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Canadian Brewing Awards Winners - 2021

Here is a list of the winners at the 2021 Canadian Brewing Awards, as announced in Quebec, City on September 17, 2021.

European Style Lager (Pilsner)
 
GOLD: Kinabik Pilsner, Snake Lake Brewing Company, Alberta
SILVER: Simple Things, Steel & Oak Brewing, British Columbia
BRONZE: Medusa Lager, Batch 44 Brewery, British Columbia
 
European Style Amber to Dark Lager
GOLD: RiverFest, Bow River Brewing, Alberta
SILVER: Freestyle Hasta La Vista Schwarzbier, The Collingwood Brewery, Ontario
BRONZE: Meridian Black Lager, Township 24 Brewing, Alberta
 
Bock – Traditional German Style
GOLD: Road Block Doppelbock, Walkerville Brewery, Ontario
SILVER: Doppelbock, Stonehooker Brewing Company, Ontario
BRONZE: Dissimulator, Twin City Brewing Company, British Columbia
 
Kellerbier/Zwickelbier
GOLD: POTTS PILSNER, Moon Under Water Brewery, British Columbia
SILVER: Sherbière, Siboire, Québec
BRONZE: Starke, Amsterdam Brewing Company, Ontario
 
German Style Kölsch
GOLD: Kölsch, Bièrerie Shelton, Québec
SILVER: High Country Kölsch, Mt. Begbie Brewing Company, British Columbia
BRONZE: Mineur, Microbrasserie Moulin 7 Inc., Québec
 
Wheat Beer – Belgian Style (Wit)
GOLD: Jongleur, Strange Fellows Brewing, British Columbia
SILVER: Farmer’s Tan Belgian White, Brewsters Brewing Company, Alberta
BRONZE: Uapishka, Microbrasserie Saint-Pancrace, Québec
 
Wheat Beer – German Style (Weiss)
GOLD: Haberdasher Hefeweizen, Muddy York Brewing Co., Ontario
SILVER: Fahr Hefe, Brauerei Fahr, Alberta
BRONZE: Horseshoe Hefeweizen, Trans Canada Brewing, Manitoba
 
Baltic Porter
GOLD: Caibosh, Royal City Brewing Co., Ontario
SILVER: Voyage Voyage, Avant-Garde Artisans Brasseurs, Québec
BRONZE: Baltic Porter, Grimross Brewing Co., New Brunswick
 
Belgian-Style Dubbel or Quadrupel
GOLD: Nuit D’Automne, Frampton Brasse, Québec
SILVER: X, Cabin Brewing Company, Alberta
BRONZE: Precursor Belgian Dubbel, Luppolo Brewing Company, British Columbia
 
Belgian-Style Tripel
GOLD: Shacklands Tripel, Shacklands Brewing, Ontario
SILVER: Antwerpen, Dageraad Brewing, British Columbia
BRONZE: Tripel, Modern Brewer’s Village Green, Prince Edward Island
 
Belgian-Style Abbey Ale / Pale Ale
GOLD: BEES! Belgian Blonde Ale with Honey, Dog Mountain Brewing, British Columbia
SILVER: Burnabarian, Dageraad Brewing, British Columbia
BRONZE: Belgian Pale Ale, Howe Sound Brewing, British Columbia
 
Belgian-Style Strong Ale Pale / Dark / Specialty
GOLD: Ides of December 2019: Wish Book, Henderson Brewing Co., Ontario
SILVER: Goldilocks, Strange Fellows Brewing, British Columbia
BRONZE: Old Ale X, La Brasserie Nonsuch Brewing Co., Manitoba
 
French and Belgian Style Saison
GOLD: Bord du Lac, Amsterdam Brewing Company, Ontario
SILVER: La petite duchesse, Little Beasts Brewing Company, Ontario
BRONZE: Cheval D’or, Grimross Brewing Co., New Brunswick
 
Belgian-Style Brett Beer
GOLD: Funkmorphosis, The Establishment Brewing Company, Alberta
SILVER: Scarecrow, 21st Street Brewery, Saskatchewan
BRONZE: Songe d’une Prairie Sauvage, Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company, Alberta
 
German-Style Sour Ale Berliner-Style Weisse or Gose
GOLD: Guava Gose, Collective Arts Brewing, Ontario
SILVER: Sou’Wester, Rough Waters Brewing Company, Newfoundland and Labrador
BRONZE: Smoked Salt Gose, Parallel 49 Brewing, British Columbia
 
Belgian-Style Sour Ale – Flanders Red Ale , Oud Bruin , Lambic / Gueuze , Fruit Lambic
GOLD: Cherry Lambic, Rebellion Brewing Co., Saskatchewan
SILVER: 10-4-20, Indie Alehouse, Ontario
BRONZE: Rouge des Appalaches, Frampton Brasse, Québec
 
Porter
GOLD: Black Donald, Calabogie Brewing Company, Ontario
SILVER: Chocolate Maple Porter, Canmore Brewing Company Ltd., Alberta
BRONZE: Quinquennial Robust Porter, Henderson Brewing Co., Ontario
 
Brown Ale
GOLD: Georgetown Brown, Canmore Brewing Company Ltd., Alberta
SILVER: Woodnutt Brown Ale, Coast Mountain Brewing, British Columbia
BRONZE: Barkeep Brown, Trans Canada Brewing, Manitoba
 
Scotch Ale
GOLD: Brave Liver, Mt. Begbie Brewing Company, British Columbia
SILVER: Andy’s Wee Heavy, Common Crown Brewing Co., Alberta
BRONZE: 24-2 Stock Ale, Blindman Brewing, Alberta
 
English Style Pale Ale
GOLD: Rivière du Nord, Shawbridge – Microbrasserie et Charcuteries Inc., Québec
SILVER: Sam McGuire’s Pale Ale, Shuswap Lake Brewing, British Columbia
BRONZE: Cream Ale, Muskoka Brewery, Ontario
 
English Bitters – Ordinary or Special Bitters / Best Bitter or ESB
GOLD: Wagon Rouge, Microbrasserie La Compagnie, Québec
SILVER: Common Ale, Common Crown Brewing Co., Alberta
BRONZE: Pointe-Aux-Basques, Microbrasserie La Compagnie, Québec
 
Sweet Stout or Cream Stout
GOLD: Sea Change Turbo Stout, Sea Change Brewing Co., Alberta
SILVER: Deja Moo!, Garrison Brewing Company, Nova Scotia
BRONZE: Brown Cow Nitro Milk Stout, Calabogie Brewing Company, Ontario
 
Oatmeal Stout
GOLD: Unholy One Nitro Stout, East Vancouver Brewing Company, British Columbia
SILVER: Medicine Hat Brewing Company Gentlemen’s Stout, Medicine Hat Brewing Company, Alberta
BRONZE: Ken’s Stout, Copper Bottom Brewing, Prince Edward Island
 
Dry Stout
GOLD: It’s a Stout, Kensington Brewing Company, Ontario
SILVER: Reena O’Reilly Dry Irish Stout, Sooke Oceanside Brewery, British Columbia
BRONZE: Vimy Stout, Vimy Brewing Company, Ontario
 
Imperial Stout
GOLD: Stout Impérial, Bièrerie Shelton, Québec
SILVER: Liquid Lullaby Imperial Stout, Town Square Brewing, Alberta
BRONZE: Russian Imperial Stout, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Newfoundland and Labrador
 
English Style India Pale Ale
GOLD: Geronimo IPA, Walkerville Brewery, Ontario
SILVER: Orion 1-1 Poppy Seed IPA, Smugglers Trail Caskworks, British Columbia
BRONZE: Waterloo IPA, Waterloo Brewing, Ontario
 
North American Style Lager
GOLD: Shake Lager, Equals Brewing Company Inc., Ontario
SILVER: True North Lager, Brewhall Beer Co., British Columbia
BRONZE: Canoe Brewpub Helles, Canoe Brewpub, British Columbia
 
North American Style Premium Lager
GOLD: Deep Cove Lager, Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers, British Columbia
SILVER: Brewers Blackbird Premium Lager, Brewers Blackbird Kitchen & Brewery, Ontario
BRONZE: Helles Lager, Wellington Brewery, Ontario
 
North American Style Amber Lager
GOLD: Señor Citizen, Citizen Brewing Company, Alberta
SILVER: Prairie Common, La Brasserie Nonsuch Brewing Co., Manitoba
BRONZE: Eternal Twilight, Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Co., Alberta
 
Light (Calorie-Reduced) Lager
GOLD: Yup! Light Lager, United Craft, Ontario
SILVER: Anne Bonny, Corsaire Microbrasserie, Québec
BRONZE: Lifelong Lite Lager, Neighbourhood Brewing Company, British Columbia
 
Cream Ale
GOLD: Retro Stylez – Pre-Prohibition Cream Ale, Analog Brewing Company, Alberta
SILVER: Three Fields, Elora Brewing Company, Ontario
BRONZE: Maritime Cream Ale, Grimross Brewing Co., New Brunswick
 
North American Style – Amber / Red Ale
GOLD: Idleback, Slackwater Brewing, British Columbia
SILVER: Ruby Tears, Parallel 49 Brewing, British Columbia
BRONZE: Havre St-Pierre – American Amber Ale, Four Rivers Brewing Co. Ltd., New Brunswick
 
North American Style – Blonde or Golden Ale
GOLD: Sea Change Blonde Ale, Sea Change Brewing Co., Alberta
SILVER: Ouvrière, Microbrasserie La Compagnie, Québec
BRONZE: La Libertine, La Voie Maltée, Québec
 
American Style Black Ale
GOLD: Nightshade, Winterlong Brewing Co., Yukon
SILVER: Black Rock, Stack Brewing, Ontario
BRONZE: Release All The Hounds, Big Rig Brewery, Ontario
 
North American Style Pale Ale
GOLD: Broadside, Copper Bottom Brewing, Prince Edward Island
SILVER: Three Sisters Pale Ale, The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company, Alberta
BRONZE: Broad Reach Nor’Easter IPA, Stonehooker Brewing Company, Ontario
 
Wheat Beer – North American Style
GOLD: Barram, Brasseux d’la Côte, New Brunswick
SILVER: Selkie, Rough Waters Brewing Company, Newfoundland and Labrador
BRONZE: Swedish Gymnast, Twin City Brewing Company, British Columbia
 
American Style India Pale Ale
GOLD: Permanent Resident IPA, Five Roads Brewing, British Columbia
SILVER: Lazy D’Haze IPA, Powell Brewery, British Columbia
BRONZE: Jet Fuel IPA, Ace Brewing Company, British Columbia
 
New England Style India Pale Ale
GOLD: Taste Buds, Stray Dog Brewing Company, Ontario
SILVER: Galazy IPA, Propeller Brewing Company, Nova Scotia
BRONZE: Circle Route Hazy Pale Ale, White Sails Brewing Ltd., British Columbia
 
Session India Pale Ale
GOLD: Jam Session, Microbrasserie Trois-Lacs, Québec
SILVER: Alpha Juicy Lager, Academy Brewing Company Inc., British Columbia
BRONZE: Carreta Session IPA, Andina Brewing Co., British Columbia
 
American Style Imperial India Pale Ale
GOLD: Parkman Ave, Copper Bottom Brewing, Prince Edward Island
SILVER: Missed Calls, Stockyards Brewing, Ontario
BRONZE: Zane Lost his Avocado Bag, Refined Fool Brewing Co., Ontario
 
American Belgo-Style Ale
GOLD: Lupulus, Microbrasserie Charlevoix, Québec
SILVER: First Crush White IPA, Trolley 5 Brewpub, Alberta
BRONZE: Bootsy Farmhouse IPA, House of Funk Brewing Company, British Columbia
 
American Style Brett Beer
GOLD: Blood Cut Brett IPA, Low Life Barrel House, Manitoba
SILVER: Wild IPA No. 1, Sawback Brewing Co., Alberta
BRONZE: Born to Run, The Establishment Brewing Company, Alberta
 
American Style Sour Ale
GOLD: An Equatorial Detour, Trial & Ale Brewing Company, Alberta
SILVER: brunch., Trial & Ale Brewing Company, Alberta
BRONZE: Apricot Mango Peach Sour, Rouge River Brewing Company, Ontario
 
Special Honey / Maple Lager or Ale
GOLD: Happy Pollinator, Rebellion Brewing Co., Saskatchewan
SILVER: Vieux Champion, Ras L’bock., Québec
BRONZE: Honey Comb Pale Ale, Barnside Brewing Co., British Columbia
 
Fruit / Fruit Wheat / Field / Pumpkin Beer
GOLD: Beets, Town Square Brewing, Alberta
SILVER: Ruby, My Dear, The Establishment Brewing Company, Alberta
BRONZE: Grapefruit Radler, Moosehead Breweries, New Brunswick
 
Gluten Free Beer
GOLD: Forager Pale Ale, Whistler Brewing Company, British Columbia
SILVER: Gluten-Free Porter, Port Rexton Brewing Company Ltd., Newfoundland and Labrador
BRONZE: Helix Sour Tropicale, Les Bieres de la Nouvelle France Inc., Québec
 
Session Ale
GOLD: Tiger Shark Pale Ale, Phillips Brewing and Malting Co., British Columbia
SILVER: Public House Mild Porter, Snake Lake Brewing Company, Alberta
BRONZE: English Mild, Whitewater Brewing Company LTD, Ontario
 
Experimental Beer
GOLD: Cabrusco, Burdock, Ontario
SILVER: Boson de Higgs, Hopfenstark Brewery, Québec
BRONZE: Sorceress Sour Key Lime Kettle Sour, New Level Brewing, Alberta
 
Herb and Spice Beer
GOLD: Spruced Up, Now What?, Kensington Brewing Company, Ontario
SILVER: Luna & Fuego, Cabin Brewing Company, Alberta
BRONZE: Impériale Choco-Piment Chipotle, Beauregard Brasserie Distillerie, Québec
 
Smoked Beer
GOLD: Uncle Leo’s Smoked Porter, Uncle Leo’s Brewery, Nova Scotia
SILVER: Rafter R Rauchbier, Rafter R Brewing Co. Inc., Saskatchewan
BRONZE: Prairie Fire Rauchbier, Town Square Brewing, Alberta
 
Barley Wine-Style Ale – English Style / American Style
GOLD: Burning Boat, Indie Alehouse, Ontario
SILVER: Barleywine, Sooke Brewing Company, British Columbia
BRONZE: Giantess Barley Wine, Tatamagouche Brewing Company, Nova Scotia
 
Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer – Pale to Amber / Dark
GOLD: Spring, Nickel Brook Brewing Co., Ontario
SILVER: Pointe-Audubon, Microbrasserie Saint-Pancrace, Québec
BRONZE: Ciel Dégagé, Avant-Garde Artisans Brasseurs, Québec
 
Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
GOLD: Stout Impériale Russe Bourbon, Brasserie Vrooden Inc., Québec
SILVER: Jukebox Black Métal, Avant-Garde Artisans Brasseurs, Québec
BRONZE: Citizen Cane Rum Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, Bomber Brewing, British Columbia
 
Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
GOLD: Erlton Street, The Establishment Brewing Company, Alberta
SILVER: TUKU, Moon Under Water Brewery, British Columbia
BRONZE: Waggle Dance, Small Pony Barrel Works, Ontario
 
Flavoured Stout / Porter
GOLD: Amburana, Oshlag Brasserie & Distillerie, Québec
SILVER: Ides of December 2020: Laura Secord’s Brave Walk, Henderson Brewing Co., Ontario
BRONZE: Stroopwafel, Indie Alehouse, Ontario
 
Low Alcohol Beer (<1.1%)
GOLD: Stroopwafel, Le Bazaar Microbrasserie Inc., Québec
SILVER: WoW Double Dry Hop El Dorado, Le Bazaar Microbrasserie Inc., Québec
BRONZE: Aurora, Le BockAle, Québec
 
BEER OF THE YEAR
Cherry Lambic, Rebellion Brewing Co., Saskatchewan
 
BREWERY OF THE YEAR
The Establishment Brewing Company, Alberta

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The SESSION #130 - CREATE YOUR OWN BEERFEST

"The Session" is a monthly global beer blogging get together.  One blogger each month chooses a topic and bloggers around the world write on that topic.  December 2017's topic, hosted by Brian Yaeger, is "Create Your Own Beerfest."
 
My dream beer festival involves a simultaneous return to tradition and push to the future.
 
From its native Britain, I love traditional real ale.  CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival, held each August in London, England, is one of my favourite (existing) beer festivals.  There is something magical about beer that is still alive, and in Britain, cellarmanship is itself an art form and is as important to good beer as brewing itself.

Cask-conditioned ales pulled by handpump

On this side of the Atlantic Ocean, however, real ale (also known as "cask ale" or "cask-conditioned ale") has taken on an entirely different meaning.  In the United States and Canada, breweries (almost always) make cases by adding different ingredients in a purported effort to create unique, one-time beers.  While I'm in favour of experimentation, many of of these North American cask beers seem awfully gimmicky (and often you can delete "ly gimmicky" from the two words preceding this parenthetical).  The flavours in North American cask ales are often as flat as many North American beer drinkers wrongly believe cask ale to be and my enthusiasm for North American cask ales is as lukewarm as many North American beer drinkers wrongly believe they should be served.

All of this having been said, I also love North American beer, for all of its incredible inventiveness and creativity.  New brewing techniques.  New beer styles.  New hop varieties.  New barley varieties.  New ingredients.  New microorganisms.  I love all of it.  I don't know why this creativity so often fails when pointed toward cask ales, but in my opinion, it does.
 
So, here's my dream beer festival:  Invite North America's finest breweries to bring their finest beer, and to bring along with it, a cask-conditioned version of that same beer where they are not allowed to add any ingredients not found in the original recipe (with an allowance for finings, if the breweries so choose).  Dose the beer with some fresh worth and yeast and a dry hop of a variety found in the base beer and that's it.  No fruit.  No coffee.  No bourbon-soaked oak chips.  And don't even think about adding kombucha, algae or echinacea (all of which I've tasted in North American cask ales).

Cask-conditioned ales served by gravity.

The Don of Beer's 15,000th beer was cask-conditioned Tool Shed Brewing Yellow Rage, made for the occasion.

Imagine tasting Russian River Brewing's Pliny the Elder alongside a cask of it.  Or Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA served alongside a cask version with just one last dose of hops in the cask.  How about 3 Floyds Brewing's Dark Lord Imperial Stout beside a cellar-temperature cask version served by gravity or handpump at just over one volume of carbon dioxide?
 
Every beer sample would be served in pairs so that patrons of the beer festival could see the beauty that cask-conditioning, in its basic, traditional from, can impart on a beer.  My dream beer festival would take real ale back to its traditional form, while pairing it to the new era of beer creativity.  (11/17)

BEER REVOLUTION TAP TAKEOVER

Beer Revolution is a beer bar with locations in Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta, Canada.  They have 24 taps of constantly rotating beers.  On November 3, 2017, I was given the opportunity to curate the beer list with some of my favourites.  Of course, I could only choose beers that are available for sale in Alberta, and I wanted to show the diversity of beer.  So while I wouldn't say these are my absolute favourite beers of all time, they really are some great beers and demonstrate the beauty of beer.

​​Brouwerij De Molen Bommen & Granaten – "Bommen & Granaten" is Dutch for "bombs and grenades".  Appropriate, since this beer is massively malty and alcoholic.  Indeed, it's fermented by a Champagne yeast; such yeast can tolerate higher levels of alcohol than traditional beer yeast can.  Take one sip and pay attention as the flavours evolve in your mouth.  Boom!

Tool Shed Brewing Company Red Rage – Red Rage has layers of malt character.  Like a layer cake, you can reach into as many or few layers as you wish.  You can just sit back, relax and enjoy its simple deliciousness.  Or you can exercise your palate and analyze the different flavours of the six different malts used to create this complex beer.
 
Bridge Brewing Side Cut North East IPA – "Juicy."  There's at least one Alberta beer personality that doesn't like that word, but I love it.  I love it because I love juicy beers and this one is as juicy as they come.  This juiciness comes from a biochemical process whereby glycosides found in hops are broken up by enzymes produced by yeast.  It's complicated.  You'd better order a beer.
 
Troubled Monk Brewery Open Road Brown Ale – The World Beer Cup is one of the most prestigious beer awards in the world and Open Road Brown Ale is one of only a handful of Canadian breweries to earn a medal there.  Malty and fruity with notes of fudge, nuts and cranberries.  I challenge you to name one thing coming out of Red Deer, Alberta better than this.
 
Pilsner Urquell – Pilsner is the world's most popular beer style and yet almost no one makes a pilsner as good as the original.  "Urquell" means "ancient source" and Pilsner Urquell is literally the first pilsner.  Craft brewers are finally turning their attention to this beer style and all should be judged against this ancient beauty.
 
Brewsters Brewing Company Blue Monk Barleywine – This is the best beer ever brewed in Alberta.  Yup.  I mean it.  Malty without being too sweet.  Rich.  Complex.  Handsome.  If this beer were a man, it would be George Clooney.
 
Fuller's Brewery Extra Special Bitter – Fuller's is one of the few breweries in the world the brews using a full partigyle where a batch of unfermented beer (called wort) is split into two batches, one strong and one weak.  Multiple beers are created through the blending of these two batches, but in the case of Extra Special Bitter, it's 100% the strong batch.  Oh!  And don't be thrown off by the name; the "extra" refers to the beer's body, not its bitterness.
 
Brouwerij Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne – Sour beers are all the rage these days, but not all sour beers are created equal.  Duchesse de Bourgogne is one of the best because it's not just sour.  It has a firm malt foundation with hints of toast and oak to provide a foundation upon which the sourness can stand.  Pucker up.
 
McAuslan Brewery St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout – For years and years and years, this was the best stout I'd ever had.  As the craft beer industry has grown, I'm no longer prepared to say this is singularly the best; it has likely been eclipsed by others.  But, it remains an exceptionally great stout with a prefect balance of malt sweetness and smoky bitterness with oatmeal giving the beer a soft texture.
 
Nogne O Bryggeri Imperial Koji Saison – Koji is a type of fungus used in sake making.  Norway's most innovative brewery used some along with saison yeast to make this unique beer.  Dry, musty and a little tart with a hint of orange.  Norway.  Yes way!

Gigantic Brewing Solid! – Do you think wheat beers are boring?  Think again.  This is heavily hopped beer has groves full of citrus flavours and notes of pineapple.  It's gigantic.  And solid.

Banded Peak Brewing Southern Aspect IPA – Have you ever met Colin, Alex and Matt from Banded Peak?  They're great guys, but I didn't like them for a while because my favourite beer of theirs was just a seasonal offering.  When I can't get a beer I want, I get angry and you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.  But now Southern Aspect IPA is available year round, so all is forgiven.
 
Orval – I could write a book about this beer and the brewery.  But I don't have enough space here, so I'll just say this: it is ridiculously delicious because it is a complex blend of Belgian, German and British brewing techniques.  And the brewery at which it is brewed is in a Trappist monastery, where brewing is supervised by a very strict order of monks.  Heavenly.
 
Bruery Guava Libre! – Anyone who knows me knows that Bruery is one of my favourite breweries in the world.  They make dozens of different beers each year, none of them failing to be amazing.  Guava Libre! is interesting because it mimics a Cuban pastry of the same name that is filled with guava and cheese.  The malt of the beer mimics the pastry while the lactose mimics the cheese.  Real guava in the beer completes the picture.  Está volao!  (11/17)

the Coolest Thing Ever Done by an Alberta Brewery

​If you ask football fans to name their favourite players, they'll usually name quarterbacks or receivers.  A decade or more ago, running backs might also have been named.  Almost never would anyone, even the most devout football fan, name an offensive lineman.  This is despite the fact that offensive linemen are often some of the most highly-paid players on the team.

Fans watch football for excitement.  It's the quarterbacks, receivers and running backs who provide that excitement through big offensive plays.  Defensive players can make highlight reels by causing turnovers or sacking the quarterback. But you'll almost never see an offensive lineman make the highlight reel because when he does his job perfectly, it's other people who shine.

These three cans of Troubled Monk Golden Gaetz contain the same, but different, beer.

People who truly know football will tell you that the offensive linemen are often the smartest players (listen to this Freakonomics podcast) and as Michael Lewis explained in "The Blind Side", are often highly-valued as players.  No prized offensive player can do anything unless the linemen do their jobs.  And highlight-reel defensive plays usually occur only when the offensive linemen fail.

So, what does any of this have to do with beer?  Hops make the highlight reel, but malt is the offensive line.  Malt forms the foundation of beer and is the platform upon which other ingredients shine.  Malt provides the food for the yeast.  Malt provides structure to beer and balances the showiness of hops.  Many beer lovers can name dozens of varieties of hops, but few can name even one variety of barley.  Sure, some can name some types of malt, which is the manner in which barley is germinated to be usable for brewing, but varieties of barley, despite being very important to beer, remain a mystery to most beer lovers, including a lot of brewers.

Enter international-award-winning Troubled Monk Brewery of Red Deer, Alberta.  They have created a six-pack of beer showcasing barley.  Finally, somebody is applauding the offensive linemen and I hereby declare this to be the coolest thing ever done by an Alberta brewery.

The six-pack includes two each of three brews of Golden Gaetz, one of their flagship beers.  The three brews differ only in the variety of barley used to brew the beer: one with Bentley, one with Synergy and one with a mix of Copeland and Synergy.

Visually, the three are very similar.  Notably, the foam cap is the same on all, which indicates that there were not significant differences in the protein levels of the barley varieties.  I perceived the Synergy edition to be just a shade darker than the other two, though this could be attributed to variations in the malting process, rather than the variety of barley.

The three editions of Troubled Monk Golden Gaetz are visually similar, though the Synergy edition (middle) does appear a shade darker.

Aromatically, the Bentley version was the lightest, but it distinctively had a hint of confectioner's sugar.  By contrast the Synergy had aromas that also hinted at sweetness, but were more like hard candy.  In addition, the Synergy version had a little earthiness to its aroma.  The Copeland/Synergy blend also had a little earthiness, though less so than in the pure Synergy version (so I would attribute this aroma to Synergy barley).  To my nose, there were no aromas in the Copeland/Synergy blend that would hint at a sweet flavour to come.

​On the palate, the Bentley version was the cleanest.  It had a simple sweetness with just a hint of confectioner's sugar.  The Synergy version was sweeter, but had a little earthiness to balance and a surprising hint of fudge.  Finally, the Copeland/Synergy blend seemed to be the middle of the three, in terms of level of sweetness.  It was fairly clean, with no confectioner's sugar or fudge, but with just a touch of earthiness.

To prove I wasn't imagining the differences between the three editions, I exited the room and asked my wife to rearrange the beers.  I came back and was able to correctly identify the beers.  Indeed, I was able to identify the Synergy version based on sight alone, although I bothered to confirm it by aroma before declaring it the Synergy edition.  The other two editions were more difficult to distinguish, but I remembered that the Bentley edition was very clean and so I tasted the two and identified the cleaner as the Bentley.
 
Kudos to Troubled Monk for tackling this project, the coolest thing ever done by an Alberta brewery!  (02/17)

Portfolio Living

My friend is helping to market luxury apartments in Calgary, Alberta called Portfolio Living.  She asked me to name five places for great beer and a great beer available at each place, all within walking distance of Portfolio Living.  Portfolio Living is within walking distance of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome and Stampede grounds and "the beltline", an area rich in restaurants and nightlife.  The hardest part of making these recommendations was narrowing the list to just five places! 

​For the biggest draft beer line-up – Craft Beer Market (345 10th Avenue SW; craftbeermarket.ca) boasts over 100 different beers on tap, from local favourites to legendary brews from the furthest corners of the world.  They have Alberta's largest selection of beer on draft.  They also have an incredible chef, so nobody does beer and food pairing better than Craft Beer Market does.  Great food and great beer is a killer combination.
​
All of the beers are set out on large menus that not only list the beers, but have them divided into categories, making finding something to your liking very easy.  But perhaps the best thing about Craft Beer Market is that they change their beer list every three months, so when I go to Craft, I ask to see their shorter list of seasonal favourites and pick from there.  Happy hour runs from 3pm to 6pm Monday to Friday, when all local draft beers are $4.  It's the perfect time to meet some friends and try some new beers.

​For a chill night – It's hard not to feel at home at Hop 'n Brew Pub (213 12 Ave SW).  In fact, Hop 'n Brew is located in an old house, just around the corner from Portfolio.  No televisions.  No video games.  No pretention.  Just a carefully curated selection of craft beers, plenty of good music and an abundance of great times.  Because Hop 'n Brew was once a house, there are many cozy corners in which to enjoy a quiet pint with friends over good conversation or to play one of the board games they make available.
           
​Hop 'n Brew is owned by a beer lover and homebrewer.  He's arranged to a beer of his own design made for his pub only.  So when I spend an evening at Hop 'n Brew, I'm sure to have at least one glass of their Gold Spur.  The beer is deep copper with golden highlights and has a rich malty sweetness and a bit of an alcohol kick.  The beer is modelled after those from Belgium, so you can also look for a little bit of spicy flavour, which comes from the yeast used to ferment the beer.  The beer boasts 9% ABV, so drink it carefully!

​For guests from out of town – Last Best Brewing & Distilling (607 11 Ave SW; lastbestbrewing.com) has their own on-site brewery.  Beer does not get fresher than the beer served at Last Best.  They have five different beers that are always available, plus they rotate through another handful of whimsical things that strike the brewer's fancy.  They also serve high-end casual food and have an amazing cocktail bar downstairs where, believe it or not, you can even get your haircut in their in-house barbershop.

Last Best offers a tasting platter featuring six of their beers, so if you can't decide what you want, you can't go wrong with trying a selection of their different beers.  But I like to go with a pint of their Last Best IPA.  It is a wonderfully balanced IPA with a firm maltiness that supports a strong hop presence and tropical fruit flavours, which come from Mosaic hops, one of the most popular varieties of hops for craft brewers.  IPA is one of the most popular beer styles in the craft beer world and Last Best's is one of the best.  If you have one, I guarantee it won't be your last.

​For a fun night out – What could be better than combining bowling with great beer?  When you and your friends want to channel your inner Lebowski, head down to National Bowl (341 10th Avenue SW; ntnl.ca/national-10th/bowling-ntnl10).  24 different beers on tap, a dozen more in cans and bottles and eight 10-pin bowling lanes provide an opportunity for a fun night out like nowhere else in Calgary can offer.  You can work up a thirst and slake it at the same time.

​One of the beers you can get at National Bowl is exclusive to them.  Made by Calgary's original craft brewery, Big Rock Brewery, Pin Monkey Lager is a golden lager with a touch of malt sweetness at the start before a nice hop bitterness emerges in the finish.  A moderate level of carbonation gives the beer some effervescence, making it the perfect easy-drinking, thirst-quenching beer to fuel your strikes and spares.

​For a great patio – What could be better than being walking distance from Calgary's most legendary pub?  The Ship & Anchor (534 17 Ave SW; shipandanchor.com) offers 32 local and international beers on tap and several more in bottles and cans.  On any sunny day, regardless of the month, you will find the patio packed with Calgarians of all stripes, from hipsters to businesspeople.  There is no more inviting pub in Calgary than "The Ship".

​Speaking of inviting, while you're at The Ship, grab a pint of Village Brewery's Blacksmith, one of the most inviting beers you'll ever drink.  When Village Brewery launched in 2011, Blacksmith was one of their two flagships and it remains so.  Blacksmith rides a fine line, being flavourful, rich and complex on one hand, but being approachable, balanced and drinkable on the other hand.  It's a good thing home is just a short way away; you might be drinking a few of these.

The Best Beer of 2013

3 Fonteinen Armand’4 Herfst.

I hadn't planned on writing anything specifically about 2013, but on the evening of December 31, I opened a special beer with which I was going to ring in the new year.  As soon as I inhaled its intoxicating bouquet, I knew that I'd be writing this post.  And yet, I must apologize for this post, because I know it will be inadequate.  There are limits on what can be expressed though the English language, or at least, what I am capable of expressing through the English language.

The Inuit language famously has dozens of words for "snow" where English is limited to one.  Conversely, Chinese has but one word meaning, loosely, both "crisis" and "opportunity".  My point is that there are limits to all languages, which is precisely why we have other forms of expression, such as music, art and, indeed, beer.  Some things cannot be described in words; they must speak for themselves.

3 Fonteinen Armand’4 Herfst is one of such things.  It expresses something that cannot be expressed in words.  It is a blend of one, two and three year old lambic and was released as a one-off bottling.  Herfst is one of four Armand'4 beers, "herfst" being Dutch for "autumn".

Despite the fact that I know that my description will be inadequate, here is what I can say:

Visually, the beer is unassuming.  It pours with a very large, white head composed of small bubbles.  Retention is moderate and lacing is in large tufts.  The beer itself is brown and hazy.  This could be one of many other beers I've seen.  Notably, the beer did not look anything like a gueuze should.

Once the beer is in the glass, one sniff will tell you this is not any other beer.  Indeed, this is not even any other gueuze lambic.  The bouquet is nicely tart with good, but not overpowering funk.  Gueuze should, of course, have that unique barnyard, old cheese, sweat sock aroma, but these aromas can get out of hand.  In the case of Armand'4 Herfst, there are nice aromas of toasted oak and fruits that are equally prominent and help to balance the funk.

Meanwhile, the flavour of the beer, which is medium-bodied, is dry and while it is appropriately sour, the sourness is very pleasant without being puckering.  The funk is present, without being obnoxious.  Instead, these funky flavours are balanced against nice malt flavours, including toast with a hint of oak, and a gentle fruitiness that includes lychee.  The overall result is a ridiculously complex beer with an uncountable number of flavours.  Yet none of such flavours needs to be arrogant.  Instead, each is happy to play its role in the symphony, knowing that it is precisely every small contribution to the whole that makes the symphony work.

For the record, I sampled 1,166 new (to me) beers in 2013.  The 1,166th was the best.  (01/14)

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Big Rock's Break Out Year

Big Rock's amazing Erratic Stone-Fired Ale.

Big Rock Brewery of Calgary, Alberta burst onto the craft brewing scene in the mid-80s.  As an early mover in the craft beer scene, Big Rock enjoyed great success.  There was commercial success, of course, but their beer also received international critical acclaim.  Big Rock McNally's Extra Ale is one of the few Canadian beers to make Michael Jackson's list of 500 must-try beers.

After Big Rock became a publicly-traded company, quite a bit of their effort was spent on volume growth rather than brewing creativity.  That's not to say that they didn't produced some good beers.  For example, I remember their Köld lager.  Even though the beer was aimed at a mainstream market, Köld was a fantastic beer, with a sharp hop bite in its finish.  And while Big Rock released other new beers from time to time, these tended to be merely good representations of classic styles.  There's nothing wrong with that, but in many respects, it seemed as though Big Rock was content to travel the road with its speedometer pegged safely a few clicks below the speed limit.

That changed in 2013.  Under the leadership of new CEO Robert Sartor, Big Rock unveiled a torrent of amazing beers.  Some of these were very limited release beers, running in the exact opposite direction of the prior CEO's volume focus.  Sartor is quick to point out, "Big Rock's best years were the ones when we made uncompromisingly good craft beer."  He says, "In the future, we will not focus on volume.  We might actually become a smaller brewery, but we will focus on pleasing and surprising craft beer drinkers."

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Big Rock's Cuvee Bru, made with Pinot Gris grapes from Theory Vineyards.

With his new CEO backing him, Brewmaster Paul Gautreau unleashed years of pent up creativity onto the beer drinking public.  Big Rock also, for the first time in its long history, made cask-conditioned ale, debuting its cask ale program at Craft Beer Market's Caskapalooza.

My favourite release of the year was Erratic, about which I wrote for FFWD Weekly.  Of over 10,000 beers I've sampled, Erratic was only my fourth stone beer, where beer is boiled not through firing the kettle but by heating granite over an open flame before lowering that granite into the beer.  Love this beer or not, it is both fantastic and amazing that the previously-sleepy brewery known at Big Rock took on a beer of this style and a project of this difficulty.

Big Rock also amazed the beer-loving public with their Cuvée Bru, made with Pinot Gris grapes from Theory Vineyards.  It was Big Rock's first corked and caged beer and their collaboration with Theory Vineyards demonstrates a newfound openness.

Big Rock also released two genuinely hoppy beers.  While they made well-brewed IPAs in the past, the hopping was always restrained.  While I agree that a lot of beers tend to be over-hopped, Big Rock's pre-2013 IPAs were too soft.  But 2013 saw Big Rock demonstrate that beers can be hoppy and balanced at the same time, through their Monkey's Fist Royal IPA and Anthea Wet Hop Ale.

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In 2013, Big Rock also showed it was capable of brewing with unusual ingredients.  In addition to Cuvée Bru,  Big Rock released Rosmarinus, which was brewed with rosemary, while the cleverly named Life of Chai was brewed not only with tea, but balanced nine spices, including cardamom, clove, cinnamon, ginger, mint and rose petals, against each other.  Fruit was also on Big Rock's radar in 2013, with Purple Gas, featuring Saskatoonberries and agave nectar, and Cherazz, a lightly tart beer made with cherries and raspberries.

Despite all of this creativity, Big Rock still showed they could brew classic beer.  Helles Bock brewed up a punny 6.66% ABV and featured a nice graininess and a gentle alcoholic sweetness, entirely appropriate for a beer of this style.  And Gerstemeister Marzen, brewed with pale, Munich, biscuit and Vienna malt, was brewed in March and released in September, as would have been done traditionally in Germany.  No volume-focused brewery would tie up a vat (and cash) for six months.

Normally, I'm all about the beer and I don't get overly excited about packaging.  But I did find it interesting that Big Rock released beers in large-format bottles, including releasing Erratic in a flip top bottle and Cuvée Bru in corked and caged bottles.  Both of these bottles were labled by hand.

Big Rock also released several variety packs.  The Swinger Pack, featuring Purple Gas and Paradox Dark Light Ale as new releases, came out at the beginning of summer while the Family Jewel's Pack came out in the fall, including new beers Gerstemeister Marzen and Monkey's Fist Royal IPA.

My favourite variety pack was the Lumberjack Pack, a six-pack featuring two each of three new beers: Spruce Goose, Hibernation and Twisted Antler.

2014 promises to be even more exciting than 2013.

Spruce Goose, made with spruce tips, was fruity and sweet.  It reminded me of Scotland's Alba Pine Ale.  Hibernation was made with elderberries, juniper, wild strawberries, dandelion root, birch bark, maple sugar, rose petals and honey.  It was solidly malty without being overly sweet.  Finally, Twisted Antler was made with black liquorice and Columbian coffee.  It had a very solid maltiness with the flavour of liquorice coming next, followed by the flavour of coffee.  Fantastic.

Big Rock has big plans for 2014 including braggot, gruit and Kvass.  I cannot wait!  (12/13)

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In Praise of Session Beer - Moderate is the New Extreme

Brewsters NXNW American Pale Ale - simply delicious.

I like extreme beers.  I love IBUs.  I love barrel-aged beers.  I love Brettanomyces.  I love imperial stout.  My fridge and my cellar both are stocked with high-alcohol, highly-hopped, spiced, wild-fermented, barrel-aged, crazy, latest-trend goodness.

But I had an epiphany recently.  Or perhaps I should call it a re-epiphany.

I sat down at a local brewpub and ordered their latest seasonal.  Tasting new beers is what I do.  I had no particular expectations from this beer, but I needed to taste it as part of my work.  It's my job to know what's going on locally in the beer business.

The beer was marketed as an American Pale Ale.  This is the style of beer the craft brewing industry cut its teeth on, but in many respects it's yesterday's beer style.  Heck, it's yester-decade's beer style.

But I was blown away by this beer.  It was delicious.  It was not overly complex.  It didn't present a complicated array of flavours.  It didn't overwhelm my senses.  It didn't evolve.  It was, in a sense, boring.  But that is precisely what I loved about it.  The beer was simply delicious and deliciously simple.

It was an epiphany of sorts.  I had spent so much time chasing the latest and greatest, that I had almost forgotten what I loved about beer in the first place.  Beer is delicious!

Have we come full circle?  Is moderate the new extreme?

My re-epiphany beer was 5.5% ABV, but I remember attending my first Great British Beer Festival in the early 2000's where I sampled dozens of amazing beers under 4.0% ABV.  The Brits brew sub-4.0% ABV beers that are ludicrously delicious.  It comes as naturally to them as breathing oxygen.  Yet, I have (almost) never tasted beer with such low alcohol and such high deliciousness on this side of the Atlantic.

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Granville Island's Uncle Monty's Best Bitter - the best beer in North America under 4% ABV.

In 2009, Lew Bryson of Pennsylvania started "The Session Beer Project" which seems finally to be getting legs. Thanks, at least in part, to Bryson's efforts, session beer is becoming more popular in North America. Founders Brewing of Michigan recently announced that their All Day IPA is now their best selling beer.  But that is just one example.  The new tide of session beers includes Bells Oarsman Ale, Boulevard Pop-Up IPA, Odell Loose Leaf, Deschutes River Ale and Victory Swing Saison.  All of these are held out as session beers.  But the lowest alcohol content of these beers is 4% ABV and one kicks up a hefty (by British standards) 4.7% ABV.  There are, of course, many others.

There has been much debate as to what constitutes session beer.  I've read the same articles and blog posts that you have.  And I've read all the comments and argument in response to the articles and blog posts.  And I don't care about any of it.

Whatever arbitrary line you wish to draw to define "session ale" is irrelevant.  I had always been left with an unanswered question.  How can the Brits brew ludicrously delicious beer with under 4.0% ABV, while North Americans can (or will) not?  Until now.

I recently sampled Granville Island's seasonal Uncle Monty's Best Bitter.  It has a measly 3.6% ABV, balanced against 40 IBU.  It is packed with flavour.  Pale malt from British Columbia provides a firm pedestal upon which the Citra hops are allowed to sing fantastic notes of tropical fruit.

So Granville Island has proven it.  North Americans can brew truly delicious, truly sessionable beer.  When will everyone else in North America figure out the British secret?  (09/13)

Caskapalooza at Craft Beer Market

In 2011, I wrote an article for FFWD Weekly, a Calgary-based arts and entertainment weekly, on the rise of cask beer in Calgary.  More and more places were starting to offer cask beer on weekly or monthly special, though to this day, no place in Calgary offers cask beer on a continuous basis.  On September 1, 2013, Calgary's Craft Beer Market celebrated cask ale with its first (hopefully annual) Caskapalooza.  Eight local breweries each featured one cask ale.  A rumoured appearance by Central City did not pan out, though a cask of their beer will be at Craft Beer Market in a couple of weeks and Caskapalooza ticket holders will get a free pint.

Calgary's Big Rock Brewery used Caskapalooza to debut its first ever cask-conditioned beer, dubbed "Strange Brew".   Big Rock resisted cask beer for its entire 29-year history, but even they are now proponents of live beer.

Cask beer veteran Wild Rose Brewery dry hopped their I.P.A. with white currants and Sorachi Ace hops.  Village Brewery took wort from the current seasonal release, a farmhouse ale, and dry hopped it with Mosaic and Centennial.  Canmore's Grizzly Paw Brewing Company brought an I.P.A. dry hopped with hibiscus flowers.  Brew Brothers Brewery brought their Black Pilsner, proving that cask beer is not limited to ales.  They infused this special version of Black Pilsner with coffee and vanilla beans.  Even Calgary's newest brewing company, Tool Shed Brewing joined in on the fun.  They brought their People Skills cream ale and ran it through a Randall filled with fresh pineapple.

Spreading the gospel of cask will bring Calgary one step closer to having cask ale available all the time, so kudos to Craft Beer Market for organizing this event.  (09/13)

Sam Adams Utopias

I had the honour of speaking at the Beer Dinner with Samuel Adams hosted by Continental Treat Fine Bistro on August 14, 2013.  Continental Treat is a multi-award-winning restaurant in Edmonton, Alberta, located on bustling Whyte Avenue.

For $100 (all taxes and gratuities included), fans of Boston Beer Company were treated to a five-course meal prepared by Continental Treat's culinary team led by Executive Chef Elizabeth Palmowski.  Each course came with Samuel Adams beer pairings, the entire dinner was accompanied by live jazz by Laura Swankey Quartet and the evening ended with complimentary newgets from The Newget Kompany.

The evening started with a cheese reception with cheeses supplied by Everything Cheese.  A broad selection of cheeses were paired against Samuel Adams' flagship Boston Lager, proving the beer's versatility.  Guests were then served seared scallops over cauliflower puree which was accompanied by Samuel Adams Summer Ale.  The effervescence of Summer Ale and its light, gently spicy flavour complimented the seafood nicely.

Samuel Adams Spring Lager was then served alongside Waldorf salad.  Spring Lager helped cut through the mayonnaise of the dressing and cleanse the palate such that each bite of salad could be enjoyed freshly.

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The fourth course was rack of lamb with lager au jus.  This was served with Samuel Adams Winter Lager.  The beer's solid maltiness and nice spiciness were fantastic accompaniment to the lamb.

The evening culminated in a tasting of Utopias, arguably the most expensive beer in the world and the beer with the highest alcohol content from natural fermentation.  Sweet beers do not often stand up well against sweet desserts, but Utopias is no ordinary beer.  Its rich, port-like quality paired wonderfully with the opera cake served for dessert.

Continential Treat Fine Bistro regularly hosts beer dinners.  Visit their website for a list of upcoming events.  (08/13)

The Rest of Texas

The purpose of my recent trip to Texas was to catch up on the beer scenes thriving in San Antonio and Austin (see below).  But as part of that trip, I visited a few other establishments that merit mention.

Houston, TX has a bit of catching up to do.  Aside from Saint Arnold Brewing, there is not a lot to the brewery scene in Houston.  That said, I was able to try a few new Saint Arnold Beers, including two of its Icon series.  I was particularly impressed with the Saint Arnold Green Icon Amarillo Hefeweizen.

Houston does have a good beer bar scene, though, and I was also able to meet up with Houston Chronicle writer Ronnie Crocker, who authors the Beer, TX blog.  We met for a couple of beers at the Hay Merchant, one of the new fantastic beer bars becoming popular in Houston.

One of the larger breweries in the state is Spoetzl Brewer, makers of the Shiner line of beers.  For years, I found their beers to be mediocre, but I was able to try several of their new beers, most of which were remarkable.  In particular, I loved their Wild Hare Pale Ale, a well-balanced, yet hoppy pale ale with amazing quaffability.

Roughly half way between San Antonio and Austin is the city of San Marcos.  San Marcos is home to Root Cellar Cafe, a nice, casual eatery with a small brewing operation.  They offered a pale ale, a black IPA and a remarkably good gluten-free beer, though all of their beers were quite good.

Nearby Dripping Springs, TX boasts the Barber Shop, which, despite its name, is a brewpub.  They only offer one of their own beers (a robust bourbon porter when I was there), but they have an impressive line up of guest beers and it is run by one of the friendliest publicans you'll ever meet.  The Barber Shop is worth a visit just for a friendly chat.

Not far from Dripping Springs is the town of Wimberley where Middleton Brewing makes Belgian-inspired beer.

Fort Worth, TX is home to Zio Carlo Magnolia Brew Pub.  While they only offer one of their own beers, when I was there, it was an adventurous Berliner Weiss.  They also offer a nice list of local guest taps.

Finally, Grapevine, TX, which is near the airport in the centre of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, offers Uncle Buck's Brewery and Steakhouse.  While Uncle Buck's may not be the best brewpub you'll ever visit and the staff could do with some education about beer, given its proximity to the airport, Uncle Buck's is the perfect place to stop before a trip home.  (07/13)

Highlights of Austin, Texas

The craft beer scene is strong in the Live Music Capital of the World.  This is despite the fact that Texas beer laws were, until very recently, rather archaic.  Now that some of the restrictions on breweries have been lifted, hopefully the already strong beer scene will flourish and help "Keep Austin Weird".

Brewpubs

My favourite brewpub in Austin is Namaste Brewing, which is located in The Whip In, a bar, restaurant and bottle shop, all in one.  They feature their own beer, a great list of guest taps, live music, good food and incredibly friendly staff.  If you only visit one place in Austin, The Whip In should be it.  Their flagship beer is Brahmale, a post-colonial double IPA made with local honey, grapefruit peel and lemongrass.

My next favourite place is Pinthouse Pizza.  As the name implies, Pinthouse Pizza offers great beer, both their own and several guest taps, and good pizza.  Pinthouse has some craft lagers suitable for the hot Austin weather, but what I love is their ever-changing Fallen Cask IPA, which varies from batch to batch.

Uncle Billy's Brew & Que is a great combination of a brewpub and Texas barbecue.  With a fantastic patio, good beer and nice food, Uncle Billy's is a good choice for tourists, because it offers several tastes of Texas all in one place.

Located just north of Austin in Round Rock, Flix Brewhouse is a first-run movie theatre with an on-premise brewery.  In addition to their own beers, they offer an impressive line up of guest beers, any of which you can take into the theatre to enjoy while watching the latest Hollywood production.  If I lived in Austin, I'd be at Flix every week.

Black Star Co-Op is an odd place.  The beer is fine, but it has a very "hipster" vibe.  I don't have anything against hipsters, but this place puts way too much effort into not trying hard.  If you're nearby, I wouldn't avoid the place, but I wouldn't put a lot of effort into going, either.

To the best of my knowledge, North by Northwest Restaurant and Brewery is not part of a brewpub chain, but it certainly feels like it is.  From the slick, efficient service to the better-than-average-but-not-too-risky beer, the whole experience lacks sincerity.  It's all good, but strangely dispassionate.

Breweries

Visiting breweries was tricky (although recent legislation has changed that).  At the time I visited, it was not legal for breweries to sell beer direclty to customers.  As a result, most breweries in Texas do not have a taproom and those that do, have limited hours and odd rules (imposed upon them).

Jester King Brewery is a farmhouse brewery, actually located on a farm.  As a brewery, it is only only open on Saturdays, when you can buy a souvenir glass.  If you buy such a glass, they'll give you a bunch of free samples.  This strange arrangement is in compliance with Texas laws (which, as previously mentioned, have recently changed).  On these Saturdays, a live band plays, there is a lively crowd and the brewery generally has a feel of a beer festival.  And the beer is the best brewed in Texas.  I love this place.

Thirsty Planet Brewing, as of the time of my visit, is only open for tours on Saturday.  Their must-try beer is Franklin Smoked Porter, made in collaboration with world-famous Franklin Barbecue.  A firm malt foundation supports a gentle smokiness.

Hops & Grain Brewery has a small taproom open only on Fridays and Saturdays.  If you buy a souvenir glass, they'll give you some free samples of their beer.  The taproom has some incredible barrel-aged beers for you to try, alongside its core line-up, which is available at retail in cans.

Independence Brewery doesn't have a taproom generally open to the public, but they do brew some good beer.  While almost every craft brewery in the United States offers an IPA, Independence Stash IPA stands out from the crowd; it is exceptional.

Other Beer Bars

In addition to great brewpubs and breweries, Austin boasts many great beer bars.  I wasn't able to visit many during my trip to Austin, but I did visit three worth mentioning.

Easy Tiger Bake Shop & Beer Garden is located at the end of Austin's famous 6th Street nightlife strip.  It boasts a very nice selection of American craft beers, often serving one through a Dogfish Head Randall.

Draught House Pub, located not far from Pinthouse Pizza, has dozens of taps which are listed on digital screens above the bar.  These digital screens seem out of place in this otherwise rustic bar.

Austin Ale House is a casual dining restaurant with a good beer selection in downtown Austin.  They offer a good selection of beers and good food to match.
(07/13)

San Antonio, Texas

Samples of beers at Freetail Brewing Company.

San Antonio is a beautiful city.  A stroll along Its famed River Walk is a wonderful way to spend the day.  It's even legal to drink a beer as you walk along, as long as you are not intoxicated.

I visited three brewpubs in the Alamo City.  Brewery visits were more difficult because Texas law, until very recently, made it illegal for breweries to sell beer directly at the brewery.  This changed on June 14, 2013 when Governor Rick Perry signed new laws to change that.  But at the time of my visit, I only visited brewpubs, since I wouldn't be able to try beers at breweries.

Freetail Brewing Company is named after a type of bat.  It is in the outskirts of San Antonio.  It became somewhat famous when an email exchange between them and Groupon went viral.

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For a tourist staying in the heart of San Antonio, Freetail is a little out of the way, but I made a special effort to visit, just because I loved the sense of humour and clever intelligence displayed in the Groupon email exchange.  I sampled eight of their beers.  The highlight for me was their Multigrain IPA.  I'm not sure what other grains are used in the beer, but the use crystal barley malt was evident right away from the aroma.  The beer has a firm malt foundation to support the heavy hops that follow.  I liked this beer because it shows that the Freetail brewer understands balance.  Sure IPAs need to be hop heavy, but without a solid malt foundation, heavily hopped beers can become difficult to drink.

All of the beers were enjoyable, but in addition to the Multigrain IPA, I especially liked Broken Promise Pale Ale and Verano Sin Fin.

Freetail Brewing Company, located on N Loop 1604 W, San Antonio.

My favourite place in San Antonio was Blue Star Brewing Company, which is located in a complex with some other great businesses, including a contemporary art gallery.  The food at Blue Star Brewing is fantastic - simple dishes, but made with quality ingredients.

The Blue Star Pilsner is a nice respite from the hot San Antonio weather.  It has a gentle sweetness, but a moderate hop bitterness lingers lightly in the finish.  On the other end of the spectrum, the Blue Star Oatmeal Stout is also very enjoyable, but to my palate, it is more of an Irish stout than an oatmeal stout, due to its dryness and light acidity.

For hop lovers, Blue Star Brewing only offers Pale Ale, brewed with Cascade hops.  It is a classic American pale ale and while it may not be hoppy enough for those who demand high IBUs, it has a nice, gentle hop presence.

The Granary 'Cue & Brew is located in the Pearl Brewery area of San Antonio.  This is a long, but very pleasant stroll along the River Walk from San Antonio's core.

Granary's Brown may itself be reason enough for the trek.  Brown ale is a rather non-descript style and most that I've sampled are lacking in character, even if pleasant to drink.  But Granary's Brown has an interesting evolution of flavours.  It starts with a malty sweetness, but then tobacco and tea-like flavours emerge to dry out the finish.  As the beer warms, I also get some coffee-like flavours.

Granary's IPA has a wonderful citric fruitiness and their Rye Saison uses rye spiciness to amplify its yeast character.  These are all around nice beers.  (06/13)

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