Crushable Summer

 The very nature of beer has always been seasonal. The cycles of brewing were once dictated by environmental factors and availability of ingredients and without much change, we have leaned hard into these traditions even as modern farming and equipment make those notions obsolete. Saisons, dark beers and all the other styles and variations have their place on the timeline of brewing and while today we have available to us year round most IPAs, lagers and assorted ales, including porters and stouts, the summer seems particularly made for the low ABV or session beer. Call them crushable, patio pints or gone before you know it, these low alcohol beers have transformed from flavourless light lagers to a dazzling array of craft beer options in almost limitless styles and possibilities. It seems every brewery is tossing their hat into the ring as the temp goes up and people spend more time socializing outdoors with friends and family for our all to brief summer here north of the 49th parallel.

  While the term "crushable" is detested by many, toss "hoppy" and "crispy-boi" on that pile too, it is, to me, a proper term of endearment for these easy drinking pints of summer. Lighter in body, but not in flavour is the goal as craft beer has an opportunity outside of the traditional light lager style, although many release pilsners that are spot on technically and have that much desired lower alcohol content. Suffice it to say that if you have a style you love, you can generally find a version that will have a lower ABV without sacrificing any of the taste you've come to love from your favourite craft beer.
  There are a myriad of options available now at your local craft brewery, with many more already in stock at the LCBO and Beer Store. Wanting to be able to enjoy 3 or 4 pints on a hot summer night should mean enjoying it all, not getting hammered and I am all for this lovely low ABV option. Sometimes you want a slow sipper to contemplate or celebrate and other times you just want to crush a few and have a good time.
  I used to be a big consumer of light beer, Brava Light in fact. Barely registering on the scale of flavour, it was so light as to resemble barley water and I could down a six pack in minutes each day upon returning home from work.  That is part in parcel due to not wanting them to warm up in the summer heat, macro lagers do not do well if not ice cold, and also because you only drank them with one purpose, to get drunk quickly and cheaply. And while times have changed and I no longer down beer like I need it to survive, in the humid summer nights, a low ABV beer can be a godsend as you still don't want to drink a warm pale ale or pilsner. Not so much chugging as consuming a little faster than when drinking in winter, the availability of so many styles makes it an easy choice any day.
  The presence of so many craft breweries means that there is a local option available to almost everyone when it comes to finding your patio pint and while I would love to get into every one of them, I'll stick to recommending a few that I know are a little more accessible through the LCBO or Grocery store options. Depending on your own palate, sours or wild ale beers may not work as a summer crusher and perhaps a pale ale or pilsner would do the trick for that weekend BBQ or family party.

I'll undoubtedly miss a few, there are just so many options and even I can't keep track of them all. Under 5.0%, ready for the patio and available right now!

Nickel Brook Brewing Raspberry Uber has been a staple for many of us in Ontario for the last few years. Tart and full of berry deliciousness, it gives rise to the term dessert beer but is oh so good when poolside too. 4.0% ABV, 500ml Bottle, $5.95

Great Lakes Brewing Sunnyside Session IPA will surprise you with just how tropical this low ABV treat can be. Grapefruit and pineapple with a light pine and lemon finish. BBQ? Yep. Swimming? Hell yeah! 3.9%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.90

Collective Arts Brewing Lunch Money Blonde Ale is a pretty much straight up, easy drinking Dad beer. I like it, my dad likes it and they sell copious amounts of it at the taproom to the blue collar folks here in The Hammer. Simple yet elegant. 4.8%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.95

Great Lakes Brewery Over my Dad Body Pilsner continues the tradition of great and accessible styles of beer from GLB. Dry with a grassy, citrus hit of hops with a touch of noble spice. Made for hanging out all night, singing the songs we remember so well by the firepit. 5.0%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.90

Henderson Brewing's Food Truck Blonde Ale is a maltier take that lends itself well to meal time. Light citrus with a biscuit malt body is spot on for a little more flavour without getting boozier.
4.8%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.95

Lake of Bays Beach Break Lager with Lime will not blow the socks off anyone looking for a big beer but it is designed to be ready for the day long pool party and family BBQ. A simple lager with citrus punch, it's fine to drink out of the can and just enjoy. 3.5%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.95

Nickel Brook Brewing Cause & Effect Blonde Ale is a long standing fave here. Floral and citrusy orange and lemon with a touch of pine, its got a cracker malt and is a conversation beer that is there but doesn't take you down the garden path. 4.7%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.95

Bench Brewing Strawberry Grove Sour Ale hits the tart note and delivers a strawberry knockout punch for that sunny, humid day spent outside with nothing to do but relax. 5.0%, 500ml Bottle, $7.50

Muddy York Brewing Switchboard Session IPA arrives in a shortie can that delivers a big citrus pineapple and grapefruit in droves. Cooler filling, patio livin'. 4.9%, 355ml Shortie can, $3.00

Amsterdam Brewery 3 Speed Lager is a bready but light floral and spice lager that comes in a big old can of beer that is the post work, swimming pool BBQ one you need. 4.2%, 568ml Super Tall Boy, $3.00

Sawdust City Brewing Little Norway Pale Lager is a bright citrus and lightly malty lager that means you don't have to do anything but sit on the deck and let the world go by. 4.5%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.10

Skeleton Crew Brewing Evil Genius Session IPA is the new kid on the block and it brings a west coast IPA vibe with a toasty malt body and citrus pith. New friends are summers greatest joy. 4.5%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.10

Muskoka Brewery Ebb & Flow Sour Ale is a lime and grapefruit intro sour that will be an easy choice on a sunny afternoon or as the waves crash on the beach and your life is resplendent in relaxation. 2.4%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.15

Black Oak Brewing Nut Brown Ale is an Ontario classic and delivers caramel, toffee and chocolate in an easily crushable body. Change of pace and that is a good thing. 5.0%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.15

Spearhead Brewing Summer Ale brings a unique blend of simple ale and wine together for a stone fruit and bright citrus patio pleaser. 4.3%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.15

Muskoka Brewery Detour Session IPA is a legendary crushable all season IPA that delivers pine and grapefruit to your glass as the sun shines and the pool beckons. 4.3%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.35



Wellington Brewery Helles Lager has become a patio go-to the last year or so. Crisp and toasty with a nice pinch of citrus, drink it from the can as you float around the pool if you like, it's a beauty either way. 4.5%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.15

  If nothing else, this gives you a good start and hopefully you will find your cooler filled with great beer that lets you enjoy the memories you are making in the Crushable Summer of 2019.

Cheers!
Polk



 

Trust me, Drink the Pilsner

  I have a confession to make.
  I like Pilsners.
 A lot.
 Okay, some other styles of lager too.
 But Pilsners...oh baby.

  The last few years have found me growing as a beer drinker, exploring new and different styles and the myriad of off shoots our craft brewers have come up with. From the evolution of the West to East IPA to Saisons and Sours, I have fallen in love with the variety and options available every time I crack open a beer. Little in the way of a regular or go-to beer is in my fridge now as I just have too many choices to be made on a daily basis. But something is changing and evolving as I grow a little older and feel a little more like indulging in a forward looking nostalgia that is a finely crafted lager, pilsners to be precise.

  Seeking out the latest Hazy IPA or tart puckeringly sour is not without it's joy. I love to see new releases and returning favourites from Double IPA to Barrel Aged beauties, but I feel the tug of a clean and crisp pils more now than ever before and I think it is a good thing to be in the mix of what I drink. A beer that tastes like a beer is probably a little simplistic but at the end of the day, all the adjuncts, dry hopping and kettle additions in the world cannot compete with the dry and bitter grassy, floral and lightly fruited lagers I find drawing me back to where I began.

But those beers from my past are but mere shadows in comparisons to the delights being brewed right here in Ontario. Flavourless and lacking depth, while technically and efficiently brewed, the ABInBev and Molson/Coors offerings have little to give us in the way of enjoyment outside of being served cold and consumed quickly. The pilsners and lagers I drink now have a whole other level of complexity to them and while it is still advisable to consume them cool, the rush to finish them and pound another isn't what it once was. Their is something in their flavour and texture that belies my memories of what was and has created a whole new level of what is. I drink them to enjoy them but also to release myself from trying to explore the deeper nuances of the more flamboyant of our options.

  Where as not so long ago I would have told you to drink a brewery's IPA if you wanted to know them, I now understand the technical prowess and sheer patience and dedication to brewing a clean, flawlessly crisp and refreshing pilsner with body and depth. There is no where to hide a flaw or a shortcut from start to finish and only true commitment from the very beginning will result in a divine product cascading into my glass. Much respect is given to those who understand the process, love and time involved in creating something so delicate, yet robust in so many ways. To crack through the haze-craze and tart puckers of today is to have crafted something so beautiful that it is a marvel in it's simplicity.

Pour me a golden hued, fluffy white headed, crisp and clean homage to the German and Czech fore bearers of today's tributes and I am yours for the afternoon. On a patio, in a pub or in the quiet of the evening after all my labours are complete, I will indulge myself with more than one and look to a future where my palate can continue to grow and evolve while appreciating the true classic pints of our times, now, then and forever.

Cheers!

Polk

What's in my dream Pilsner/Lager fridge right now? Well, a lot of it has to do with availability, so here is what is happening at the moment here in The Grotto...

Fairweather Brewing Donna Pils (Brewery only)

Anderson Craft Ales Summer German style Pilsner

Great Lakes Brewery Over My Dad Body Pilsner

Steamwhistle

Merit Brewing No Limit Lager (Brewery Only)

Clifford Brewing East Hamilton Lager (Brewery only)

Muddy York Brewing Gaslight Helles Lager

Beau's All Natural Helles Lager

Mascot Brewing Pilsner

 

Grotto Approved - 10 Great Beers at the LCBO for summer !

 

Summer time and the living is easy goes the popular notion. And while most of us continue our regular work-a-day lives, we do tend to find ourselves on vacation or just spending more time outside with a beer in our hands as the mercury rises and the sun shines down. Looking for excellent and widely available summer beers is a mission and Polk is here to give you 10 (plus) Grotto Approved Ontario Craft Beers that will be in heavy rotation in my fridge for the next few months. All are available at the LCBO and select grocery stores and while I know so many of our local breweries are cranking out great beers, I am going with the ones easiest for the majority of beer drinkers to lay their hands on. Look to your favourite Craft Brewery to see what is exclusively available in the bottle shop or online to augment this list, it's always good to expand your horizons.
  Some of these are long standing classic beers and others are new releases just in time for summer. I'll stick to just one beer per brewery but there are a whole lot of amazing things out there, make your own list and have some fun! Either way, may your glass always be full and the sun always shining when you find yourself patio bound and off work!


1. Muskoka Brewery Summerweiss Tropical Wheat

  Available on it`s own or in the Muskoka Summer Survival pack, this year`s Summerweiss packs a tropically hazy fruit kick that is made for outside. Loaded with passion fruit, peach and mango flavour, this 5.3% juicy wheat beer offers refreshment and a blast of citrus for those IPA lovers without the bitterness that scares away people from that style. Crossing lines and appealing to anyone who wants a treat this summer.

2. Sawdust City Brewing Little Norway Pale Lager

  A lager is often the most overlooked style of beer as craft drinkers search for the latest and haziest IPA or Sour but there is most certainly a time and a place for a well made and flavourful straight up lager. Sawdust City`s Little Norway rolls in at a very crushable 4.3% and is a balanced apple, lemon grassy hoped pale lager with a touch of spice. Not boring, but rather a full flavoured, low ABV beer that will have you restocking faster than you`d think.



3. Nickel Brook Brewing Raspberry Uber

  A redesigned bottle with the same great tart berry flavour on the inside. A favourite around the pool for the last few years, Nickel Brook has upped the bottle size and given us more Uber for our Patio Pints. tart and refreshing, loaded with raspberry sour and lemon notes, Uber redefined the style for so many people and will be a feature with it`s distinct red colour as the sun comes out to play.



4. Great Lakes Brewery Sunnyside Session IPA

  A hit returns to fill my fridge with its boldly hopped up but low ABV presence at just the right time. A seasonal release that is consistently filling glasses and cup holders on beaches and patios all summer long. Juicy citrus notes of lemon and pineapple make this light 3.9% IPA drink bigger than it is with a solid body bringing it all together. For the hop head who wants to have a beauty day, this one is for you!



5. Beau`s All Natural Brewing Saison

  A 500ml bottle of everything you love in a saison. Loaded with banana, orange peel, clove and having a most lovely white pepper coriander backend, Beau`s has a 4.7% Patio crusher that is great for BBQ and pool times. Sharing is encouraged and this bottle will make any craft beer lover smile when you bring a few to the table as the sun goes down.



6. Clifford Brewing Porter

  You`ll need a dark beer sometimes and none hits all the marks like Hamilton`s own Clifford Brewing Porter does. Available at Loblaw`s stores and the LCBO, this 5.0% porter is full of dark roasted chocolate and coffee notes, Black Pale Ale. Summer needs more porters, Clifford has delivered.



7. Cowbell Brewing Shindig Huron County Lager

  A beer fridge is somewhat incomplete without a few straight up lagers or ales to enjoy while doing what needs to done outside. You want a beer that is crushable and tastes like a damn beer, then grab a few of Cowbell Brewing`s Shindig Huron County Lager. As much of a house beer as you can find, this 4.2 % is ready for anyone.


8. Bench Brewing Twenty Mile Farmhouse Ale

  Full of fruity banana, orange and lemon zest with just the right spicy pepper kick on the backend, the recently opened Niagara region Bench Brewing consistently hits all the marks with this one. Also available at Tim Horton's field here in Hamilton for Ti-Cat games and other events.

9. New Limburg Brewing Wit

  From a brewery that is making the best Belgian style beers this side of the Atlantic comes their very crushable Wit. A balanced approach to the style with a slightly spicy, chamomile and citrus mix that goes down refreshingly quick.

10. Side Launch Wheat

  Iconic. Legendary. Damn good.
  The best straight up wheat beer made in Ontario, found everywhere and it should be. Loaded banana, bubblegum, citrus with a slight spice on the finish. An anytime beer that is best served on the patio with pals.


   And just because I can, here`s another 10 you should probably grab while your at it...


11. Mascot Brewing Pilsner
12. Collective Arts Liquid Arts Fest IPA
13. Silly Sir Brewing Easy Tiger Lemon Grass Ale
14. Muddy York Brewing Gaslight Helles Lager
15. Descendant's Beer Co. El Buscador Cerveza
16. Block Three Brewing King Street Saison
17. Amsterdam Brewery 3 Speed Lager
18. Black Oak Brewing Beat the Heat Wheat 
19. The Collingwood Brewery Saison
20. Steamwhistle

  Enjoy every moment you can this summer, find your grotto and pour yourself something to remember.
Have a wonderful time with friends, family and all the amazing craft beer you can find. It's party time!

Cheers!

Polk

Super Bowl Beers

The big day is fast approaching. You've got your nachos, pizza, wings and assorted bowls of snack foods prepared to go. Friends and family will gather round the glow of your big screen and take part in an American ritual older than me. I'm of course talking about the Super Bowl and all that it entails. This year is the 50th version of the NFL Championship and it seems to get bigger every year. It doesn't matter if you are a football fan or not, most people know of the game and many have some sort of party that involves food and of course, beer.

But there is a catch to all this fun. It is on Sunday. That means work the next day for the vast majority of people and if you're like me, you do not want to spend Monday fighting a hangover for 8 plus hours. So it is with that in mind that I bring you some suggestions to help you enjoy the game with some great beer that won't leave you hanging the next day.

I have been evolving on what I bring with me when I go to a party or event. I went way too big and robust on New Year's Eve and even with moderation had a bit of a headache the next day. My subsequent revisions of my travelling beer list has helped to alleviate this problem. I would advise you to avoid anything Imperial or above 7% ABV. When you get to having a good time, sometimes you forget that those big boozy bastards can pack quite a hidden punch.

I'm thinking lower ABV, but not lower taste. You don't need crazy high alcohol to enjoy great flavour and what better way to celebrate the end of the gridiron season than with some fine Canadian Craft beer. I'll give you some different styles so you can mix it up and have something for everyone. All of these should be easily available at your local LCBO, so get shopping now and chill these babies for Sunday. If you'd like to see these and some other great choices, go check out my YouTube channel, for my weekly video post. This week is all about choices in your beer for Super Bowl.

Lagers

What we think of as regular beers. If you have someone who drinks Coors or Canadian, give them one of these. They have all natural ingredients, great flavour and even better, they are lower in ABV.



1. 416 Local Lager - Amsterdam Brewing Company (4.16%) Clean, crisp Lager.
2. Craft Lager - Muskoka Brewing Company (4.8%) - Unfiltered, cloudy. Malty.
3. Anti-Gravity - Flying Monkeys Brewery (4%) - Full bodied.
4. Tennent's - Caledonian Brewery (4%) - Scottish. Malt and floral notes.
5. Dark 266 - Cameron's Brewing (4.5%) -Black Lager

American Pale Ales

These beers have a little more in the hoppy department. Not crazy big, but definitely a change from the everyday.



1. Naughty Neighbour (4.9%) - Nickel Brook Brewing - Classic APA with citrus and malt.
2. Canadian Pale Ale (4.9%) - Old Tomorrow Brewing - Mango and citrus front, ready caramel back.
3. Cruiser Pale Ale (4.9%) - Amsterdam Brewing Company - Pineapple, grapefruit and malt again. Crushable.

English Pale Ales

Getting a little more bready and biscuit flavours. More toasted malts than bitter hops. Smooth.



1. Pompous Ass Ale (4.2%) - Great Lakes Brewing - My go-to brew. Crisp and slightly bitter.
2. Special Pale Ale (4.5%) -Wellington Brewery - A little hoppy, but great malt and accessible.

Amber Ales

Get some red love in your life. Sweeter with almost no bitterness.

1. Grindstone (4.8%) - Broadhead Brewing - A slight bitter to go with the sweet.
2. Amber (4.25%) - Hockley Valley Brewing - Smooth and clean. Easy drinking.

IPA

Get your hops on without getting crazy drunk. Bitter, piney and citrus coming at you.

1. Red Racer ISA (4%) - Central City - Light and fruity with citrus and malt back.
2. Genius of Suburbia (3.8%) - Flying Monkeys Brewery - Piney. Strong citrus up front. Drinks bigger than it is.
3. Detour (4.3%) - Muskoka Brewing - Fruity and hoppy.
4. State of Mind (4.4%) - Collective Arts - Citrus, resin and pine. Dry Finish.

Blonde Ale

Blondes do have more fun if you like a little orange and lemon in your brews.

1. 100 (4.2%) - Hockley Valley Brewing - Hints of lemon. Light and crisp.
2. Cause & Effect (4.7%) - Nickel Brook Brewing - A little hoppy with a clean citrus flavour.
3. Saint of Circumstance (4.7%) - Collective Arts Brewing - Cloudy. lemon and orange with some zing.

Grab Bag of Styles

Three more that are low ABV and give you some different options.

1. Newcastle Brown Ale (4.7%) - John Smiths - English. Nutty, lightly malted
2. French Press Vanilla Stout (4.8%) - Double Trouble Brewing - Chocolate, vanilla, coffee. Tastes bigger than it is.
3. Steamwhistle (5%) - Steamwhistle Brewing - Pilsner. Grassy and floral. Crisp and clean tasting.

There you have it. I think having some different beers for the night makes it a little more fun. I rarely drink two of the same brew when I watch the game because I really like to experience a bunch of flavours and it helps me to slow down a bit so I can actually be coherent and enjoy the spectacle. So plan ahead, get something you haven't had before and try to give your guests something out of the ordinary.

As always, please don't drink and drive and be sure to have options for your friends to stay over or take a cab home. No one wants to be remembered for being a jackass and driving while intoxicated is probably the stupidest thing you can do. Stay safe and enjoy the party.

Cheers!