When DW and I were first dating, we decided to go for a cool treat at our local Dairy Queen, on Merivale Road, at Clyde Avenue. On this trip, we were with her best friend, Catheleen.
They were trying to decide what they wanted to order when they asked me what I was going to get. "Oh, I'll just get my usual," I casually said as I drove my Pontiac Sunbird toward our destination.
The girls took that as something mysterious, though it really wasn't. When I got up to the counter, I requested a chocolate milkshake.
Nothing special. I just like simple, chocolate milkshakes. I still make them, every once and awhile, at home.
The last time that I made any kind of specialty milkshake was a couple of years ago. I remember it well because I was making it to share with my kids. Searching the refrigerator, I pulled out fresh raspberries and a jar of peanut butter. I also added a banana and a squirt of chocolate syrup to the scoops of vanilla ice cream and cold milk.
It was pretty good, though my kids weren't keen on the flavour of the banana. Since then, I've stuck to making my usual.
Shopping in the LCBO, this past weekend, my eyes fell on a can of stout from a much-liked Ottawa Valley brewery, Whitewater. The red and creamy-gold label, with a classic diner-style milkshake glass, adorned with whipped cream and raspberries made me think of that day when I mixed a similar treat for my girls.
Well, not that similar.
Whitewater Brewing Company
Foresters Falls and Cobden, ON
Appearance: deep walnut brown with a foamy, taupe head that pours thick but settles to a solid cap, and then to a dense lace. I poured it fast to attempt a whip-cream-like head, similar to the whipped cream on the label. It got a bit out of hand. Pour with care.
Nose: sweet, ripe raspberries with a hint of peanuts and milk chocolate.
Palate: milk chocolate, fresh raspberries, and a creamy peanut butter. Have you ever had Purdys Peanut Butter Fingers? They are made with the creamiest peanut butter that DW or I have ever had. They're magical. And the peanut butter in this stout reminds me of those. You get a silky peanut butter that fills the mouth, cut clean with the raspberries. The finish is both sweet and tart, with a kiss of cedar that lingers.
Even hours after finishing my pint, I felt that I could taste peanut butter in my mouth and was breathing it through my nose, though I'm sure the sensations were more psychological than physical (the same thing happens long after I've sipped a smoky and peaty Scottish malt). And the phantom taste and smell had me craving more.
Overall impression: this is not your average brew. It's a dessert. And it's a fine dessert, a wonderful treat. I've had peanut-butter stouts before and they've been heavy, rich, cloying, and hard to finish, and I was afraid that this stout would follow suit.
But it doesn't. The blend of raspberries and peanut butter marries well and makes this easy to drink. Neither flavour overpowers. As I said, the raspberries are fresh and sweet, and the peanut butter is creamy without sticking to the roof of your mouth.
For a specialty stout, it's an indulgent treat. Just like a milkshake.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺
Because it's the holiday season, you should treat yourself. Indulge. Be decadent. Peanut Butter & Raspberry Shake is available in the LCBO and can be ordered online from the brewery for delivery in Ontario and the rest of Canada (free delivery to the Ottawa area!).
I'm sure that if I had ordered a peanut butter and raspberry milkshake, all those years ago with DW and Catheleen, they wouldn't be laughing at my usual Dairy Queen go to.
Cheers!
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