hop-centric style I would slowly wrestle with it, and then rush back to my malty comfort zone immediately after.

It wasn’t until I came across beers made predominantly with American hop varieties that I started to notice aspects of them that I enjoyed, most notably the quenching, zesty citrus quality they imparted, especially the character of brisk lingering grapefruit. It’s not to everyone’s personal taste, although there is a growing population of craft beer drinkers who tend to crave them. Hence the growing numbers of these types of beers starting to fill up shelves. After a while I realized I was one of those who liked them too. A lot.

Central City Brewing from out in Surrey has developed what many believe to be the ultimate solution for those of us jonesing after a clean straight-forward citrus hop fix, no fooling around, no nonsense. What’s even more astounding is that this finely crafted beer comes in a can! Not only was this brewery able to make a fantastic IPA, but they also managed to overcome the stigma that no decent craft beer could come out of a lowly average sized can—the traditional container of the fizzy yellow mass-produced suds that so many aficionados had left behind for more adventurous tastes.

In light of that this would be one of those rare instances where I wouldn’t shake my finger at you for drinking this IPA straight out of the can, especially if you take it out camping or elsewhere relaxing out in the great outdoors. It’s crafted well enough that the concentrated hops found within are going to carry through. However while we’re still here in civilization let’s grab a glass to see what this looks like and get to know it better. A standard pint glass is the most direct choice, but if you do have some fancy glassware in your cupboards or on your shelves then I would suggest a tulip glass, which will help accentuate all the key attributes—like a bustiere for your beer! Between 5-15 minutes is how long I’d let this sit before opening; go for the shorter length of time if you feel like starting out with the hop content toned down a bit from the cold.

The moment you open the can you’ll be immediately engulfed by the aroma of grapefruit, and it will not let up. Once transferred to a glass you’ll be able to pick out some toasty malt after a while, trying to offer a hint of balance to an otherwise lopsided affair. And there’ll be more citrus grapefruit bouquet, it’s not going anywhere. If you’re a hophead like me then the first sip will be a foot through the door of paradise. Expect a brief and subtle introduction of toasted biscuity malt before the surf’s up for a tsunami of grapefruit hops from then on. The beauty of it is that this hoppiness is well maintained and never reaches the point of getting out of control, your taste buds stay on top the whole time without getting dragged under and drowned. The tide that carries this all in is a medium-bodied mouthfeel, with a texture that is a bit oily and slick from the substantial hop content.

If your palate survived all that excitement, chances are good that you may also have a thing for hot and spicy foods. You’ve now discovered a beer that will match all that intensity blow for blow. Whether it’s a vindaloo or madras curry, a silent and smouldering Thai dish, some five alarm chilli, or a plate of suicide hot wings, Red Racer IPA is your new culinary wingman. Expect the bitterness to do its best to cancel out the heat, while the brisk citrus will help cleanse the palate and quench.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Red Racer Pale Ale

In-Style:
Dogfish Head 6o Min. IPA
Tree Hophead
Lagunitas IPA
Indica IPA
Half Pints Little Scrapper IPA
Yukon Ice Fog IPA

Double IPA’s:
Lagunitas Maximus
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Dogfish Head 90 Min. IPA
Rogue XS Imperial IPA
He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.
Half Pints Humulus Ludicrous
Sherbrooke Bad Hare Day

Style: Strong Cask Ale
ABV: 12.2%
Presentation: Single 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat Brewing Co. exclusive for Sherbrooke Liquor
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

As something of a cousin to the Rye Dawn release of a couple years ago comes another foray into cask-aged beers from Sherbrooke with the release of Glenn Sherbrooke. For legal purposes we’ll assume that’s Glenn there posing on the label in his kilted glory (and be thankful, perhaps, that the wind isn’t gusting upwards from that vantage point).

The barrels used for this new series of cask-aged beers come straight from the Glenora Distillery in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. These barrels formerly housed their signature Glen Breton Rare, which can be boasted as the only Canadian made Scottish-style single malt whiskey available. As you can imagine this indigenous distillery has had their fair share of run-ins with the Scotch Whisky Association, which were finally resolved in the middle of 2009 to the advantage of Glenora.

This brings us back to the extra “n” in Glenn Sherbrooke, which one can assume was placed there more on the side of caution rather than the sheer sake of resonance and aesthetics. However it still suits the chap in the kilt…..

This initial release of the new Glenn Sherbrooke line is comprised of Alley Kat’s Amber London-style Brown Ale that has been aged in 4 separate barrels that once contained the Glen Breton Rare, and then married together again in the same conditioning vessel before bottling. Some experimentation is anticipated with future editions by aging other styles to create a different final product each time.

However digressing back to this original batch I would recommend allowing the bottle to sit out for at least 20 minutes to half an hour in order to warm up before serving. A large brandy snifter would be one of the best ways to appreciate this high alcohol ale, helping to accentuate all the extra aromatics from the casks, along with the flavour.

Barrel #1 of Glenn Sherbrooke is dark hazy amber in appearance, although transforms to a bright rustic copper hue when held to light. Expect a few fingers width of creamy off-white head that will slowly settle. Mild nutty and toasted malt tones are apparent in the bouquet, however the major accent will be of residual whiskey from the barrels. The flavour is clean, revisiting the toasted and nutty malt from the aroma, while the casks contribute notes of wood, sweet whiskey and brown sugar. Finishing things off is a mild citrus and herbal character. Even though the alcohol is high, the mouthfeel is on the lighter side, with low carbonation, yet a slick texture that tends to get a bit sticky on the finish.

While many high alcohol beers are more difficult to pair with food, some strong, sharp cheese should be able to keep from being overwhelmed. Consider some Gorgonzola or Stilton, even some sharp aged cheddar. Earthy nuts such as walnuts and Brazil nuts are also a good option to serve along with the cheese, or on their own. For the more ambitious chefs in the crowd a beef bourguignon will stand in as a worthy main course to serve along with this current incarnation of Glenn Sherbrooke.

The next steps in the cooler:

Also From Sherbrooke:
Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba!
Van Helsing’s All Natural Mouthwash
Chocolate Cherry Ostiarius
Bad Hare Day
Sherbrooke Shamrock
Neopoleon
Ochsner’s 1905 Alberta Porter

Also From Alley Kat:
Alley Kat Amber
Alley Kat Aprikat
Full Moon Pale Ale
Charlie Flint’s Organic Lager
Olde Deuteronomy

Other Cask Ales:
Innis and Gunn Oak Aged Beer
Innis and Gunn Blonde
Ola Dubh Special Reserve 12
Ola Dubh Special Reserve 18

Lateral Steps:
Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Brooklyn Monster Ale
Fuller’s Vintage Ale

Style: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 5.1%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 brown bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat Brewing
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

What once seemed like an odd and curious concept when it first appeared several years ago has now become a local bastion of Autumn seasonal beers in Edmonton, and beyond. The original batch of Pumpkin Pi (the jack o’ lantern on the label had 3.14 carved in for the eyes) was the 2nd in-house limited edition beer to be offered by the Sherbrooke Liquor Store, and brewed under contract by the talented folks at the Alley Kat Brewery.

2007 was the year that Sherbrooke first introduced Pumpkin Pi for the local masses, and it was an immediate hit, selling out 135 flats in a mere 5 weeks. The 2nd release in 2008 was shared with Alley Kat for their own seasonal distribution and was so successful that 4 consecutive batches of it resulted in order to keep up with demand. As it proved to be the most successful seasonal beer Alley Kat had released in their now 15 year history, the exclusive province-wide distribution was wholly conceded back to Alley Kat by 2009 while Sherbrooke retained their reputation for carrying the largest stock of it. Now in 2010 Alley Kat has added an extra “e” to the name, and the label for Pumpkin Pie has a new look to match the new aesthetic of the brewery’s seasonal releases.

While it has managed to create a splash locally, Pumpkin Beers are nothing new. They had already made their debut by the time of the 2nd Thanksgiving dinner in 1623, along with pumpkin pie and pumpkin soup. Its inception came about through circumstances involving the mother of invention, utilizing the fermentable sugars within the pumpkin flesh as a substitute for traditional barley malt that was unavailable. When brewing malt became more accessible again in the “New World” this style fell out of vogue, although was still produced on occasion throughout the years and enjoyed intermittent spikes in popularity. Even affluent Yankees such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin are historically known for brewing their own versions.

However contemporary success of the style is attributed to American craft brewer Bill Owens, who is said to have revived this historical beer in 1985 with his Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale. The trend soon caught on in the U.S. and it wasn’t long before every brewer worth their name was producing a version of Pumpkin Ale for the Autumn season, from the smallest microbrewer or brewpub operator, to the large commercial breweries. These days while travelling around the U.S. in the Fall you can’t turn around twice without coming across dozens of variations to sample. Sadly there are not as many Canadian producers, but the numbers seem to have increased over the past few years.

Now where things get a bit hazy is that there is no straightforward ingredients list or flavour profile for the Pumpkin Ale style. Some use just the pumpkin flesh (sometimes roasted first), some just use a medley of pumpkin spices, while others make use of both. The typical base style tends to be a neutral or malt forward amber ale, although some brewers have released porter and stout varieties, and there is even a mention or two of pumpkin lagers. The pumpkin itself doesn’t add much to the overall flavour, especially if it isn’t roasted, but provides a fuller body and mouthfeel. It’s the recognizable pumpkin spice that tends to do most of the legwork. Even then many brewers tend to come up with their own unique blend, potentially involving different combinations of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, mace and caramelized sugar.

The Alley Kat brewery goes all out in the production of Pumpkin Pie, employing both the pumpkin meat and a special blend of pumpkin spices that is based on a personal pumpkin pie recipe of owner Neil Herbst. With the exception of small adjustments to help fine-tune and improve it, the recipe for Pumpkin Pie has remained consistent over the past 4 years since its inception. The only real ingredient substitution from the previous years is that the new 2010 release was brewed with Northern Brewer hops, which adds a little bit of earthiness in the background of the flavour.

Speaking of which, let’s check this stuff out now. Pumpkin beers in general are fairly versatile (think along the lines of Pale or Amber ales), so glassware comes down to personal preference, practically anything will serve well. In order to experience what the spices have to offer I’d allow a bottle of Pumpkin Pie to warm for about 10 minutes before opening.

A clear rustic copper coloured beer will pour into your chosen glass, which will have a creamy off-white head. The nose will discover a light sweet caramel at first, but the bouquet of pumpkin spices will soon take over. There’s more of a neutral malt presence in the flavour, hints of that caramel sweetness up front, but the earthy character of the pumpkin and the hops will replace it quickly, with the secret blend of pumpkin spices becoming most prominent from the middle to finish, and briefly in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, with a brisk splash of carbonation on the finish.

Of course the ideal pairing for this seasonal beer is Thanksgiving dinner, give yourself a gold star if you already came to that conclusion yourself. Since hunting season tends to fall around this time as well Pumpkin Pie will hold its own when matched with game meet as well.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Alley Kat Amber
Aprikat
Full Moon Pale Ale
Charlie Flint’s Organic Lager
Olde Deuteronomy

In-Style (seasonal):
St-Ambroise Citrouille
Howe Sound Pumpkineater Imperial Ale
Brooklyn Post Road

Lateral Steps:
Sherbrooke Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba!
Sherbrooke Van Helsing’s All Natural Mouthwash
Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale
Rogue Juniper Ale
Dogfish Head Midas Touch
Amber’s Sap Vampire
Crabbie’s Ginger Beer
DDC Route Des Épices

Style: American Amber/Red Ale
ABV: 5.9%
Presentation: 6 packs of 355 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Country: Petaluma, California, U.S.A.

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Try getting a straight answer out of the PR folks at Lagunitas. Granted you’ll get some amusing blurbs on the labels of their beer that tends to draw your attention away from the product in hand. Scour their website for more of the same obscure and vague stream of conscious banter that seems more like a wild goose chase than anything else. It’s almost like they’re hiding something, distracting you from something more pertinent that they don’t want you to know or find out about. I’d be willing to write this all off as some sort of pre-meditated sinister plot if it wasn’t for the fact that in general they make some well-crafted tasty beers.

Then I’m reminded that their motto is, “Beer speaks, people mumble,” and realize that this flippant approach stems from that frame of mind. A stance acknowledging the fact that no matter what they tell you about their beer, it’s the beer that gets the final word. And that if you don’t like what that beer has to say then nothing they tell you is going to bring you back for more. So with all that smoke and mirror action they are actually being up front and honest—in a roundabout sort of way of course…..

After all of that we come around to their Censored Ale. Censored? What the heck are they hiding here? Nothing really, except for something the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms didn’t want you to see. This copper ale was originally called Kronik, and rather than changing the name they simply chose to obviously slap a “Censored” bar across it, I suppose to make the Federal injunction against it more obvious in the process. Now that you’re in the know if you look close enough you can see the fringes of this word still exposed behind the black bar.

Moving beyond the politics and legalities and controversy behind it all, let’s look further into the style of the American Amber Ale that this beer falls into. It’s something of an ambiguous category that was invented in the Western U.S. States during the 1990’s. Too dark to be considered a Pale Ale, not hoppy enough to fit in as an IPA, it soon spread across North America, many times to the fate of becoming a sweet malty catch-all beer to woo in the uninitiated to the craft beer scene, and for countless people this was the first ale they ever tried. With their Censored, Lagunitas clings tightly to their West Coast roots and makes sure that there is a healthy helping of hops to be found within this otherwise caramel sweet coppery ale. The result is a rather satisfying and balanced beer, although in the end it’s one for those who carry an appreciation for citrusy American hops.

This is a pretty easy-going style to begin with, and Censored isn’t quite fussy either, so choice of glassware is up to you on this one. I’d also let it sit out about 10 minutes before opening, just to allow the malt a chance to catch up with the hops in the flavour.

No lies to be found on the label for this beer, it does indeed pour out a rich copper colour, with a slight chill-haze. The aroma is rich and full, with caramel and toasted malts, dates and currents, and some citrus zest. Into the flavour you’ll find some mild malt and dry fruit at first, with the bright citrusy hops showing up in the middle, and then a buttery sweet caramel malt swells in the finish to unite with the hops. The flavour rides into town on a full and creamy smooth mouthfeel with low carbonation.

Food options are fairly broad for this American Amber Ale, easily running the full gamut of pub fare: from fish and chips to fully dressed nachos or piled high burgers, and pretty much everything in between. If it’s not excessively spicy this ale will pair quite nicely with the savoury properties of Mexican and Thai cuisine. From finger food to chopsticks Lagunitas Censored has you covered.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Dogtown Pale Ale
Hop Stoopid
Lagunitas Imperial Stout
Lagunitas IPA
Maximus
Lagunitas PILS

In-Style:
Rogue American Amber Ale
Fish Tale Organic Amber Ale
Tree Thirsty Beaver
Yukon Red
Pump House Fire Chief’s Red Ale

Lateral Steps:
Fuller’s London Pride
Pump House SOB
Wellington Arkell Best Bitter
Anchor Liberty Ale
Alley Kat Full Moon Pale Ale

For The Adventurous:
Dogfish Head 90 Min. IPA
Tree Hophead
Central City Red Racer IPA
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Style: English Pale Ale
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Yukon Brewing Company
Country: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Since the inception of the Yukon Brewing Company over a decade ago now their Yukon Gold Ale has been one of their two flagship beers, and since then has remained their top selling brand.  Perhaps the key to this comes from several factors:  while it remains uncannily approachable and quenching it also possesses a subtle complexity to it, belying more than meets the eye upon an initial introduction.

Coming from the only brewery to be found north of the 60^th parallel in this country, several sources refer to Yukon Gold as “the perfect example of a Canadian beer.”  Perhaps this is the result of not trying to emulate or compete toe to toe with any other type of beer in particular, but being versatile enough to woo in both the commercial lager crowd as well as the more discerning craft beer type, who tends to frequent ales in general.  The numbers don’t lie, on its home turf 1 in 3 kegs consumed in the Yukon is Yukon Gold.  And considering that Alberta is the brewery’s primary outside market, this beer still tends to hold its own amongst the plethora of offerings we have to choose from.

For a decade now Yukon Gold has been a favourite session beer of mine.  What’s a session beer you ask?  Chances you already know the answer but may not be familiar with the term itself.  Generally as session beer is of low to average alcohol percentage (4-5%), quenching, satisfying, with enough character to crave another in succession yet not so complex that your palate becomes fatigued and overwhelmed after only one glass.  You have a few of these with friends on a sunny patio, watching the game, sitting around playing cards or a board game, kicking butt on Wii Bowling, or practically most kitchen parties.  A friendly and casual beer that you want to hang out with on a regular basis, but not get blitzed on.

A clean and crisp beer, it’s one you still don’t want to drink ice cold.  Let it warm at least 5-10 minutes after pulling from the fridge, there are some nice subtle nuances waiting for you within.  I’d choose a pint or similar style glass for it, a wider glass such as a mug (unless it’s a thin rimmed mug) will disperse a lot of that subtle goodness if you choose to go exploring for it.

A deep gold, light amber in appearance, with striking clarity, and a tall creamy white head, things already get off to a good start.  The nose picks up on a sweet bready malt at first, more caramel and toasted malt follows, with faint traces of floral hops.  This continues in the flavour with predominant clean malt, bready caramel notes up front, a toasty character combined with light wheat graininess in the middle, it finishes dry with subtle floral, grassy hops with practically no bitterness, and the most curious hint of chocolate in the aftertaste.  A mild, medium-bodied mouthfeel with low carbonation helps to easily deliver this session ale.

If you choose to go beyond enjoying Yukon Gold as a session ale and have a bite to eat with it, fairly light fare would be the key.  Fish and chips are the ideal pairing that first comes to mind, although it would compliment a lone serving of sweet potato fries as well.  Pan fried or lightly breaded calamari will also find a thoughtful dance partner with this ale.  If your tastes are a bit more posh I’d recommend lobster or crab, the maltiness will not overwhelm the shellfish and will even compliment any additional garlic butter for dipping served alongside.  Or for a more common meal, roasted chicken or turkey would be delighted to be paired some Yukon Gold, don’t forget a side of potatoes of the same name!

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Yukon Red
Chilkoot Lager
Lead Dog Ale
Yukon Cranberry Wheat
Discovery Ale
Ice Fog IPA
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout

In-Style:
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Fuller’s London Pride
St-Ambroise Pale Ale

Lateral Steps:
Innis and Gunn Oak Aged Beer
Duvel
Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold

For The Adventurous:
Lagunitas Censored
Anchor Liberty Ale
Maudite - Unibroue

Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: McAuslan Brewing
Country: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

While it started out in 1989 during Montreal’s first wave of microbreweries, the McAuslan Brewery has exercised its staying power over the past couple of decades by producing top notch yet easily consumable beers, regardless of whatever style they tackled.  Although their beers have been available here in Alberta for a good six years now, we are still only privy to their Apricot Wheat Ale, world class Oatmeal Stout, and refined Pale Ale.

It’s this last beer that has stood out as McAuslan’s flagship beer since day one, and has managed to maintain such a lengthy reign with a bearing of subtle complexity and solid character.  After all, the style of Pale Ale is a ubiquitous mainstay within almost any craft brewery or brewpub to be found throughout North America, at times so unrecognizable from its neighbours that it sadly can be coined as the “vanilla” of craft beer styles.

Proper glassware won’t be too big of a concern for this St-Ambroise Pale Ale, it’s pretty versatile, so the standard mug or pint glass will serve well.  Even with the nuances to discover within a fairly chilled temperature is recommended, so let the bottle sit out for 5-10 minutes before opening and consuming.

Gorgeous from the get go, what splashes into the glass is an appealing clear vibrant copper beer capped by a creamy off-white head that never fully dissipates.  To follow is an aroma of grassy and floral hops, some light orchard fruit, rounded out with some light biscuit malt.  No disappointment in the flavour either, it delivers what the nose promises with a seamless blending of malt and hops.  Assertively crisp biscuit and caramel malt up front with hints of peach arising in the middle, while dry floral hops round things out accompanied with some light pear and fresh grass.  All this riding on a creamy smooth and lightly effervescent mouthfeel.  All in all a classy session beer.

If pairing with food, it would be best to stick with milder fare as to not overwhelm this St-Ambroise Pale Ale.  Chicken, white fish, and pasta dishes with white sauce is safe ground.  For a more ethnic twist consider mild curried dishes, along with Vietnamese or Mexican food so long as the chilies aren’t too intense.  For those planning a session with this ale and only considering finger foods you can’t go wrong with salsa and tortilla chips, or a platter of mild and tangy cheeses to munch on between sips.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale

In Style:
Mill Street Tankhouse Ale
Yukon Gold
Pike Pale Ale
Tree Cutthroat Pale Ale

Lateral Steps:
Lagunitas Censored
Alley Kat Full Moon Pale Ale
Erdinger Weisse
Duvel

For The Adventurous:
Tree Hophead
Wild Rose IPA
Anchor Liberty Ale

Style: English Strong Ale
ABV: 7%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Yukon Brewing Company
Country: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

An aptly named dark ale, this one easily remains at the head of the pack.  It even has the credentials to prove it.

In the Spring of 2009 Yukon Brewing’s head brewer Alan Hansen was invited to take part in an annual Real Ale competition in England, the J.D. Wetherspoon Beer Festival.  It was there with the drawback of using foreign equipment and ingredients that he managed to brew up two improvised batches of Lead Dog Ale to naturally condition in casks and enter into this 18 day international invitational.  Not only that, out of the 50 breweries represented Hansen managed to bring home a 2^nd place win with the Lead Dog Ale, no small feat against the home turf competition.  All things considered, a silver medal under such circumstances is as good as gold.

Then again, this is also a fitting style to win over a crowd of classic British ale drinkers.  Also known as Old Ales or Stock Ales, Lead Dog Ale emulates the robust and malty strong dark beers that were traditionally nursed in front of a fireplace to help satiate the spirit and take a bit of chill out of the bones during the winter months.  Variations and interpretations abound, it seems that an Old or English Strong Ale tends to fall somewhere between regular strength Pale Ales and high alcohol Barleywines, with a brewery’s seasonal Winter Warmer much of the time getting lumped into the mix, additional spices and all.  The major prerequisite however is that it has to taste good, not any old generic high test will do.

Because it’s such a hearty ale Lead Dog will do well in almost any beer glass you choose, be it mug, pint glass or brandy snifter.  Yet because of the rich and complex flavour profile I’d let the bottle sit out a good 20-30 minutes before opening and serving.  If you have the discipline then slightly chilled beyond room temperature is a more traditional approach.

Once in the glass Lead Dog is a deep russet brown in colour, nearly but not quite opaque.  There won’t be much of a head retention beyond the quick splash of a spongy tan cap.  By allowing your nose to follow that receding foam an encounter with notes of roasted malt, toffee, dark dried fruit, treacle, some earthy, spicy hops, as well as a bit of alcohol warmth will ensue.  Whew, and that’s just brushing the surface, feel free to finish that list off from your own experience.  Not one to tease, this dark ale delivers a flavour of robust roasted malt at first, followed with toffee, molasses, figs, a bit of nut, finishing with some dry wood and faint spicy, grassy hops.  To match it all is a full, creamy mouthfeel with low carbonation and dry finish.  Really, an ideal companion for a cold winter night.  And if I had to play favourites I will openly admit that Lead Dog is easily my favourite beer from Yukon Brewing, although the remaining competition from them is by no means a push over for my affection.

If you’re looking to pair this ale with something beyond a comfy chair, a roaring fire and some good company, consider a platter of assorted nuts along with some earthy and tangy cheeses.  When finger food just won’t cut it the rich and roasty character of Lead Dog is a welcome companion to almost any grilled or roasted meats.  Gamier meats such as venison, pheasant or duck are also worthy options if they are available to you.  This Lead Dog Ale will definitely not lead you astray.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Yukon Gold
Yukon Red
Chilkoot Lager
Yukon Cranberry Wheat
Discovery Ale
Ice Fog IPA
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout

In-Style:
Cooper’s Extra Strong Vintage Ale
Wellington Iron Duke
Fuller’s Vintage Ale

Lateral Steps:
McEwan’s Scotch Ale
Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Rochefort 10
Traquair House Ale
Paddock Wood London Porter

For The Adventurous:
Rogue Imperial Porter
Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout - North Coast

Style: Double India Pale Ale
ABV: 8%
Presentation: Single 341 ml brown bottle, green wax seal
Brewery: Half Pints Brewing Co.
Country: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

I may not be overly fluent in Latin, but my taste buds know that Humulus Ludicrous indirectly translates into English as “contains a ridiculous amount of hops.”  To slip into a quick lesson in botany, the Latin name for the common hop is Humulus lupulus, which has a nice ring to it all on its own.  Hops are small green pinecone-like nuggets that grow on vines, and provide the balancing and bittering ingredient to the otherwise cloyingly sweet malt in the brewing of beer.  Besides acting as a balancing agent they can also provide aroma and flavour, depending on the beer style and the brewermaster’s discretion.

That being said this Double India Pale Ale from Half Pints should probably be filed under “For The Adventurous” for many of you in the crowd.  However for the die hard “hopheads” it’s time to step right up.  This rendition of the style is a whopping 100 IBU’s (IBU stands for International Bitterness Units, a universally recognized scale used to measure how potent the alpha acids found in hops are), which is nearly double the amount found in many regular India Pale Ales.  Before you start involuntarily puckering from the very thought of it, the tendency with the DIPA style is to have nearly as intense of a malt presence in order to balance out the massive hop whollap, or at the very least to keep it in check so it’s not some one-sided runaway train of bitterness.  The beauty of Humulus Ludicrous-which was brewed to mark the Half Pints Brewery’s anniversary–is that it manages to pull this off while still delivering the goods promised.  It’s one of the few times a beer label doesn’t lie to you or offering false promises.

For glassware the usual suspects of a mug or a pint glass will fit the bill, although if you wish to accentuate the floral and citrus aromatics awaiting you the moment you open the bottle, us an oversized red wine glass, or a Belgian chalice or tulip glass if you have one handy.  Keeping those aromatics in mind let the bottle stand at least 10 minutes after you take it out of the fridge.  Once poured you’ll be introduced to a beer that is cloudy deep amber in appearance, with a short tight creamy off-white head.  As you gaze you will have already noticed fairly intense aromas of lemon and orange, possibly even the moment the bottle cap was pried off the bottle and you had a chance to pour it.  A deeper inspection will unearth hints of sugary sweet malt, burnt toasted notes, then a parade of hops including tangerine, light lemon zest and fresh white grapefruit, with faint traces of pine and spicy earth.  This all carries on in the flavour with sweet, toasted mildly bready malt that effortlessly blends with grassy, herbal, earthy, citrus rind hops, almost equally as sweet on the finish, with the hops eventually lingering on longer in the aftertaste.  Deceptive enough that, while hoppy, you’d never guess there was 100 IBU’s of hops lurking in there.  As intense as the flavour is the mouthfeel is not as overwhelming, being a user-friendly medium-body without much carbonation.

With such a strong hop presence Humulus Ludicrous would match well with old, sharp cheeses, matching it blow for blow in dynamic tango of flavours.  Spicy dishes are the ultimate dance partner however, take your favourite personal pick from the Mexican, Thai or Cajun styles, or set it head to head with the most daring serving of Buffalo wings you can muster up.  This will also slice through a pesto based pasta dish.  For dessert?  If one of your favourites is carrot cake like mine this DIPA will prevent the richest of cream cheese icings from overwhelming your palate.  It will also harmonize with and balance out any sweets of desserts with a prominent ginger component.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Burley Wine
Humulus Ludicrous
Phil’s Pils
Little Scrapper IPA
Sweet Nikki Brown

In-Style:
90 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head
Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A. - He’Brew
Hardcore IPA - Brew Dog
Storm IPA - Brew Dog
Bad Hare Day - Sherbrooke

Other Hoppy Beers:
US Alive - Mikkeller
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Santa’s Private Reserve - Rogue
Lagunitas Imperial Red

For The Adventurous:
Old Crustacean - Rogue
Paradox - Brew Dog
Samichlaus Bier