Beer of the Week - February 7th to February 13th

When your week is filled with amazing beer, it is a good time to be alive. So many great Canadian Craft Beers that I have a hard time choosing just one to be my Beer of The Week (BOW) this Valentine's Day. But choose I must and I would be missing a wonderful opportunity to share one of the oldest and finest brewers in the province with you if I slacked off my duty.

Great Lakes Brewery from Etobicoke celebrated their 29th birthday this past Friday and what an accomplishment that is. To be able to stay nimble, innovative and at the forefront of the craft beer industry for over a quarter of a century is truly amazing. I am constantly buying anything I see with the GLB logo on it and this week I made a quick trip to the brewery to pick up a few beers you can only get at their retail store. I picked up the Blonde Lager, Red Leaf Lager, Long Dong Pilsner (stop laughing), and the most unique offering I've had in a while, Body Dubbel Belgian Ale.

I grabbed two because I wanted one to review and then one just to enjoy and savour. It spoke to me from the crack of the can. I can't say it any better than I did on my Instagram review :

"Pours an amber colour with a fluffy off white head that lingers an laces. Smells a little fruity. On the sip, that's why I drove all damn morning to get one. Dark fruits, cherries, brown sugar and molasses kick off the front end witb a nice malt sweetness and a dry, crisp slightly bitter end."

I was never a fan of any kind of dark beer that contained fruit flavours at all. It was a turn off because my palate was only used to tasteless macro lagers and that over consumption life I used to lead. Growing as a person and a beer drinker, I have really come to appreciate the distinct flavour profiles of Belgian style brews, from here or Belgium itself. I love the warming, sweet molasses that made its way into my belly and gave me a healthy glow. Beer may not be the answer for everyone, but when it's this good, who cares what the question is.

Cheers to Great Lakes Brewery for both their birthday and for winning this week's BOW. May you have many more inspiring decades to bring us all the joy from the land of Hops and Barley.

Cheers!