Following Philippe

Side treks into beer and spirits

While summer is my favourite time of the year (it's warm and I can sit out on my back deck having a frosty beverage or two, all the while barbecuing up some meaty goodness), it's the least conducive season to drinking and enjoying wine. Enjoying a dry Merlot or Cabernet while the sun is beating down on my head taints the experience. Cool drinks are in order during the summer months, and unfortunately, I enjoy a good beer more than I enjoy the best white wine.

Postings have been rare in recent months, and part of the reason for that is the fact that I have not been drinking very much wine lately. (Another part is laziness, but I'm trying to change that.) To inspire myself, I'm going to refrain from limiting myself to just wine, so expect side treks into beer and spirits here and there -- especially while the weather remains warm.

And now a few words on recent beer samplings...

County Durham Signature Ale -- This local craft brew, which I discovered maybe a year or two ago (I don't remember exactly when), has quickly become a favourite beer. While it's not a dark ale, it's definitely a very dark amber copper colour with a unique flavour. Originally, a six-pack was purchased because I noticed it was made in Pickering (hometown pride and all that), but after sampling one bottle, I fell in love. In the last week, I've been in touch with the brewer, Bruce Halstead, in the hopes I'll be able to take a tour of his facilities when he's not too busy. Bruce also tipped me off about the Waterfront Bistro (an excellent restaurant at the south end of Liverpool) having County Durham Signature Ale on tap. (As a side note: County Durham Brewing Co. also makes the C'est What Hemp Ale. Cool, eh?)

King Brewery Pilsener -- Frankly, my beer tastes aren't refined enough to pick out the subtle differences between a Pilsener, a lager, an ale or an IPA (but I have been educated enough to know Alexander's Keith's IPA is not a real IPA; it's more of a lager). While I can say I enjoyed the King Pilsener, I can't say if it's a good Pilsener.

Amsterdam Natural Blonde -- My first Amsterdam Natural Blonde was consumed many years ago in one of Amsterdam's pubs downtown. In fact, it was probably the first micro-brew I ever had, so it has a special place in my beer gut -- uh, I mean heart. When I first tried it, I don't think I could even get my hands on it in the Durham Beer Store locations, but now it has become a bit more popular. The Natural Blonde and Nut Brown (which I haven't tried) are both common in Beer Stores in Durham now. On a whim, I picked up a sixer while in the Ajax Beer Store last week. It's a nice, crisp, blonde beer, but not something I'd pick up on a regular basis.

Trafalgar Celtic Pure Irish Ale -- I know Trafalgar Brewing Co. more for its meads, which were served at the sadly-missed Rennaissance Festival in Milton, but I was in the mood for a darker ale during a recent visit to the Beer Store. While wondering if you could rightly call a beer a "Pure Irish Ale" if it's made in Ontario, I took the plunge. It has a dark chocolatey flavour that kicks you in the belly. Translation: I like it. But still, is it really an Irish ale if it's not from Ireland?

Waterloo Dark -- Ah, back to old favourites. It was the Society for Creative Anachronism that turned me onto Waterloo Dark. While I was an active SCAdian, I partook of Waterloo Dark on a very regular basis, but since I became inactive, it has become a rare treat. I recently picked up a six, and I was reminded why it was my favourite beer for a time (with Warthog Ale right up there beside it).

My most recent acquisitions include Niagara Brewing Co.'s Gritstone and Paulaner Natural Wheat (a German beer from Munchen) -- neither of which I've drank before. Those are next on the tasting list.

posted by Chris @ 10:31 AM