Style: Flavoured Stout
ABV: 6.7%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat Brewing Co. exclusive for Sherbrooke Liquor
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

“From the sublime to the ridiculous is but one step.” –Napoleon Bonaparte

What does an Emperor of France and a tri-flavoured ice cream have in common? One was born in Corsica, the other originated in Naples. One conquered a large part of Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, the other conquered the taste buds of America towards the end of the 19th century. To be honest there was no real connection there, until Sherbrooke decided to step in.

This flavourful chimera of a stout is the original brainchild of local homebrewer Ernie Boffa. Apparently the concept came about at a dinner party he hosted to debut his very first homebrewing effort, which was an IPA made from a kit. The group mused about future interesting concepts for beers that Ernie could pursue while they enjoyed the fruits of his initial attempt, and after a while dessert was served. On the menu was a selection of 3 different gourmet ice creams: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. It may not come as much of a surprise that everyone present proceeded to take a sample of each one in order to produce an impromptu rendition of the familiar Neapolitan style. That was the moment Ernie decided to undertake a Neapolitan stout for his first original homebrew recipe. Not only did it garner praise and recognition from his circle of friends and the local homebrewer’s guild, but went on to win a gold medal as well in a 2009 homebrewing competition.

From experience I’ve found that a nearly room temperature bottle of Alley Kat’s commercial rendition is the best way to experience and enjoy the full flavour spectrum this stout has to offer, given the multiple layers within. Pretty much any favourite glass of yours will help deliver the goods, here’s a beer able to hold its own in anything from a mason jar to a glass slipper.

Assuming you’ve chosen a clear vessel to enjoy this in, you’ll be greeted by a pitch black opaque stout, impervious to light, crowned by a creamy mocha head. Creamy chocolate along with slight coffee notes are most apparent at first in the aroma, vanilla rises up next, while a sugary strawberry seems the faintest of the trio. The flavour matches the aroma, starting with roasted malt and bitter cocoa, although the chocolate sweetens up in the middle where it meets vanilla and continues to the finish. You’ll have to wait until the finish for a dose of strawberry, but it’s worth the wait. Similar to the ice cream predecessor, the chocolate tends to dominate the other two flavours somewhat, but at least it’s a delectable bully. The mouthfeel is not heavy at all either as would be expected for such an intensely flavoured stout, but remains medium-bodied, with a silky and slick texture.

If you have the desire to pair this stout with food, dessert is the course to focus on. While it would do the trick on its own, this Neapolitan stout is screaming out to be part of an ice cream float. Take your pick of chocolate, vanilla or strawberry ice cream on their own to accentuate your favourite flavour, but the truly tapped in gourmand will of course add a striped scoop or two of the eponymous ice cream itself. For presentation I would recommend either a wide mug or an oversized wine glass, whatever suites your own personal aesthetic preferences and needs. Regardless you will probably be branded as a visionary lowbrow rebel for serving this beer in such a manner, feel free to take all the credit. Cake with similar flavours would be the next best step. For those in the crowd who are not into ice cream or cake, most fresh red berries will be a good companion to this stout. And for you incorrigible carnivores out there, ribs slathered with a sweet sauce is the way to go, just make sure you have lots of extra napkins.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Alley Kat Amber
Alley Kat Aprikat
Full Moon Pale Ale
Charlie Flint’s Original Lager
Pumpkin Pi Spiced Ale
Olde Deuteronomy

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

Chocolate Stouts:
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Amber’s Kenmount Road Chocolate Stout
Dieu de Ciel Aphrodisiaque

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: Czech Pilsener
ABV: 5.2%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Paddock Wood Brewing
Country: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Here’s a classical rendition of a Pilsner that arose about out of bit of necessity.  Most evident from the basis that there was no such fresh offering available at the time, at least within the borders of Saskatchewan.  Oh sure, there was a chuck wagon decorated domestic that carried the name of that style, plus a couple imports which were usually a bit stale after their long journey, but nothing local that did justice to this once ground-breaking style.

Don’t believe me?  The Pilsner, a sub-style of lagers, has only been around since 1842, when it was developed in the city of Plzen, Bohemia which is now located in the modern day Czech Republic.  Its popularity immediately caught on as the original clear and light-coloured beer, which at the time was a marvel of brewing engineering and finesse, and would become the beer of choice in the decades to follow.  If the 20^th century were to have an official beverage, it may as well be the Pilsner in all its various incarnations and interpretations, as it was the most widely produced and consumed beer style of the 1900’s.

What you most likely first used to consider “Beer” actually was no doubt the light yellow fizzy contents of mass produced domestic Pilsner-styled lagers that for the most part used to be the only available option for us folks here in North America.  From the end of Prohibition up to the late 1970’s this watered down and cheaply produced phantom of the original Pilsners was pretty much the only game in town, with very few exceptions.

In order to work his way around the lack of availability to an authentic version of the Czech Pilsner style Steve Cavan took his passion for homebrewing, and subsequent venture of running a homebrew supply business, to the next level.  That next step was setting up the Paddock Wood microbrewery, so he could afford (and justify) bringing in the proper ingredients necessary to produce the real deal similar to what was still being made back in the land of its birthplace.

The actual name of this Czech-styled Pilsner stems from one of the many other passions of Steve Cavan:  Chess!  And to give Czech Mate even more street cred the label was designed and illustrated by Randy Mosher of beer literati fame (author of Radical Brewing and Tasting Beer), a visual pun involving the knight from Alice In Wonderland.

Now to fully enjoy this Pilsner of the Prairies you’re going to want to utilize the tall fluted traditional Pilsner glass.  Another tall medium-brimmed glass will work as well, but anything too wide will thin out the head quickly and wash out the aromatics within.  Since this is an all-malt lager you don’t want to serve it iced cold either, let it warm up 5-10 minutes at least so you can enjoy the ingredients within which motivated the opening of a microbrewery.

Czech Mate is a clear vibrant gold in colour, crowned by tall tight spongy white head with good retention.  Bready malt, crisp grains and light grassy hops rise up in the aroma, clean profile.  Following suit in the flavour is an identical match of the aroma, well balanced, and delivered by a medium-bodied mouthfeel with light carbonation.  It may all sound a bit basic on paper, however with a decent Pilsner much of what makes it so good is what isn’t there.  Minimalism and simplicity is the key, and there’s no place to hide or cover up something out of place.

On its own Czech Mate is a great thirst quencher, and fits the bill for a satisfying session beer, especially on a hot day.  Speaking of heat, this Pilsner is a welcome companion next to Indian, Thai, Mexican and Cajun meals, where it compliments while putting out some of the fire.  Spicy sausage and cured, treated ham will also find sweet relief when partnered up, the Pilsner will blanket the heat and cut through the spice.  However Czech Mate is still mild enough to not overwhelm a plate of steamed clams or a basket of crab legs if you’re feeling like seafood.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
606 Ale
Bête Noire
Black Cat Lager
Double Double
London Porter
Winter Ale

In-Style:
Lagunitas Pils
Czechvar
Krušovice Imperial
Pilsner Urquell

Lateral Steps:
Creemore Springs Premium Lager
Amber’s Australian Mountain Pepper Berry Lager
Warsteiner Dunkel
Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold

For The Adventurous:
Schneider Weisse
Alley Kat Full Moon Pale Ale
Fuller’s ESB
Unibroue Maudite

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: Witbier
ABV: 5%
Presentation: single 500 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Microbrasserie Charlevoix
Country: Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

We take things for granted here in Alberta at times when it comes to our beer. At the moment there are around 650 different kinds available from all over the world, starting with a few local breweries represented right here in Edmonton, stretching to Japan, Australia and Russia. Not every beer available in the world, and maybe not some personal favourites that we pine away for, but all things considered we still have it pretty good.

Let’s look at the belle province of Quebec in contrast, where you are lucky to find any beers produced in another province, let alone international imports. There’s no surprise then that to counteract such a bleak market Quebec has in turn sprouted a plethora of innovative and high-quality craft breweries and brewpubs over the last couple of decades. This DIY approach and attitude has sparked and cultivated one of the most impressive beer cultures our fine nation has to offer, much of them emulating many of the exotic styles that originated in Belgium.

Microbrasserie Charlevoix is no exception, a microbrewery that has been around since 1998, and recently expanded in 2009 to help keep up with demand and provide extra space to produce more unique beers.

Their Dominus Vobiscum Blanche is one of my favourite interpretations of the classic Belgian Witbier. Wits (which simply means “white” in Flemish) are a Belgian variation of the wheat beers produced by their German neighbours to the East. Yet rather than utilizing the unique yeast strains common to German Wiessebiers or Weizens with their telltale notes of clove and banana, Belgian Wits hearken back to a time before hopped beer. In turn these light ales are spiced with coriander and orange peel most commonly, along with one or two extra secret ingredients that tend to differ from brewer to brewer. The result is a light, spritzy, quenching beer that can find accommodation in almost any circumstance.

As a side note, for those light in the Latin department, Dominus Vobiscum is an ancient salutation and blessing that is traditionally found in Roman Catholic mass, however it also found its way into a Frank Zappa song too. Into English it translates as “May the lord be with you”, so consider yourself in good company when drinking this Blanche.

It’s practically dealer’s choice for glassware with this Witbier, whether you want a pilsner glass, pint glass, tall Weizen glass, mug, chalice or oversized wine glass, none of that will cramp its style. Keep the beer nice and chilled as well, not ice cold, but best results will come from letting the bottle sit out of the fridge 5-10 minutes before opening and pouring.

Prepare to be greeted by a cloudy, deep honey golden hue that begins to approach amber. There’s also a massive tall white spongy head, so depending on the glassware you chose it may take 2 or 3 attempts to completely empty the bottle into the glass. All that head releases an intense bouquet of tart citrus notes like lemon and rosehips, a little bit of spicy chamomile, with faint orange and wheat grain in the background. It only takes a couple of sips to full realize a light citrusy tart wheat canvas embellished with light spice, with citrus notes of tangerine, lemon, and most predominantly that of key lime. All this accompanied by a dry and quenching finish.
The full, lush, creamy smooth mouthfeel is contrasted with the lightest of pinprick carbonation on the finish.

This is a gorgeous ale to enjoy on a hot sunny patio, even a margarita chased with a dry martini won’t slake your thirst with such delicious and refreshing ease. For those hot days when you feel like eating light, you’ve just found yourself an ideal beer to go with a hearty salad. When a more substantial meal is called for there are massive options from almost any fish or shellfish you can prepare (including sashimi and sushi!), to cutting through saltier pork based dishes. It will also provide a good contrast for sharp, tangy and earthy cheeses. And if the heat from the chilies and spices aren’t too intense, this Dominus Vobiscum Blanche will match the citrus notes of most Thai, Indian and Mexican foods while cleansing and resetting the palate.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Dominus Vobiscum Blonde
Dominus Vobiscum Double
Dominus Vobiscum Triple
La Vache Folle Double IPA – Simcoe

In Style:
Hoegaarden Original White Ale
Unibroue Blanche De Chambly
St. Bernardus Witbier
Wittekerke
Hitachino Nest White Ale
Lost Coast Great White
Mill Street Wit

Lateral Steps:
Mt. Begbie High Country Kölsch
Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier
Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse
Schneider Weisse
Erdinger Weissbier

For The Adventurous:
Aventinus
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
Samichlaus

Style: American Amber Lager
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 and 12 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Creemore Springs Brewery
Country: Creemore, Ontario, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Here’s a small craft brewery that set up shop in an old hardware store in 1987, nestled in the village of Creemore, Ontario between the Mad and Noisy Rivers.  In the beginning they simply brewed one single beer, and brewed it well.  Creemore Springs became synonymous with quality, and shot up the ranks as one of the best lagers produced in Canada.  However most of us here in Canada could only pine away for a chance to sample this exemplar continental styled lager, or had to plan a trip to Ontario if we were feeling ambitious.

Creemore Spring’s brewing standards and business ethics were a bit of a double-edged.  They used all natural ingredients, didn’t use preservatives, and didn’t pasteurize their beer, ensuring a fresh and high quality final result.  Because of this they refused to ship their beer outside of Ontario, since they couldn’t ensure the quality and freshness of it beyond that.  Oh snap!  The rest of us were missing out on a good thing, but couldn’t fault Creemore for that sort of decision.

Fast forward to 2005, when Molson purchased the Creemore Springs Brewery.  There was a bit of a worrisome hush throughout the craft beer community upon the news, as there had been a trend for many years of larger commercial breweries buying out smaller craft ones, and either shutting them down, or merely dumbing down the product enough that it was only a ghost of its former self, or falling into obscurity by losing its former loyal following.  Fortunately this was not the case with Creemore Springs, and Molson has let them carry on as usual.

In fact this is a bit of a boon for the rest of us.  Creemore continues to produce its tasty wares in the original brewery in rural Ontario, while Molson utilizes its juggernaut distribution system to supply it to the rest of the country now quickly enough to maintain its freshness.  We all come out winners as a result.

Since this particular beer is a bit darker than your typical all-grain lager there is no need to get too fussy over glassware.  Be it a Pilsner glass or a regular pint glass you’ll be on the right track, as the flavour is balanced and crisp, yet not so delicate as lighter lagers tend to be.  With the addition of the darker malt there’s more flavour to discover, so give this about 10 minutes to warm up out of the fridge.

What sets up temporary residence in your glass will be a beer that’s a clear ruddy gold hue, with a frothy white head.  Expect some clean aromas of biscuity and caramel malt, rounded out by light floral and herbal hops.  An enjoyable crispness to the flavour, with a more toasted malt now that is effortlessly balanced by dry grassy hops, all carried by a light creamy mouthfeel with a crisp carbonated finish.

The light toasted and caramel notes found in this lager are just waiting to be matched with food.  It may sound a bit unorthodox, but finally you have the ideal beer to savour along with your donair or shwarma, what a match, trust me on that.  Keeping in the realm of comfort food Creemore just as easily adds an extra touch to a burger or pizza, as the malt will match the richness, while the hops will adequately cut through the grease.  Same goes for a fully loaded platter of nachos, the hops will tango with any extra jalapenos.  Really, this amber lager will become your constant companion whenever watching the game.  For something a bit more formal serve it alongside a grilled steak or roast chicken, or even some skewers of grilled vegetables.  Creemore Springs will also liven up a Sunday beef roast to new proportions with graceful ease.

The next steps in the cooler:

In-Style:
Brooklyn Lager
Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Other Notable Lagers:
Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold
Okanagan Spring 1516 Bavarian Lager
Anchor Steam Beer
Yukon Chilkoot Lager
Rogue Dead Guy Ale

Dark Lagers:
Negra Modelo
Warsteiner Dunkel
Lobkowicz Baron
Paddock Wood Black Cat Lager

For The Adventurous:
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
LTM Série Signature Kellerbier
LTM Série Signature Rauchbier
Samichlaus
Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner

Style: Cocoa and Vanilla Stout
ABV: 6.5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel
Country: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

No offense, but if you’ve been living under a rock the past while please allow me to fill you in on this brewpub and microbrewery from Montreal that has become one of the darlings of the beer world, especially throughout North America.  Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel has even managed to capture the hearts, palates and wallets of our neighbours to the south in the same way Unibroue did about a decade ago.

However a quirky bit of trivia regarding this particular stout from Dieu De Ciel is that to be acceptable to the American market under some sort of curious FDA standards the name of it had to be changed to Aphrodite.  Apparently marketing an alcoholic product under the name of Aphrodisiaque (a French word no less, by no means an official language of the Republic) would in such a manner make false and inappropriate claims, and potentially incite unwanted lascivious behaviour of folks who wished to consume it, or even considered imbibing it.  Yet a quick name change to the Greek goddess of love and desire, who no less was given credit for creating aphrodisiacs in the first place and providing them her own namesake, is perfectly fine.  Okey-dokey then…..  Thanks be to the Greek god of loopholes for such matters.

If that wasn’t enough of a hassle for this alluring stout to endure, it also tends to get overlooked while caught in the shadow of its bolder and more popular sibling Péché Mortel, which just so happens to be one of the most sought after Canadian beers on this continent.  Both are strong savoury stouts, both have soft creamy textures, and both are in peak form regarding quality and craftsmanship.  And while I fully acknowledge the finesse it took to pull off something as formidable yet welcoming as Péché Mortel, it was Aphrodisiaque that truly seduced me.  I mean how often do you hear a grown man admitting that a beer made his toes curl in delight?  Yeah, it’s that good.  Plus I always tend to fall for the underdog….

Two elements that give this stout such enticing charm are the addition of premium quality vanilla beans and the use of organic fair-trade cocoa.  Only the best for you!  Add to this a silky smooth texture and you have yourself here is a date with delight.  Let’s get on to some tasting notes.

A mug or a pint glass will work fine, or if you wish to set the setting with someone special, use a pair of red wine glasses.  I’d let the bottle warm about 15 minutes after pulling it from the fridge, a bit of chill still works with this stout as it’s robust enough to handle some cold without being totally numbed by it.

Get ready for a luxuriously opaque black stout upon the pour, totally impermeable to light.  Crowning it is a thick frothy creamy sand coloured head.  It should only take a few inhales to at least pick up some notes of creamy roasted malt and dark chocolate, dry cocoa and raw vanilla bean.  There’s a bit more complexity than this, but I’ll allow you the pleasure of deciphering and discovering it on your own.  The moment it touches your tongue and rolls across your palate and through your mouth you’ll be greeted by a nearly full mouthfeel, creamy and velvety in texture, with a light rounded carbonation on the finish, a gorgeous sensual experience in its own right.  But of course the best part is the flavour.  Roasted, slightly smoked malt at first, toasted earthy cocoa and carob rises in the middle and carries to the finish, while the aftertaste is earthy with intense dark coffee notes.  Sweet earthy vanilla bean rises intermittently throughout the experience, and begins to coat the palate in its own right after a while, providing almost a bourbon-like essence.

This stuff is ambrosia, and is easily satisfying on its own.  If you feel a deep and utter necessity to pair it with food, then stick to desserts.  Heck, Aphrodisiaque can fill in as a dessert unto itself.  Once again, if feeling peckish while consuming this stout, chocolate and chocolate based desserts will be the ticket, however a chocolate cheesecake might be too overwhelming, you’ve been warned.  Fruit and fruit based desserts will provide a pleasant contrast in turn, although you might want to avoid the citrus variety which will do nothing but clash.  If feeling even more adventurous try chasing Aphrodisiaque with a high quality bourbon for a match made in…er…the classy part of Purgatory at least.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Blanche Du Paradis
Corne Du Diable
Dernière Volonté
Fumisterie
Paienne
Péché Mortel
Rosée D’hibiscus
Route Des Épices

Chocolate Stouts:
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Amber’s Kenmount Road Chocolate Stout

Other Stouts:
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Half Pint’s Stir Stick Stout
Yukon Midnight Sun Espresso Stout
Jamaica Stout
Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout - North Coast

Lateral Steps:
Rogue Mocha Porter
Paddock Wood London Porter
Fuller’s London Porter
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
Chimay Blue
Unibroue Trois Pistoles

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

Style: Brown Ale
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Wild Rose Brewery
Country: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

The Brown Ale style was the first to become my personal favourite when I initially discovered there were so many different styles to begin with, and remained a long time favourite for years and years.  After all, they were not too intense or intimidating, offered a welcoming malty flavour with a minimum amount of any discernible hop bitterness, and in general provided a fantastically friendly session beer for any occasion or season.

Really, for the past 800 years Brown Ales remained a ubiquitous, if not practically anonymous style since it was so common and standard.  Until more modern kilning techniques were developed (introducing the world to “Pale Ales” as a result), almost all beers were some sort of denomination or variety of a Brown Ale, although not necessarily similar to the kinds we know of today.  Perhaps as a result of that sort of forced monotony the lighter styles that developed over the subsequent centuries-English Bitters, Belgian Golden Ales, Hefeweizens, Lagers of all kinds!-became more and more popular.  On the other end of the spectrum even the Porter, the grand daddy of the Stout, developed from the near universal Brown.  Although it’s still one of the most approachable and accessible of all styles, especially ales, the Brown Ale has turned into something of a wall flower in comparison these days.  A shame, since it knows most of your favourite dances, and is always up for a lengthy make-out session, really it’s almost the ideal low maintenance date!

In the case of Wild Rose’s Brown Ale, it has been there since day one since 1996 as part of their original line up, and was their initial best selling beer.  What helped it stand out from the crowd was that it was much more robust and flavourful than most of the lukewarm Brown Ales available at the time.  Even now that there is more healthy competition on the shelves these days, it still holds its own in good company.

As stated earlier, Brown Ales are pretty versatile and low maintenance.  Your favourite beer glass, or the closest drinking receptacle within arm’s reach, hell, even a flower vase will serve the purpose, it’ll taste good out of practically anything.  Browns are warm and attractive to look at however, so a clear and classy glass will accentuate it, going from Sandy Olsson at the beginning of Grease to the belle of the ball, no tight leather pants required.  Allow things to warm up a bit as well, the reward for your patience will be more complexity apparent from the malt.

The Wild Rose Brown Ale greets you with a ruby brown body in appearance, capped by a loose frothy beige head.  Greeting your nose will be a toasted aroma of nuts and soft coffee notes, even hints of smoky char.  Keeping that same theme but expanding more in the flavour is toasted, nutty malt up front, with a mild dry chocolate finish, some roasted coffee, while dry wafer crisp cocoa lingers on in the aftertaste.  In contrast the mouthfeel is on the lighter side, making this an easily quaffable session ale.

Where’s the beef?  That’s what you should be asking when searching for an ideal food pairing with this Wild Rose version of Brown Ale.  Look no further than beef based stews, chili, roasts or grilled steaks.  Fajitas and burritos with a healthy helping of cheese will be carried into another realm of dining experience.  On its own soft, earthy and nutty cheese will combine so well you’ll think you’ve discovered a secret recipe for the ultimate comfort food combo.  Camembert is a good starting point.  Along the lines of earthiness, most mushroom dishes will provide a surprising and complimentary dining companion for this Brown Ale.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
WRaspberry Ale
IPA (India Pale Ale)
Velvet Fog
WRed Wheat
SOB (Special Old Bitter)

In-Style:
Newcastle Brown Ale
Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale
Alley Kat Amber
Brooklyn Brown Ale
Mt. Begbie Tall Timber Ale

Lateral Steps:
Warsteiner Premium Dunkel
Negra Modelo
Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel
Lobkowicz Baron

For The Adventurous:
Aventinus
Rogue Mocha Porter
Fuller’s Vintage Ale
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout - Yukon Brewing