ottawa metro
oh look at me - waxing poetic about beer in the ottawa metro now:
Top craft brews from Canadian cities fit for the Stanley Cup
Here's what you should drink if your team ever wins the Stanley Cup... OK, maybe you don't want to wait that long to try some of these local craft brews.
COURTESY BIG RIG BREWERY
Which local craft beer should you sip should your home team win the Stanley Cup?
With no Canadian teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs, you could be forgiven if you forgot anyone is still playing hockey. Granted, it could be awhile before a Canadian team hoists the cup, but I like to be prepared. So I reached out to beer clubs and local experts in every Canadian city with an NHL team to find out which local craft beer should be sipped from the metal brim of Lord Stanley’s Cup.
City: Ottawa
Expert: Ottawa Beer Club
Beer choice: “Beau's was suggested right out of the gate. Kichesippi 1855 was suggested as a great beer we love … Then we kicked around the idea of Covered Bridge, since it's the brewery closest to the stadium… [But] It's gotta be Big Rig (co-owned by and named after longtime Senator Chris Phillips).”
Expert: Ottawa Beer Club
Beer choice: “Beau's was suggested right out of the gate. Kichesippi 1855 was suggested as a great beer we love … Then we kicked around the idea of Covered Bridge, since it's the brewery closest to the stadium… [But] It's gotta be Big Rig (co-owned by and named after longtime Senator Chris Phillips).”
City: Montreal
Expert: Noah Forrest of Beerism.ca
Beer choice: "I think I'll recommend a beer from the Montreal-based brewery Dieu du Ciel!, called Péché Mortel. Just like the Montreal Canadiens’ performance this past year, this Imperial Stout has a strong start but finishes with an intensely dry bitterness. Unlike the Habs though, this bitterness is desired and pleasing!”
Expert: Noah Forrest of Beerism.ca
Beer choice: "I think I'll recommend a beer from the Montreal-based brewery Dieu du Ciel!, called Péché Mortel. Just like the Montreal Canadiens’ performance this past year, this Imperial Stout has a strong start but finishes with an intensely dry bitterness. Unlike the Habs though, this bitterness is desired and pleasing!”
City: Edmonton
Expert: Jason Foster, Edmonton beer journalist and blogger at OnBeer.org
Beer choice: "Alley Kat Brewing Company’s Full Moon pale ale has been an Edmonton favourite for 20 years. It is a classic northwest pale ale. But like our Edmonton Oilers, it has been through a rough patch recently. A little over a year ago the owners of Alley Kat, in an attempt to court a newer, younger customer base, changed the recipe to an IPA. It didn't work, much like the Oilers' never ending rebuild. So this spring they returned to their (and our) roots and brought back the original recipe, even bringing back the original label. Drinking it evokes memories of past glory days and elicits hope for the future. Not unlike our Oilers, where we bask in the Gretzkys and Messiers of the past and place our hopes on the young Connor McDavid."
Expert: Jason Foster, Edmonton beer journalist and blogger at OnBeer.org
Beer choice: "Alley Kat Brewing Company’s Full Moon pale ale has been an Edmonton favourite for 20 years. It is a classic northwest pale ale. But like our Edmonton Oilers, it has been through a rough patch recently. A little over a year ago the owners of Alley Kat, in an attempt to court a newer, younger customer base, changed the recipe to an IPA. It didn't work, much like the Oilers' never ending rebuild. So this spring they returned to their (and our) roots and brought back the original recipe, even bringing back the original label. Drinking it evokes memories of past glory days and elicits hope for the future. Not unlike our Oilers, where we bask in the Gretzkys and Messiers of the past and place our hopes on the young Connor McDavid."
City: Calgary
Expert: Adam Seguin of westernsuds.com
Beer choice: “In my opinion, Last Best Brewing’s IPA is the best beer in the city … however, Toolshed Brewing has a beer called Red Rage and last year when the Flames had their playoff run, they used a clever hashtag #TheCofReedRage which caught on with the city quite well.”
Expert: Adam Seguin of westernsuds.com
Beer choice: “In my opinion, Last Best Brewing’s IPA is the best beer in the city … however, Toolshed Brewing has a beer called Red Rage and last year when the Flames had their playoff run, they used a clever hashtag #TheCofReedRage which caught on with the city quite well.”
City: Vancouver
Expert: Rebecca Whyman (beernesday.com and @beernesday), BC Radio's On the Coast's beer columnist, is a Vancouver craft beer champion
Beer choice: “At the beginning of the hockey season, Four Winds Brewing won People's Choice at the BC Beer Awards for their Nectarous Sour. Vancouverites spoke, and they shouted 'Sour!' Did they know the Canucks were going to make their faces pucker this season? Were their mouths watering at the dream of popping the cork and drinking that victorious Nectarous out of the Cup? Either way, Nectarous scores a natural hat-trick with its fruit-forward tartness, dry finish and breakaway drinkability. But don't blame Nectarous for The Clapper's dance moves – it's not yet available at the stadium.”
Expert: Rebecca Whyman (beernesday.com and @beernesday), BC Radio's On the Coast's beer columnist, is a Vancouver craft beer champion
Beer choice: “At the beginning of the hockey season, Four Winds Brewing won People's Choice at the BC Beer Awards for their Nectarous Sour. Vancouverites spoke, and they shouted 'Sour!' Did they know the Canucks were going to make their faces pucker this season? Were their mouths watering at the dream of popping the cork and drinking that victorious Nectarous out of the Cup? Either way, Nectarous scores a natural hat-trick with its fruit-forward tartness, dry finish and breakaway drinkability. But don't blame Nectarous for The Clapper's dance moves – it's not yet available at the stadium.”
City: Winnipeg
Expert: Trent Whidden, aka Winnipeg Beer Dude, of manitobabeer.com.
Beer choice: “Proven by the loss, then subsequent return of the Jets, Winnipeggers need and love a home team to cheer for. Paving the way for Manitoba’s upcoming craft beer revolution, Half Pints Brewing Co. is currently the only locally owned and operated Manitoba brewery. My selection for the beer that should fill the Stanley Cup for the Jets to take their ceremonious swig would be Half Pints St. James Pale Ale!”
Expert: Trent Whidden, aka Winnipeg Beer Dude, of manitobabeer.com.
Beer choice: “Proven by the loss, then subsequent return of the Jets, Winnipeggers need and love a home team to cheer for. Paving the way for Manitoba’s upcoming craft beer revolution, Half Pints Brewing Co. is currently the only locally owned and operated Manitoba brewery. My selection for the beer that should fill the Stanley Cup for the Jets to take their ceremonious swig would be Half Pints St. James Pale Ale!”
City: Toronto
Expert: Toronto Beer Club (@torontobeerclub)
Beer choice: “Mill Street Organic – a pale, weak beer from a brewery that sold out to a big corporation (Mill St was purchased by Labatt Breweries in the fall of 2015). An actual Leaf fan might think the team might deserve to sip something delicious from breweries like Bellwoods, Great Lakes, Indie Ale House, Folly, Burdock, Left Field, or any of the other great craft brewers in Toronto, but I do not!”
Expert: Toronto Beer Club (@torontobeerclub)
Beer choice: “Mill Street Organic – a pale, weak beer from a brewery that sold out to a big corporation (Mill St was purchased by Labatt Breweries in the fall of 2015). An actual Leaf fan might think the team might deserve to sip something delicious from breweries like Bellwoods, Great Lakes, Indie Ale House, Folly, Burdock, Left Field, or any of the other great craft brewers in Toronto, but I do not!”
A huge thank you to the participating panel for their exceptional local knowledge! All of the above are active social media promoters of Canadian craft beer, give them a follow!
Local Hop-penings
- Beau’s brewery broke the Internet with their recent announcement that they werebeing sold… to their own employees. They remain determinedly independent as they approach their tenth anniversary July 1.
- Speaking of July 1, Dominion Day is fast approaching! Dominion City has tickets for sale at the brewery and online. Also, check DCBC’s new brewery hours.
- Dog and Pony Brewlab quietly began pouring exclusively at Local Union 613. Their brews are going fast.
- June 4 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. it’s Brewery Market at the Hintonburg Park! It’s like a farmers’ market, except with beer. So it’s better.
- Stalwart Brewing has released a new beer: Down By The River American Wheat Ale. I am 99 per cent sure that’s a Neil Young reference.
- Whiprsnapr has teamed up with the Dolly Rogers roller derby club to unveil: Dolly Rogers Tropical Grog. I am both intimidated and intrigued...
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