Beer O'Clock: Memories of Bayeux and Pee-wee

This post is dedicated to my friend, Perry. May we long be able to raise a glass to good friends.

Just seeing the can brought back great memories.

DW and I were at a friend's house for a movie night. In remembrance of the recently late Paul Reubens, we had chosen Pee-wee's Big Adventure. It's incredibly silly but that's what makes it such a great movie. It's a Tim Burton movie, of course.

Another friend from DW's high school year joined us for the evening, and she had never even seen Pee-wee Herman before. She was in for an 80s cultural experience.

Before we sat down in front of the big screen, we prepared some snacks and drinks. I had a sour ale from Whitewater Brewing while DW and our host had margaritas. They wanted to be drinking something with tequila in it for when the song came up.

If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about.

The other friend pulled out a can of a famous French beer and cracked it open, and as the can popped, my mind was suddenly transported back to 2014 and Bayeux, France.

DW and I were vacationing with our kids. It had already been a busy day, with a morning in Honfleur and a reflective visit to Juno Beach, where I found a name plate for a friend's grandfather, who landed there on D-Day.

Afterward, in Bayeux, we visited the museum that houses the famous tapestry of the same name. It was a great experience for us all and I was transported back to my university days, when I studied Medieval history. Seeing the Bayeux Tapestry for me was as rewarding as the time that I walked on the Great Wall of China.

After the museum, we took the kids and ourselves in search of some food. It was mid-afternoon and we had skipped lunch. One of the remarkable things of walking this old town's streets is seeing shops with painted windows that still showed gratitude for the D-Day liberators, with cartoons depicting Canadian, British, and American troops.

We found a shop that sold sandwiches, and being parched, I ordered a beer to quench my thirst. It was the same beer that was currently bringing back this memory.

All I remember about the beer was that it succeeded in quenching my thirst and that it had a nice flavour. How would this beer hold up for an all-out review?

Several days after the movie night, I picked up a couple of cans at my local Farm Boy grocery store. Which brings us to now.

1664 Blanc (5% ABV)
Kronenbourg Brewery (owned by Carlsberg Group)
Obernai, France

Appearance: pours a hazy, bright yellow-gold with a foamy head that settles to a thin, solid cap.

Nose: grassy citrus (lemongrass?) and a touch of biscuit.

Palate: there's a floral flavour that leads the way with light citrus and warm malt. Notes of mild banana and puréed pear come up in a medium finish, which reminds me of a subtle saison (without the mineral flintiness).

This is a perfectly light wheat ale to enjoy on a hot day (and this week, in Ottawa, has certainly been hot!).

Overall impression: I'm glad to see that the impression this Alsatian wheat ale had left on me in 2014 has continued nine years later. This is an enjoyable brew that goes down easy and refreshes. Yes, it's now owned by a huge beverage empire in the Netherlands but this is a brew upon which, I'm sure, many small craft brewers have modelled their wheat ales. If not, they should take note from a company that's been around for nearly 360 years.

Wheat ales have really started growing on me and 1664 Blanc is a model upon which I shall base all others. Sure, they've added artificial flavours and, no doubt, preservatives, but if I can't taste them, I don't think they should detract from my overall impression.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺

You can find 1664 Blanc in The Beer Store, your friendly neighbourhood LCBO, and in some grocery stores. It's practically everywhere.

Cheers!