The Beer Guy: Seize the Beer

Life’s too short to drink bad beer. Or boring beer. Seriously – it is.

I turned 50 this year. With both my kids at university in British Columbia, I’m an empty nester. At a liquor store a while ago I asked why the cost of a bottle of wine was less than I expected. “Oh, I gave you the seniors’ discount,” replied the clerk. An era ended with the passing in August of Alberta brewing icon Ed McNally, founder of Big Rock Brewery. Tempus fugit. Time flies.

On the plus side, I’ve lived long enough to see craft beer reaching critical mass. Years from now perhaps 2014 will be known as The Year That Craft Broke. Certainly craft beer has reached mainstream acceptance next door in British Columbia. By year’s end the province will have 100 craft breweries, with more in the pipeline for 2015. In the last five years craft beer has grown from 10 per cent to 20 per cent of beer sales, and craft brewers have seen their sales triple (Phillips) or even quintuple (Central City), according to David Jordan in BC Business.

It has been a real joy to see our west coast neighbour’s craft beer industry take flight. On trips back from seeing kids at UBC, I’ve been filling the minivan with B.C. beer that isn’t available east of the Rockies; Driftwood, Bomber, Hoyne, Bridge. British Columbia still has a way to go to catch up with fellow Cascadians, Oregon and Washington State, but they are on their way. And it isn’t just a Pacific coast bubble. This summer the United States passed the 3,000 breweries mark, plus an estimated 2,000 breweries in the planning stages. In 1990, just 24 years ago, there were only 90 breweries in the U.S. I also spent time in Toronto this year and can report the Ontario craft beer scene is in full ferment. Yes, that’s right – staid, sedate, small c conservative Ontario has embraced the new! A recent post in BlogTO selected “The Top 50 Beers Made in Toronto.” It wasn’t long ago that it would have been hard to find 50 Toronto beers, period.

But does a rising tide of craft beer raise all boats? I hope so.

Alberta has fallen behind its provincial pals, but there were many positives in 2014 that give me hope for the future. Industry stalwarts Big Rock returned to craft, pushing out a dizzying array of seasonal beers while completely re-branding. Meanwhile, the young turks at Hog’s Head continued to push the envelope with their beers and opened a Tap Room with full food menu at the St. Albert brewery. The Alberta Small Brewers Association moved ahead, with Greg Zeschuk as Director. Shane Groendahl and Edmonton Beer Geeks Anonymous continued spreading the craft beer gospel through cask events such as the EBGA Real Ale Festival. The new beer barns in town, Craft Beer Market and Beer Revolution, along with MKT and The Underground, have carved out a role, bringing newbies to craft beer without ignoring the demands of beer geeks.

My favourite local beer thing this year was Craft Beer Market, its hip, sexy space bringing a little glamour to craft beer. On a sunny summer afternoon at Craft’s rooftop patio there was no better place to carpe cervisi (seize the beer)!

Red Racer ISA, Surrey, BC The beer style of the year was ISA (India Session Ale). Beer style purists scoff, but ISA is a new hybrid style that is a lighter IPA: less alcohol, less bitterness. ISAs are light enough to be sessionable, that is, to have more than one in a session. As usual, Central City hits the bull’s-eye with a crisp, bitter but quaffable ale.

Tuatara Aotearoa Pale Ale, Paraparaumu, New Zealand In 2014 craft brewing grew all over the globe. Far from markets and suppliers, New Zealand brewers have had to make their own way. Tuatara initially brewed their APA with American hops, but when supply dried up they turned to local hops like Pacific Jade, NZ Cascade, Nelson Sauvin, and Wai-iti, creating a uniquely Kiwi beer.

Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA, Toronto Amsterdam began as Toronto’s first brewpub back in 1986, just down the street from the future SkyDome. An old brewery can learn new tricks, as shown by this citrusy, hoppy, unfiltered American India Pale Ale, first brewed for a local IPA-brewing contest. A Pacific Northwest IPA brewed on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Bend, OR 2014 saw an American invasion, with several of larger U.S. craft breweries finally coming to Alberta, with Colorado’s New Belgium and Oregon’s Deschutes making their way to town. I don’t think any beer gave me more consistent pleasure this year than this dark, deep, delicious porter. A true classic.

Rogue Double Chocolate Stout, Newport, OR Like Big Rock’s Ed McNally, Rogue Ales founder Jack Joyce was a craft brewing legend, an iconoclast who showed the way for Oregon brewers and brewers everywhere. Jack passed away in May of this year. Here Rogue’s ground-breaking Chocolate Stout is amped up with more of everything. A perfect holiday beer.

Alley Kat Olde Deuteronomy Barley Wine, Edmonton Beer geeks near and far cheered when Alley Kat announced the return of their classic barley wine as the brewery’s 2014 Christmas seasonal. Olde Deuteronomy is a classic of the style, a rich, full-bodied brew with aromas of dried fruits and caramel malts, like Christmas cake in a glass.