Beer in the news

[derek]

Yeah, but how long are you going to last on volunteer labour? Olands tried growing hop in NS in the 50's, and it didn't go well. You may very well not get a big harvest in this area of the country with the strains Garrison wants, ever. Unfortunately, CBC didn't archive the interview. At any rate, I'd be tearing those out now and planting haskaps berries.

Well, the volunteer labour is insane. I generally call that "slavery". But they did make the point that climate is improving for hops here. Now, that might just have been blatant optimism, but it does make some sense.

[mr x]

At 18, Toronto Festival of Beer is a lot more sophisticated

http://www.thestar.com/living/food/arti ... histicated" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As it turns 18 this week, it looks like the Toronto Festival of Beer is growing up.

While the annual suds celebration has always had plenty of people and beer on hand, it hasn’t always been the type of event to appeal to connoisseurs.

Yeah, I know the words “beer festival” and “sophisticated” don’t go together in some people’s minds — but really, they can (case in point: Montreal’s Mondial de la Biere even had a foie gras booth one year). In its worst years, though, the festival was overcrowded, and jam-packed with the type of frat-boy drunks who’d be just as happy downing margarita slushies as a fine Belgian ale. The idea of finding a beer you couldn’t buy at the LCBO or The Beer Store? For a long time, it was all but impossible.

Slowly but surely over the last few years, however, the festival has been improving its game. In 2009, it took big steps, moving from the historically-significant-but-way-too-small Fort York venue into its spacious new home at Exhibition Place’s Bandshell Park. That year also saw the addition of a series of one-off cask-conditioned ales brewed just for the festival by Etobicoke’s Great Lakes Brewery. Suddenly, there was a reason for hard-core beer aficionados to show up again, thanks to Great Lakes’ Caskapalooza.

As if that wasn’t enough, the 2009 festival initiated the always-popular Girl’s Guided Beer Tour with certified cicerone (beer guide) Mirella Amato.

This year, the festival is adding two big new components which have the potential to be even more compelling than its 2009 additions: An educational Brewmaster’s Series and a World of Beer pavilion, which this year is focused on Quebec.

The Brewmaster’s Series is co-presented by Niagara College’s trail-blazing brewmaster’s program and includes speakers on a wide variety of topics, ranging from how to pair beer with food (and how to cook with it), to cask-conditioned ales, and the traditional English technique known as dry-hopping. Clearly, those are topics meant for the aficionados, rather than the frat boys (not to suggest there can’t be crossover, but you get the picture).

The World of Beer pavilion also has plenty of promise. In its initial year, it’s already attracted some of Quebec’s top breweries. Several breweries from la Belle Province and one cider producer will be pouring more than 20 of their products at the pavilion. Among them are Dieu du Ciel!, MicroBrasserie Charlevoix, Trou du Diable and Hopfenstark. While all of them are top-flight breweries, it’s the presence of Hopfenstark, an award-winning but ultra-tiny brewery whose beer is difficult to find even in Quebec, that truly shows how much this festival has changed. Hopfenstark will be pouring three of its brews, including Boson de Higgs, a smoked, sour saison-style beer.

On the food front, things are also looking up, with the return of the grilling tent, which will host beer-infused grilling talks and demonstrations by BBQ guru Ted Reader and other top chefs like Mark Cutrara of Cowbell and Rob Rossi of Bestellen. There’s also a pretty solid lineup of food vendors including Caplansky’s, Oyster Boy and Fidel Gastro.

So are there more craft-beer-friendly festivals? Yes. Will there still be some obnoxious drunks at the Bandshell Park this weekend? Probably at least a few. But take the amped-up beer offerings, the decent looking food lineup and add in the new educational component, and it’s clear that the festival is changing for the better.

[benwedge]

Yeah, but how long are you going to last on volunteer labour? Olands tried growing hop in NS in the 50's, and it didn't go well. You may very well not get a big harvest in this area of the country with the strains Garrison wants, ever. Unfortunately, CBC didn't archive the interview. At any rate, I'd be tearing those out now and planting haskaps berries.

Well, the volunteer labour is insane. I generally call that "slavery". But they did make the point that climate is improving for hops here. Now, that might just have been blatant optimism, but it does make some sense.

I generally agree with the volunteer = slavery bit, but they could be pals of the owners, coming out for an hour here or there, and maybe Garrison is giving them some free brew with the contract. So it could be a matter of "who wants to come out, help for a few hours, and have a few beers with us?" Not unlike when people go down and help Nash brew. If, on the other hand, they have a few people volunteering full-time or long hours, and they're getting nothing, then I wholeheartedly agree that this is a huge failure & a mess.

Is the issue with profitability the specific varieties being grown? Maybe Wortly can inform the discussion. I'd be interested to know what grows really well around here, and how it tastes and all that. If it's good, perhaps that's what we should be planting, and carve out an east coast style, rather than trying to replicate either English, European, or West Coast style stuff.

[jeffsmith]

I know that here in Cumberland County at least that CTZ grows really well. Mine are really strong, and I believe Andy's were (at least at his old place). My Cascade has done really really well this year too. As for taste, I'm not really sure yet, hopefully will find that out in a month or so. Centennial hasn't been great for me, they grow, but they're not nearly the size of the other two.

[akr71]

I know that here in Cumberland County at least that CTZ grows really well. Mine are really strong, and I believe Andy's were (at least at his old place). My Cascade has done really really well this year too. As for taste, I'm not really sure yet, hopefully will find that out in a month or so. Centennial hasn't been great for me, they grow, but they're not nearly the size of the other two.

I'm sure when I replant Zeus next year, they'll be equally vigorous. Apparently they're susceptible to mildew (don't recall off-hand if its downy or powdery), but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Mt. Hood grew quite well for me too.

I've got 5 varieties growing this year, but I forget which plant is which (I made a map, but haven't looked at it since the rhizomes went in the ground), so I can't tell you off-hand which ones are doing better. I need to take down some trees/limbs and maybe relocate a couple to maximize sun exposure. If next year is this dry, I'll have to figure out some kind of irrigation system too.

[benwedge]

I'm trying to share an article from the July 10th Globe with everyone, it's about London's emerging craft beer scene. Apparently it's not on the public portion of their website. I believe I deleted the print edition from my iPad too, so I can't screen shot it. If anyone has access to the article in print or something it'd be nice to post here. I'll see what I can do.

[GAM]

Ontario?

Sandy

[benwedge]

Ontario?

Sandy

England. I think I'm limited to two weeks of archives on the digital download of the paper, and a full search of online (but I lost my username/password). I'll check when I get home tonight or tomorrow.

[mr x]

http://www.lahaveforests.com/lahave-blo ... beer1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's a better release out there somewhere.

[mr x]

http://www.lahaveforests.com/haskap/doc ... elease.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[canuck]

I wasn't exactly sure if this was the most appropriate thread to post to but.......

I recently made a West Coast style PA at Big Tide and it's now currently on tap there. If anyone is currently in the neighbourhood, stop in for a pint as I'd love to have some feedback on it.

Cheers,

Shane

[brufrog]

I wasn't exactly sure if this was the most appropriate thread to post to but.......

I recently made a West Coast style PA at Big Tide and it's now currently on tap there. If anyone is currently in the neighbourhood, stop in for a pint as I'd love to have some feedback on it.

Cheers,

Shane

Gosh, how many brewers do they have now? I counted 4 (Wendy, The Cook, Ramsey and Chris) so you must be the 5th!! I'll pop in this week for a taste.

[canuck]

I wasn't exactly sure if this was the most appropriate thread to post to but.......

I recently made a West Coast style PA at Big Tide and it's now currently on tap there. If anyone is currently in the neighbourhood, stop in for a pint as I'd love to have some feedback on it.

Cheers,

Shane

Gosh, how many brewers do they have now? I counted 4 (Wendy, The Cook, Ramsey and Chris) so you must be the 5th!! I'll pop in this week for a taste.

I hear ya Craig. In any case, I was hoping you you'd reply as I know you are local......if you stop in and have a pint of the Hammond River Pale Ale shoot me some feedback back whether it be positive, negative, recommendations.....etc.

[brufrog]

How did you end up brewing there? Are you friends with Wendy? I've been there quite a lot lately, including sipping beer at the bar with Ramsey.

[mr x]

http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/07/27 ... rink-them/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[brufrog]

http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/07/27 ... rink-them/

Nice. I met Adam on my recent trip to Scotland and he is a great guy who loves good beer, and really knows his cocktails. Beaumont was on the trip too, and we three ended up seeking out cask ale wherever we went.

[PEIBeerGuy]

A few neat little moments / pairings in there... #10 and #68 are the same beer, though, and one of the pics is wrong (#92).

[LeafMan66_67]

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/busine ... ppu-weisse

Rockbottom’s brewmaster doing well with his unique German-style beer



Brewmaster Greg Nash shows off a glass of his Hasukappu Weisse in the Rockbottom brewpub in Halifax on Friday. The five-per-cent, German­style beer is brewed using Nova Scotia Haskap berries grown in Lunenburg County. (DEVAAN INGRAHAM)


BRIDGEWATER — Greg Nash sold the first glass Friday afternoon of a brand new beer he concocted.

By closing, only half the batch was left.

“We’ll probably be sold out in a couple of days,” the Rockbottom Brewery brewmaster said.

Nash has developed North America’s first haskap beer, made with haskap berries from Lunenburg County.

“It’s a nice light, acidic, refreshing summer kind of drink,” he said.

The German-style hefeweizen is only available on tap at the moment, but Liam Tayler of LaHave Forests, a biodynamic farm that introduced the haskap berry to Nova Scotia, said he expects a bottled version will be available soon.

Haskap berries only grow in North America, Japan and Russia. They have antioxidant levels three times that of wild blueberries, more vitamin C than an oranges and are ready to harvest two weeks before strawberries.

They look like an elongated blueberry and taste something like a cross between a blueberry, raspberry and gooseberry.

Nash said it adapts well to beer.

A veteran of developing fruit and berry beers, he had fun tinkering with the haskap beer, which is named Hasukappu Weisse.

He made two variations, one with the berries added at the beginning of the fermentation process and one where they’re added at the end.

Nash prefers the version with the berries added at the beginning because much of the sweet berries’ sugar ferments out.

“It has a bright, refreshing acidity,” he said.

Tayler said it’s not like a clear beer.

“It’s got more depth of flavour; it’s got nose,” and a distinctive red colouring,” he said.

“It has the classic hefeweizen flavour, spicy phenol with notes of cloves, a banana character as well, quite fruity,” Nash said.

He finds the haskap berry adds a touch of cherry-cranberry flavour, similar to a sour beer, however the fruit flavours are not intense.

Tayler said LaHave Forests chose Nash to make its first brew because Rockbottom is a local microbrewery and Nash is known for trying out new types of beer.

In keeping with its philosophy of sustainable production, LaHave Forests has teamed up with a number of local like-minded companies to make dried haskap berries, juice, wine, liqueur, jellies, sauces, chutney, cheesecake and, most recently, ice cream and lime sorbet at Dee Dee’s in Halifax. As for the beer, “the response we’re getting is incredible,” said Tayler, who’s become quite a fan himself.

“I’m English,” he quipped. “It’s part of our culture.”

[brufrog]

Cool!

[KMcK]

Take that, Garrison!

[NASH]

[mr x]

Flavoured beers see surge in popularity

The traditional pint is being given a run for its money by continental-style fruit and spirit-flavoured beers, enjoyed by consumers as a thirst-quenching summer drink or to inspire imaginative pairing with food.

Strawberry, raspberry and even cherry beers have become so popular they are now the fastest-growing area of the UK beer market. And now spirit-flavoured brews such a rum, bourbon and tequila beers are adding to the trend.

In the last year sales of flavoured beers have grown by 80%, according to market research group AC Nielsen, making it the fastest-growing UK beer sector. It is predicting that it is set to expand further over the next few years as more breweries respond to consumer demand.

According to Marston's Premium Bottled Ale Report, published in June 2012, flavoured beers account for only 12% of the traditional PBA market, which is worth about £470m.

In the UK the market has traditionally been a niche one, dominated by imports from the continent. Classic Belgian Kriek beers – known as lambics and fermented with wild yeast and cherries for extra flavour – have been made since the early 20th century and are renowned for their distinctive "sour" taste.

But UK brewers are recognising its potential, helping supermarkets to increase their ranges for drinking at home. Edinburgh-based Innis and Gunn turned the beer world on its head when it launched the world's first oak-aged beer in 2003 and has since added its Melville range of strawberry and raspberry beers, designed to be served over ice, making it popular as a summer drink. Melville's is based on a brewed lager made of 100% malted barley, hops, yeast and water, which is blended with cold-pressed juice made from berries grown in Perthshire, Fife and Angus.

Oxfordshire-based Wychwood also recently introduced Snake's Bite (made with cider apples) and Forest Fruits (made with mixed berries), following growing customer demand for fruit-flavoured and thirst-quenching drinks.

Two years ago Tesco stocked just four flavoured beers but now it sells 16 with sales trebling during that period. Tesco specialist beer buyer Chiara Nesbitt said: "The boom for flavoured beer has its roots in both the recent ale and cider revivals. Over the last five or so years we have seen British drinking tastes diversify. The massive growth of ale with all its complex flavours and the cider revival are the best examples of this as drinkers seek out different and more interesting flavours."

Nesbitt added: "We have found that flavoured beers appeal to foodie customers who are also more likely to cook from scratch and buy premium brands or products. The market is still in its relative infancy but it's being noticed by brewers who are launching more products onto the market each year."

Sophie Atherton, a beer expert and writer who has just qualified as the UK's first woman beer sommelier, said: "Fruit beers are not new but their popularity has been boosted by an increasingly wide range being stocked in major supermarkets. Ten years ago you would have struggled to find any in your local supermarket. But buyers say there is also greater demand for unusual and specialist continental-style brews from shoppers returning from their holidays who want to find the drinks they enjoyed while away."

Atherton said fruit-flavoured beers were also enjoyed by food lovers, helping to inspire some imaginative food pairings. The traditional cherry, apricot and raspberry krieks work well with most fruit-flavoured desserts such as summer pudding or strawberry flan, for example, and raspberry marries well with rich, dark chocolate.

She added: "Anything which raises beer's image and boosts its reputation as being a versatile and varied drink has got to be a good thing."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... od-pairing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BBrianBoogie]

Flavoured beers see surge in popularity

Edinburgh-based Innis and Gunn turned the beer world on its head when it launched the world's first oak-aged beer in 2003 "

Of all the nonsense in this article, this is my favorite. Journalism at it's finest.

[mr x]

Yeah, that line killed me too. It turned something alright, my stomach....

[derek]

You can thank wasps for your bread, beer and wine

If wasps didn’t exist, picnics would be a lot more fun. But the next time you find yourself trying to dodge a flying, jam-seeking harpoon, think about this: without wasps, many of your ingredients might not exist at all. Irene Stefanini and Leonardo Dapporto from the University of Florence have found that the guts of wasps provide a safe winter refuge for yeast – specifically Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the fungus we use to make wine, beer and bread. And without those, picnics would be a lot less fun.