Style: Munich Dunkel Lager
ABV: 4.9%
Presentation: 6 packs of 330 ml brown bottles / Single 500 ml cans
Brewery: Warsteiner Brauerei
Country: Warstein, Germany

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

When most people think of lagers the first thing that comes to mind is the clear pale fizzy stuff that has practically become ubiquitous with the word beer itself. To some it boggles the mind to learn that there are dark versions of this style of beer, and the fact that all lagers were initially dark.

Lagers became a separate distinct type of beer in relation to ales when the yeast in the beer casks that the Bavarians stored in mountain caves over 500 years ago evolved to ferment on the bottom of the vessel at cold temperatures. The beer was stored in this manner in order to prevent it from spoiling during the hot summer months in a time before the luxury of modern refrigeration, and over the years resulted in a new final product that was cleaner in flavour and clearer in appearance. However “clearer” in this context meant a translucent brown, since all malted barley at this time was brown and had to wait a few more centuries until improvements in kilning technology were able to produce lighter and paler malt.

So then, the Dunkel (which means “dark” in German) was the first of the lagers for quite some time. These days the tables have turned and Dunkels seem to be more of an anomaly than anything else, at least here in North America. Yet one thing to keep in mind is that when dark malt is lagered it produces a refreshingly dry, almost wafer-like quality, quite different from its dark ale cousins on the other branch of the family tree. Along with that the body remains light and crisp just like its golden hued replacements.

As this is a lager, a tall fluted glass such as a Pilsner glass would be the best route to go to serve it in; this would ideally promote the carbonation and accentuate the subtle characteristics. However a pint glass will work as a pinch hitter for extra options. This will also taste best chilled, so around 5 minutes after pulling it out of the fridge will be the best time to serve it. As always more elements will present themselves as it warms, but you don’t want to drink this one too warm.

Your choice of glass will reveal a lager that is a clear nut brown, one that is capped with a spongy off-white head. A few passes under your nose will disclose some nutty sweet malt, a little bit of raisin sweetness, along with some toasty chocolate. The first sip is clean, and could be mistaken for a German Pils if you had your eyes closed, however further investigation will mirror what was present in the aroma: light toasty malt with a nutty character, finishing with a mingling of chocolaty wafer and noticeable grassy hops. The texture has a clean metallic feel, with a light mouthfeel and crisp carbonation.

Forget your former light standby beer the next time you plan on enjoying a good burger, the clean dark malt of this Dunkel will compliment it much better. The same goes for ribs, whether they’re barbecued or dry spare ribs, this dark lager will supplement the flavour while the crisp carbonation will cut through the sauce or the salt of either choice. For a healthier option consider pairing with a meal of roast chicken, and if you’re feeling more ambitious, a chicken stir-fry with black bean sauce and cashews (or your favourite nut) will provide a medley of corresponding flavours.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Warsteiner Premium Verum
Warsteiner Premium Fresh

In-Style:
Negra Modelo
Efes Dark
Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel
Lobkowicz Baron

Other Dark Lagers:
Alley Kat Alligator Blackened Lager
Raasted Vinter
Asahi Black
Obolon Oksamytove
Paddock Wood Black Cat Lager
BrewDog Zeitgeist

For The Adventurous:
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
LTM Doppelbock Grande Cuvée Printemps
LTM Série Signature Rauchbier
Samichlaus Bier

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

Distiller: Tullamore Dew
Age: 12 Years Old
Location: Ireland
Alcohol: 40%
Tasting: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Now what would St. Patrick’s Day be without a little Irish Whiskey!  Irish Whiskey dates back to the 6^th century.  If you are doing your math right now, you would be correct in realizing that Irish Whiskey was being made before Scotch Whisky, “hence the broad similarities between the two nations’ products.”  “The monks, who were the healers of their day, used spirit as a base for medicines, rubs and liniments. Why wouldn’t they? Here was a substance as clear as water; that burned like fire and literally preserved flesh. It was nothing less than the legendary ‘Uisce Beatha’ or Water of Life in English, eventually anglicized to give us Whiskey.” *

Now as you are reading this, you are probably wondering what the heck is wrong with me and my spelling ability.  I write ‘Irish Whiskey’ and then ‘Scotch Whisky’.  Actually, they are both correct.  The Irish and Americans spell theirs with an ‘e’ and the Canadians and the Scots spell theirs without.  It is enough to make a spell checker go mad!!!  That isn’t the only place where these two wonderful drops of pleasure differ.

The Production Process:  In Ireland the malted barley is dried in enclosed kilns.  With Scotch Whiskey the malted barley is dried over peat fires.  The Irish use both malted and unmalted barley in the pot still and the Scots use only malted barley.  The Irish distill 3 times and the Scots distill 2 times.  The result is totally different.  I will explain it the way a gentleman said it to me the other day.  ‘Irish Whiskey is gentle, soft and round.  Scotch Whisky is still a clean good tasting whisky, but it can be smoky, or peaty and even a little bold too.  What you want to sip on depends on how your liver feels on that particular day.’  That kind of says it all.

Now this is only a short blog, so there isn’t a lot of time to go much further into this spirit.  Whiskey (or whisky) is a great sip to enjoy whether it is Irish, Scottish, Canadian or American.

Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey dates back to 1829 when the distillery was founded in Tullamore, County Offaly by Mr. Michael Molloy. Daniel E. Williams, was “the major influence on the development of the distillery.”  “His initials, D-E-W, inspired the whiskey to be named ‘Tullamore Dew’ with the original slogan “Give every man his Dew” still in use today.”  The Williams family later became shareholders in the distillery.

The trade war with England (1930’s) and The American Prohibition (1919 - 1933) dried up Irish Whiskey sales not only in the United States, but throughout the British Empire.  The 1950’s and 1960’s saw major changes.  The Tullamore Distillery closed and was bought by Power’s about 6 years later.  “Between 1966 and 1972, all the remaining Irish distilleries came together to regenerate the industry - ultimately under the name of The Irish Distillers Group. Production was also consolidated into two distilleries in County Cork (where Tullamore Dew is distilled today) and County Antrim.”

As of 2009, Tullamore Dew is the No.2 Irish whiskey brand in the world”.  ”It is currently the fastest growing Irish whiskey brand globally in the fastest growing spirits category.”

Just a little note on the logo for Tullamore Dew:  You will notice two dogs on their trademark logo.  One is lying down and the other is standing.  The breed of dog is the Irish Wolfhound.  I have been owned by Irish Wolfhounds for 27 years.  (yes I meant ‘owned by’ because they truly get into your heart)  Why would an Irish Whiskey company put dogs on their logo?

Well, originally there was a red jug, which was related to Red Cup Tea.  Daniel E. Williams was the head of the Red Cup Tea commercial venture.  However, when Desmond (Daniel’s grandson) came into the picture, he decided on a change.  Desmond bred Irish Wolfhounds and he felt that the wolfhound’s loyalty and courage (I can confirm those traits from my personal experience) would make a good symbol for his Irish Whiskey.  The Irish Wolfhounds remain as a symbol on the bottles even today.  The connection between the Irish Wolfhound and Tullamore Dew is still very strong.  They still sponsor the Irish Wolfhound Club of Ireland.

The Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Special Reserve is our drop of choice for our tasting.  This particular one has won so many awards including Gold medals at the World Spirits Competition and International Spirits Challenge plus Double Gold at the World Spirits Competition.

There is a lot of flavour in this whiskey.  Nuts, vanilla, spice and even “faint notes of Christmas cake”.  Now for those of you who are not big fruit cake fans (I am a fruit cake addict, by the way), notice the word “faint”.  When you smell this whiskey, you will fall in love long before it even touches your lips.   The whiskey is aged in Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks.  This will bring out some of those great aromas and flavours.  The taste will have just a wee touch of sweetness.  Now I don’t mean sugary sweet, it is just a hint sweet flavour from the fabulous Sherry casks that they use.  It will almost be mellow.

Wait till you get a taste of this heaven.  Yum.  Now if you are so inclined to have a little Irish Coffee on St. Patrick’s Day, or if you have never tried one before, we will also be serving a little bit of that, as well.  By the way… the cream is totally non-fattening (in my dreams only).

Come by on Wednesday from 4:00 until 7:00 to try this wonderful Irish treat.

CSPC: 719398
Price:

$41.99 (minus the 10% Winesday Discount)

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice.

SHERBROOKE SHAMROCK

Style: All-Malt Lager (Bavarian style lager)
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 Packs - 341Ml bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat Brewing Company
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

St. Patrick’s Day, being the special day that it is… well, we have two products to try.  The second one is the perennial favourite Sherbrooke Shamrock.  A few years ago Jim from Sherbrooke approached Neil Herbst, founder of Alley Kat Brewing Company and asked if they could come up with a special St. Patrick’s Day themed beer specifically for Sherbrooke.  Sherbrooke Shamrock came to life.

Now Sherbrooke Shamrock is not the only beer that Alley Kat has brewed for Sherbrooke Liquor.  They have also made:  Big Al’s Red Kiss, Bad Hare Day, Chocolate Osterious, and the famous Pumpkin Pi to name just a few.

Neil from Alley Kat told me that “up until this year, Sherbrooke Shamrock was brewed in the style of a Belgian lager.”  Sherbrooke decided this year to shake things up a little and do a Bavarian style lager.  It is still brewed by Alley Kat, in fact “it is Alley Kat’s Charlie Flint lager”, with a smidgeon of green to add to the festivities.  After all, what would St. Patrick’s Day be without a little green?  So if you think you have tried Sherbrooke Shamrock before, you have to come back again to try the new one.

Jeff Werstiuk of Sherbrooke Liquor gave me some insight into who Charlie Flint was.  Charlie was ‘the first successful small craft brewer in our province, which was actually part of the Northwest Territories’ back in his day.  You should read Jeff’s blog on the history of this great guy and the great beer that Alley Kat has brewed in his honour.

In a few words, Jeff described the style of beer this year.  He said that the Bavarian style lager “is more malty” and has “like a bread and butter sweetness”.

The beer is still available in 6-packs this year and there will be lots in the cooler for you.  However, as always, Sherbrooke Shamrock is in limited quantity.

CSPC:  726080
Price:

  $14.99 (minus the 10% Winesday Discount)

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice.

Come by on Wednesday and try this ‘new’ Sherbrooke Shamrock.
We will be there from 4:00 - 7:00 pm.  See you then.
Sláinte (to your health).

Next week we are leaving the greens of Ireland and heading off to Germany.   Spreken ze Deutsch?

Style: Spiced/Herbed Lager
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Amber’s Brewing Co.
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

It really doesn’t get more unique for locally crafted beers than Amber’s Australian Mountain Pepper Berry Lager.  Okay, except for maybe their alchemically transmogrified Sap Vampire Maple Lager.  Just goes to show how closely they are sticking to their mission statement of straying off the beaten path and remaining as far outside of the box as they can get away with.  Seriously, it’s difficult to produce a decent lager on its own, let alone one with a unique slant or modification, there is no way on earth to hide any flaws or unwanted quirks with a lager, it’s all there laid bare, exposed and open to the world for better or worse.  There are predetermined expectations for a lager as well:  it needs to be crisp, clean and refreshing.  Add an extra twist to this with a curious foreign ingredient, and you still need to be able to step up to the plate and deliver.  Amber’s pulls this off with their Australian Mountain Pepper Berry Lager, what I like to consider as the flagship offering of their brewery, one of the first to be produced since their inception, and one that has been honed and fine-tuned until now, finally just right.

The Australian Mountain Pepper Berry is in itself a bit of a curiosity.  Originally known as the Tasmanian pepperberry on its home soil, it tends to grow on a shrub but can reach 4-5 metres as a tree, found in Tasmania and the Southeastern regions of Australia in New South Wales and Victoria, mostly in cool high altitude regions.  Previously used by the local Aborigines for medicinal purposes, it’s presently utilized as a culinary spice, although the Australian Mountain Pepper Berry is also purported to be the world’s strongest known antioxidant.  What appears to simply be a sundried blueberry tends to get ground up and used as a garnish or spiced ingredient in many food dishes, even the plant’s leaves are aromatic and spicy, similar to a chilli.

While serving this flavoured lager chilled will accentuate the crisp and clean characteristics of it, allowing it to warm a bit allows the aromatics an opportunity to be released, and the fruit and spice highlights to become more noticeable within the flavour.  There’s really no one glass ideal to serve this in, almost anything will do, although a pint or sleeve glass seems the most common choice.  You’ll be greeted by a slightly chill-hazed deep golden appearance as you pour it into your choice of glassware, with a short tight creamy white head that will linger for awhile.  There will also be a welcoming bready maltiness from the aroma, accompanied by faint fruity and flowery notes, and an equally mild spicy herbal contrast.  In the mouth it feels fuller than your average lager, smooth yet balanced with a pleasant carbonation.  Then a sweet bready malt up front in the flavour, a dry fruity sweetness following this until it is joined by a savoury zip of white pepper and floral hops on the finish, very quenching as a whole.

Due to the unique nature of the Australian Mountain Pepper Berry Lager, definite food pairings get a little bit tricky.  One thing’s for sure, it’ll help balance out salty appetizers and snacks with its dry, quenching nature, a casual savoury volley within your mouth.  This lager would also help accentuate mildly spicy dishes, and will most certainly hold its own with almost any cheese platter you’d care to work your way through alongside a few bottles of this stuff, even the astringent cheeses.  You see, cheese coats your tongue and your taste receptors, and by doing so numbs a lot of the flavours from the traditional red wine and cheese pairings.  Because of the dry crispness and carbonation from the Australian Mountain Pepper Berry Lager, it will scrub your palate while releasing its own distinct flavours to accompany and potentially contrast almost anything a particular cheese has to offer.  Experimenting has never become so fun and satisfying, give it a shot.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Sap Vampire
Pale Ale
Bub’s Lunch Pail Ale
Kenmount Road Chocolate Stout

Other Unique Beers:
Midas Touch - Dogfish Head
Chipotle Ale - Rogue
Juniper Pale Ale - Rogue
Van Helsing’s All Natural Mouthwash - Sherbrooke/Alley Kat
Pi Jiu - Sherbrooke/Alley Kat

Lateral Steps:
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Fullers ESB
Erdinger Weissebier
Hoegaarden Original Witbier
Edelweiss Snowfresh

For The Adventurous:
Little Scrapper IPA - Half Pints
Aventinus Weizenbock
Traquair Jacobite

Jason Foster

I realize that even for a column designed to teach the basics about beer, a piece distinguishing ale from lager has the potential to insult the reader’s intelligence. It is the most fundamental division in beer and so talking about it can devolve into obviousness. But trust me for a minute and read on. The differences between lager and ale are both more profound and less demarcated that one might think.

Let’s, briefly, start at the beginning. There are two essential determinants for classifying a beer as “ale” or “lager” – and they are interdependent. First, and most fundamental, is the temperature at which the beer is fermented. Ales are fermented at room temperature (about 18-20 degrees Celsius); lagers colder (below 11 degrees). Lagers also get a period of “cold conditioning” near freezing temperatures, in German called “lagering” (hence the name – aren’t those brewers clever?)

Inherently connected to temperature is the second component – the strain of yeast used. Some yeasts perform best at room temperature, others at cooler levels. Over the centuries, brewers have isolated different types of yeast best suited for particular beers. The distinction between lager yeasts and ale yeasts evolved slowly, but is today quite clear.

Part of the explanation for the difference is historical. Ales are older - going back probably 2000 years. But brewers are an innovative lot, and 500 years ago, someone tried storing their wort (beer juice prior to fermentation; pronounced “wert”) in a cave to make it last longer. To their surprise it both fermented and tasted unlike any other beer they had experienced. Lager was born.

But this is the boring part. More interesting is the effect on flavour. Lagers are cleaner, crisper, with a more thirst-quenching effect. This is due to the cold-aging. Ales, on the other hand, are fruiter, more complex on the tongue and have a rounded finish.

If I stopped here, I would definitely be insulting your intelligence. For as informative as that may be, it doesn’t actually tell you much about either variety of beer.

Because what it doesn’t say is that this clear demarcation can get very fuzzy very quickly. Certain lagers can have ale-like complexity and some ales have an obvious lager-ish cleanliness. As some quick examples, compare Ayinger Celebrator dopplebock with Yukon Arctic Red, or even Kilkenny. Celebrator is rich, dark, intensely malty with dark fruit notes. It is complex and warming. On the other hand, Arctic Red is abundantly crisp with a lovely balance of caramel malt and light hoppiness. Kilkenny is smooth, refreshing and clean.

From my descriptions you might label Celebrator as an ale, and Arctic Red and Kilkenny as lagers. You would be wrong – proving the point that the lines are less clear than first thought.

Beer is a complex creature. Many variables shape the final impression of the beer. Celebrator is ale-like because of its bold malt profile. Arctic Red is intentionally brewed clean. Some beers are designed to blend the qualities of both ale and lagers. Such are the wonders of beer.

Making it more complicated is that malt sweetness and/or hop bitterness are equally likely in each type – as is colour. For example, Pilsner Urquell – a lager – displays a rich hoppiness, just like Alley Kat Full Moon – an ale. The differentiation lies elsewhere.
So what does this mean for you, the drinker? First, it does give you a starting place for evaluating your beer appreciation. Do you prefer a beer that is quenching and crisp, like Creemore Springs, Sapporo or Paddock Wood Black Cat Lager? Then you tend toward lagers. If nutty, fruity, more rounded beers appeal to you more – like Big Rock Traditional, Mill Street Stock Ale or Alley Kat Full Moon – then ales are your bailiwick.

Of course, you are free to appreciate both (as I do), and this is where the second benefit arises. It can develop your beer appreciation by informing you, in general terms, what to expect from a beer. By knowing how a beer is brewed, and what that means for the final product, you can better evaluate how well a particular beer meets expectations. Using your judgement, you can break through the marketing spin produced by some beer companies. Alexander Keith may call his beer an India Pale Ale, but one sip will tell you it is a standard pale lager.

Third, understanding the nature of the difference allows you to move beyond what the large brewers are pushing on you. It may surprise you to learn that the majority of beer styles are ales, given that the bulk of beer on liquor store shelves are lagers. This is due to large, corporate brewers building beers that appeal to the largest possible segment of beer drinkers. The result is beers that taste essentially the same.

By appreciating that some beer is INTENDED to taste different, you open yourself up to new possibilities for beer flavour. Not all beers are supposed to taste like Budweiser. That fruitiness or some bitterness or a sweeter finish might just be what that beer is supposed to taste like. And that allows you to experience it for what it is. And maybe buy another.

And you come to realize the only one’s insulting your intelligence are the marketing departments of the big breweries.

Style: All-Malt Lager
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Here’s a fine locally brewed all-malt European style lager, named after and in honour of the man documented as being the first successful small craft brewer in Alberta, which at the time was still considered a district of the Northwest Territories.  From 1884-1886 British immigrant Charles Flint administered to the brewing operations of Calgary’s City Brewery at a site located on what is now the Stephen Avenue Mall in downtown Cowtown, and it is recorded that “he manufactured beer and porter that was considered second to none in the NWT at the time.”  Apparently not much else is known about the man except for his lasting reputation for the quality and craftsmanship of his fine brewing skills and libations.

You may also be asking what the heck is an all-malt or European style lager?  Well, I’m not going to name any names here or point any fingers, but all of the large mass-produced commercial lagers out there (you may know them by their TV. commercials and aggressive marketing campaigns) don’t use an entire barley malt bill to produce their beers, which are predominantly of the lager style.  In fact most use up to half of a separate cheaper adjunct ingredient (usually corn or rice) to replace the more expensive barley in order to provide enough fermentable sugars for the yeast to convert it all into this malty beverage we all know and love, yet by doing so the consequence is a final product of a lower quality in almost all aspects, from flavour to mouthfeel, and even the aroma.  It was the large North American breweries that became known and notorious for this practice, especially after Prohibition and World War 2.  In contrast nowadays the more traditionally produced older “European” versions of lager recall a fuller-bodied and maltier tasting final product as a result of still using all barley malt.  Don’t get too nostalgic though, as many European producers of lager have also picked up the habit of “cutting corners” like their North American counterparts.  Therefore it makes craft brewed all-malt lagers something to be sought out and rejoiced.

Charlie Flint’s Original Lager will make an ideal companion for anything between a tall pilsner glass to a regular pint glass.  If you allow it to warm up a few minutes you’ll be rewarded with the blossoming nuances of more subtle malt and hop characteristics that would otherwise remain numbed and dormant at ice cold temperatures.  Once in the glass expect a pale golden lager with impressive clarity, a modest sized frothy, fluffy white head with an equally reticent amount of retention.   Now with the aroma what starts to entice will be for some the new experience of encountering biscuity, baked bread malt and grassy, lightly spicy qualities from the Saaz and Cluster hops, qualities that may never have been experienced from a lager beer before.  That’s the all barley malt presence speaking for itself, balanced with just the proper amount of hops (another ingredient that seems almost entirely absent from mass-produced commercial lagers).  The mouthfeel will also be fuller than might be expected, closer to an ale, which is also the result of not cutting corners.  Medium-bodied when all is said and done, yet much fuller than the appearance actually hints at, and enough carbonation to keep things clean and crisp.  There is also a soft clean bready malt mingled well with mild grassy hops, a bit of a spicy zip on the finish which is crisp, and mild biscuity malt lingering briefly in the aftertaste.  An impressive balancing act between malt and hops, blended so one is not more dominant over the other.  Nothing less than an ideal introduction to craft brewed lagers for someone looking to branch out from the same old same old, and locally produced at that.  Also a fine tribute to a nearly obscure provincial brewing legend.

With food pairings Charlie Flint’s Original Lager is fairly versatile, accompanying regular fare such as sandwiches or fish and chips delightfully, with enough body and flavour to match a white-sauced pasta topped with chicken, scallops or clams.  It will also clean your palate and gently accentuate sushi, or most mild cooked white fish.  On a hot day it’ll also add a touch of class to your barbeque, or afternoon spent on a patio.  One of my personal favourite pairings is with hummus.  Regardless, don’t forget to raise a toast to the memory of Charles Flint before you reach the bottom of your glass.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Alley Kat Amber
Alley Kat Aprikat
Full Moon Pale Ale
Pumpkin Pi Spiced Ale

Other All-Malt Lagers:
Chilkoot Lager - Yukon Brewing
1516 Bavarian Lager - Okanagan Springs
Mill Street Original Organic Lager
Kell’s Irish Style Lager - Rogue

European Lagers:
Zatec
Kronenbourg 1664
Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold
Gösser

Lateral Steps:
Velvet Fog - Wild Rose
Fuller’s London Pride
Mt. Begbie Cream Ale

For The Adventurous:
Sap Vampire - Amber’s Brewing Co.
Australian Mountain Pepper Berry Lager - Amber’s Brewing
Sorrentino’s Garlic Lager - Alley Kat
Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba! - Sherbrooke

Style: German Oktoberfest Lager
ABV: 5.6%
Presentation: 650 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Rogue
Country: Oregon, U.S.A.

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

This excellent beer is not only named after and dedicated to Rogue’s Brewmaster John Maier, but brewed by the man himself as an homage to the fine lagers produced in the Fatherland of his German heritage.  It’s also worthy of the name of the man that has been there since the first batch of Rogue beer ever produced, and who has helped that brewery win over 500 awards for the quality of his creations.

Utilizing a blended strain of lager yeast that promotes a richer malt character and a full-bodied mouthfeel, Maier has pulled off a complex and satisfying Oktoberfest style beer.  The curious thing about Oktoberfest is that it is not only the name of a festival, but a style of beer as well that of course was eventually spawned by the annual event itself.  The very first Oktoberfest itself was not a festival at all, it was the October 17, 1810 public celebration of the marriage between the Crown Prince Luitpold I and Princess Theressa of Bavaria upon a large meadow in the German city of Munich.  An anniversary celebration has been held in Munich between the last week of September and the first week of October in the guise of the Oktoberfest for nearly 200 year, except during periods of war.  Regarding the beer itself the Oktoberfest style with initially presented at the festival of its namesake in 1872, credited to Gabriel Sedlmayr of the Spaten Brewery, which was an adaptation of Austrian brewer Anton Dreher’s Vienna style lager.  Traditionally it is a style noted for a complex malt profile with a dry finish and creamy texture.

This Maierfest Lager is best served in either a mug or pint glass, a wide rim will help accentuate the rich aromas waiting to be released and experienced.  As it warms the aromas and flavours revealed will become more complex.  The beer itself is a deep rustic golden amber in appearance, crowned by a tall frothy slightly off-white head with excellent retention, and that will slowly settle over time.  Upon inhalation be prepared for aromas of rich bready malts, from buttery notes to baked bread to a toasted character, followed by clean crisp grains and grassy, mild herbal hops.  The mouthfeel is one of the best and most enjoyable aspects of this lager, creamy smooth and full, with a brief kick of carbonation on the finish-I wish if only all beers could be delivered this way…  True to the aroma the flavour nearly mirrors it with complex bready malt up front, toasted and even nutty at times, with crisp grains in the middle, and finishing with dry, well-contained grassy hops, and a faint lingering buttery malt aftertaste.

Regardless of your personal favourite beer style this Maierfest is an excellent choice worth checking out and exposing yourself to an exemplar of the style, and how rich and complex and fulfilling a lager truly can be.  Rogue recommends pairing this beer with seafood and poultry dishes.  I would take a step beyond that and suggest this Oktoberfest beer would pair well with at first the obvious choice, German cuisine.  Other good options would be white sauce pasta dishes, sushi, seared or grilled ahi tuna, roasted or roti chicken, peanut sauce based noodle dishes, plus curry dishes such as balti, roganjosh, jalfrazie and even a thick bhuna.  Maierfest would be fine on its own as well as a very satisfying session beer.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
American Amber
St. Rogue Red
Kell’s Irish Lager
Brutal Bitter
Chipotle Ale
Chocolate Stout
Dad’s Little Helper
Dead Guy Ale
Double Dead Guy
Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Juniper Pale Ale
Mocha Porter
Morimoto Black Soba Ale
Shakespeare Stout
Summer Orange Honey Ale
Santa’s Private Reserve
Younger’s Special Bitter
XS Imperial Porter
XS Imperial IPA
XS Imperial Red
XS Imperial Stout
XS Old Crustacean Barleywine
XS Younger’s Special Bitter

Lateral Steps:
Warsteiner Dunkel
Ayinger Jahrhundert Bier
Hacker-Pschorr Edelhell
Kilkenny Cream Ale
Caffrey’s Cream Ale
Boddington Pub Ale

For The Adventurous:
Samichlaus
Konig Ludwig Weiss
Don De Dieu - Unibroue

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

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

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

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

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

The next steps in the cooler:

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

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

Lateral Steps:
Warsteiner Premium Dunkel
Negra Modelo
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

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

Style:  Dortmunder Export Lager
ABV:  5.5%
Presentation:  500 ml brown bottle
Brewery:  Ankerbrau Nordlingen
Country:  Germany

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

This brewery is located in the historic town of Nordlingen found in the Bavarian Ries, a geological region within a crater formed by a large meteor strike around 15 million years ago. The modern town itself is still ensconced by a medieval stone wall. This brewery sits on a beer producing site dating back from 1608, although the modern brewery is the last operating one in town since 1990. The golden anchor symbol stems from over 200 years ago, denoting for travelers in the region a safe guesthouse incorporating brewery, inn and stables. Presently they sell their beer predominantly within a 20 km. radius, while Edel Tropfen is their only export.

This is best enjoyed still chilled, ideally served in a fluted lager glass, although a tall 12-16 oz. glass will do, and a pint glass or mug will do in a pinch. It pours out a clear transparent gold with lots of carbonation. Expect a loose, frothy white head that settles at a meandering rate. A few good sniffs will discover a biscuity, bready malt aroma, accompanied by metallic grains and mild grassy and leafy hops. The mouthfeel is round and smooth, medium-bodied with light carbonation. Finally, the malt is rounded in the flavour, sweet and bread-like, mild metallic grains follow, while a mellow grassy hop finishes with a clean aftertaste.

This is a good start for those interested in trying imported European lagers. Would be paired well with chicken, pasta with herbed or white sauces, shellfish, Mexican and Thai dishes.

The next steps in the cooler:

In-Style Recommendations:
DAB Original (also available in 5L mini kegs!)
Kulmbacher Export
Lowenbrau

Domestic Fare:
Okanagan Springs 1516
Okanagan Springs Helles
Headstrong Munich Lager - Wellington Brewery

Lateral Steps:
Czechvar
Mt. Begbie Kolsch
Boddingtons Pub Ale

For The Adventurous:
Dead Guy Ale - Rogue
Fuller’s London Pride
Sherbrooke’s Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba!