Beer O'Clock: Tequilima

Mango margarita in Mexico.

"Why wouldn't you just have a margarita?"

DW saw me approach her and the shopping cart as I walked from the aisle that was filled with craft beer, two cans in my hands.

"Those look colourful," she said, eyeing the bright-green, patterned can. In bold, white letters, the name Bongo was the most prominent word. "Is that the beer you tried to order at breakfast last weekend?"

She was referring to the previous Sunday, when she, Kid 1, and I met with my parents for breakfast. We were able to sit on the patio of Big Rig Kitchen and Brewery, on Iris Street, near IKEA. When we were seated and our server asked us if we'd like coffee or something else to drink, I asked him if they were allowed to sell any of their beer at that time of morning.

I had noticed that the breakfast menu had included some morning cocktails: if the brewery could sell those, perhaps I could have a light, fruity radler. It was a bright, sunny, and warm morning, after all.

I learned that Big Rig was not licensed to sell alcohol before 11:30, and we were about an hour or so too early. It was a shame, as I thought that the Bongo Grapefruit Radler would hit the spot. I hadn't had one in a few years, when I wrote another Beer O'Clock review.

Coffee it had to be.

So, when I found myself in a beer aisle in a grocery store and saw the bright-green can with Bongo on the label, I moved in for a closer look. This was a new Bongo, one with tequila and lime. And beer. (It can't be a radler without beer.)

Two cans it had to be.

When I explained to DW that it was not the same Bongo that I was looking for at our Sunday brunch, that these green cans held a radler that was flavoured with tequila and lime, her next question seemed straightforward and honest.

"Why wouldn't you just have a margarita?"

Indeed, why wouldn't I?

DW and I love margaritas. Last February, when we were in Mexico, mango margaritas were our staple beverage. I couldn't tell you how many we had over that fabulous week, but it's fair to say we had a lot. We even made some of them when we returned home, whizzing frozen chunks of mango in our blender with a healthy dose of tequila (brought home from our trip) and a few dashes of concentrated lime juice.

This summer, thanks to the margarita mix that we find at Costco and the ample tequila we still have from Mexico, I drink almost as many standard margaritas at home as I drink beer.

So, would this tequila and lime radler from Big Rig make for as refreshing a Caribbean cocktail? Let's find out.

Bongo Tequilima Cerveza Radler (2.9% ABV)
Big Rig Brewery
Ottawa ON

Appearance: this radler pours almost like a cider, with a clear, effervescent, pale straw-yellow and a foamy, bubbly white head that quickly settles down and dissipates, with only a few bubbles rising to the top of the brew.

Nose: tart lime hits the nostrils immediately, mixed with a bit of green apples. I was also met with a hint of yeast, like unbaked bread. Again, I was reminded of cider, rather than beer. (In a radler, that's not necessarily a bad thing.)

Palate: there's a sweetness that hits the tongue straight away and is chased by a more-pronounced lime. My thought is that this is very much like The Pop Shoppe Lime Ricky Hard Soda, but without the cloying sweetness.

I do find, however, that there's a bit of an artificial sweetness to this radler that gets carried to the finish.

The tequila is there, also toward the finish, but is very subtle, which is no surprise. At only 2.9% ABV, there can't be that much of that liquor in the can. There is also an overlying flavour of biscuit that keeps all other flavours from getting out of hand. The fruit in the finish is short but the sweet tequila lingers.

Overall impression: Bongo Tequilima is a crushable, easy-drinking radler with an interesting flavour profile. It quenches your thirst with its light body and would be perfect on a patio, on a hot summer day. The low alcohol content means you could have a couple without feeling a buzz.

But does it replace a margarita? Absolutely not, nor do I think it's trying to carry itself off as an alternative to a margarita. The biscuity notes tell you there's more ale than tequila, and the tequila, I think, is there to cut the tartness of the lime. It all works very well together but is a very different drink to a margarita.

If you like margaritas and crave one, stick to what you know and love. If you want a light ale and are curious about something different from the traditional lemon, orange, or grapefruit radler, Bongo Tequilima is definitely worth your attention.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺

You can find Bongo Tequilima in the LCBO, in various grocery stores, and can be ordered from Big Rig. The brewery offers free shipping within Ottawa with a minimum purchase and throughout Ontario for a modest fee.

Cheers!

Beer for Dessert

This will be my strangest beer review. Because it's not really about beer per se.

But there is beer in this review.

Last night, my family and I went to Big Rig Brew Pub for our second time. The first time, we were celebrating Father's Day with a couple of pints. The girls nibbled on some nachos, while I focused on the beer.

However, while I savoured the suds I did peruse the menu and thought a second visit was in order; hence, our visit last night.

Straight away, I went for my favourite brew, their Big Rig IPA: with lots of intense hops, I just love this stuff. I drank this pint while I ate their Fort McMurray burger: Angus beef with aged cheddar and bacon. What's not to like? Their fries are quite good. I highly recommend coming for the food and the beer.

We're getting to the beer review, right?

Sort of.

I'm not much of a dessert craver when I eat out. If I chose a set menu that includes a dessert, fine. If my wife wants to split something with me, fine. But I don't look at the dessert menu on my own.

This time, I did.

Oh, boy.

Big Rig has a Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream with a Double Chocolate Stout Float. Stout. Ice cream. Together.

GTFO!

I happen to know from experience that beer and ice cream don't go together. Sweet and bitter don't match. But Big Rig's stout has a nice chocolaty sweetness that seems to balance with the creamy ice cream.

But not at first.

I started with a sip from the straw, and what I tasted was a bit of sourness, almost like buttermilk. I don't like buttermilk, unless you are using it in baking. My taste buds were turned off a little, so I took the long spoon proffered me and gave the tall milkshake glass a stir.

That did the trick.

The ice cream and beer float works. When stirred, you get the chocolate creaminess right off the top. As it finishes, you are left with the maltiness of the stout.

It's delicious.

If you haven't been to Big Rig yet, wait no longer. Enjoy their beer. Savour their food. And combine the two with dessert.

All I Want For Father's Day Is My Family. And Beer.

I had an amazing Father's Day. It was a perfect, summer-like day and I made the most of it.

The girls let me sleep in while they made breakfast and served it on our sun-drenched patio: homemade eggs Benedict with fresh grape tomatoes, oatmeal and pecan muffins that my eldest daughter baked, and a strong cappuccino made by my youngest.

Tasty.

You'd think for a guy like me, trying to lose weight, that this would be a killer breakfast. And it would have been, if I was to have sat on my butt all day. But my family gave me something else for Father's Day: something that I don't often get on weekends.

Time.

I was given about two-and-a-half hours to spend as I pleased, and they knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to get on my bike and ride. So while they went off to do what they wanted, I hit the road.

I cycled for two hours and thirteen minutes and covered nearly 50 kilometres on a large circle that covered the heart of the city. My route led me out of my community, along Prince of Wales Drive to Hogs Back, through Vincent Massey Park and along the Rideau River all the way to old City Hall, to the National Gallery, past the Chateau Laurier, down the Rideau locks and below Parliament, along the Ottawa River to Lincoln Heights, along the Transitway to Baseline Station, and then down Woodroffe, all the way back to my neighbourhood. Apart from the gusting wind along parts of the Ottawa River and Woodroffe, it was a fabulous ride.

Thanks to my girls for giving me the time to accomplish this ride. I've wanted to do it for some time now.

But Father's Day is about spending time with your kids, so after I returned home I showered, shaved, got dressed, and committed the rest of the day with them.

Doing stuff I wanted to do. It was Father's Day, after all.

Earlier this week, a new brew pub opened its doors in Ottawa. Big Rig Brewery and Kitchen is owned by Senators defenseman, Chris Phillips. Luckily, the Sens were eliminated fairly early in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and so Chris has had the time to focus on his brew pub.

To soon, Ottawa? Still feeling the pain of the loss?

I'm not a hockey fan, as you can tell, and when I first heard that a hockey player was starting his own brew pub, I have to admit that I thought Ottawa was getting a new sports bar that was also going to dabble in homemade beer.

Not so with Big Rig.

One of the first things I saw on entering the pub was the lack of NHL or any other sports paraphernalia. This is a restaurant with no emphasis on sports. Sure, there were a couple of TVs with soccer playing, but nearly every bar in town has a TV or two hanging on the walls. At least the TVs at Big Rig were out of the way and did not detract from the brew pub experience.

Big Rig is spacious, clean, and bright, with large windows covering the front, allowing plenty of light to flood in. This place is huge. At the far end of the restaurant, floor-to-ceiling windows display the large stainless steel fermenting tanks, showing this place is all about the beer.

We arrived in the late afternoon: after the lunch crowd and before the dinner crowd. We were seated right away by friendly staff. Because we had dinner that was waiting for us at home (chili in a slow cooker), we weren't planning to eat. I just came for the beer. Lori ended up ordering a plate of chicken nachos and the girls shared a grilled cheese sandwich: all agreed that their choices were good. Reading Big Rig's menu, their selections did look good (I did drool over their burger menu), so I'll definitely be up for a return visit.

There were six beers on offer, but I went for the sampler of four six-ounce glasses and passed on their flagship Gold and seasonal Hefeweizen. I wanted to go for the brews that were my standard favourites, the styles with which I was most familiar.

I decided that I would try these four miniature glasses and from them, I would select my favourite and enjoy a full pint.

So here are my samples and tasting notes.

Beer #1: Big Rig Rideau Red (5.2% ABV)

At first, I couldn't pick this sample out as a red ale. It has a deep amber colour with only a kiss of red. To me, it looked more orange than red. But for me, the colour seemed more natural than many reds I've tried.

Rideau Red has a subtle, light nose. I thought I detected a hint of cherry and citrus, like orange. On the palate, this ale was light, cleansing. There were mild hops and refreshing citrus. The finish was short and clean.

This was a delicious red, something I could see myself enjoying on a hot patio. Unfortunately, despite the perfect weather, Big Rig's patio was not open for business. Licensing delays? Not enough furniture?

I gave the Rideau Red a thumbs up.

Beer #2: Big Rig Byward Brown (5.2% ABV)

Everything about this ale screamed walnut. The colour was a deep walnut brown. The nose came up with walnut overtones. In the mouth, I detected warm malts, mild hops, and a nutty and tasted caramel flavour. The finish was long and satisfying.

I enjoyed this brown ale, but when I had to sum it up, the only word I could give to my server, Tarra, was "okay." It was okay. Good, but it didn't blow my socks off. If someone were to ask me if they should order it, I would say, "if you like brown ales, go ahead. It's okay."

I give it neither a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Try it. Or don't.

Beer #3: Big Rig India Pale Ale (6.2% ABV)

This is a lovely looking IPA: golden amber with a clean, white foam head. On the nose, I detected a sweet pink grapefruit and something I could only describe as floral. A hint of honey. This is a beer that I could just sit back and sniff all afternoon. There are many wines with which I could do that; only one other beer that does that to me: Mill Street Ambre de la Chaudière.

And now this IPA. This is a wonderfully aromatic ale.

But once you do get a mouthful, this beer is in your face without looking for a fight. It begs to be noticed. There are lots of hops. Lots of grapefruit. This is the IPA flavour I love. And the Big Rig IPA is all about that flavour that calls out for more.

I give this brew a big thumbs up.

Beer #4: Big Rid Stud Stout (5.6% ABV)

I love stouts. I always get excited about trying new stouts. I rarely meet one that I don't like. So I was looking forward to Big Rig's offering.

Stud Stoud is a deep brown colour with a hint of red. More red than the Rideau Red, I found. This stout has an incredible bouquet of chocolate. It was rich, almost reminding me of Young's Double Chocolate Stout, but there was also a marked sweetness, backed with cedar. According to one of my daughters, who absolutely loves stout, there was also a hint of cherry.

My mouth was greeted with more chocolate and tobacco, and there was a distinct smokey finish.

I liked this stout. I'm not sure how I feel about the finish, but I would certainly have it again and do recommend it for the stout lovers out there.

So which beer did I like the best? Which beer did I order again in a pint glass?

Beer #3: the IPA.

Hands down, it was my favourite. I'd have it again and again.

But truthfully, I was impressed with all four of the brewery's samples.

Chris Phillips' career may be hockey, but his passion also lies in beer.

At least we have that in common.

Cheers!