Beer O'Clock: Cross-Border Shopping... Sort Of

I love living on the border of Ontario and Québec: not only do I have exposure to Canada's two official languages, I get to sample beer from both sides. And because I live in Ontario but work in Québec, I cross the border several times each week.

Both Ontario and La belle province have a thriving beer industry, as was evidenced at last weekend's Craft Beer Week festival. While the majority of the breweries that attended the nine-day event were from Ontario, one brewery is based in Montréal: McAuslan.

I've been drinking McAuslan's beer for years. Their St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout is my all-time favourite stout. I love the smokey flavour and hints of dark chocolate intertwined. It's not a creamy, smooth-drinking stout, but I'm not known for consuming easy-drinking beer. I love that in-your-face flavour. I guess that's why I also love the smokey, peatiness of a good Islay single-malt scotch (FYI: Laphroaig and St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout are an excellent combination).

When I saw the McAuslan tent at the beer festival, I went straight up to it, said hello to their lovely rep, Hollisha Francis, and was quick to let her know of my love for her company's dark ale. She, in return, poured me a sample to enjoy while we chatted.

McAuslan had three taps on offer at the festival: the oatmeal stout and their pale ale (which I've had once before: it's a nice, easy-drinking, medium-bodied ale. I've already told you I prefer more flavour in my beer, so it should be no surprise that I haven't gone back for more), but I saw a green tap that I didn't recognize.

"I didn't know you made an IPA," I said, showing a keen interest.

"It's a seasonal," Hollisha informed me. With my stout finished, I was eager to try the IPA.

And as soon as I had it, I wanted more. Much more. I asked her where I could obtain some for my personal collection. Sadly, Hollisha dashed my hopes, saying it wasn't at the LCBO, that it would only be available on tap at select pubs. The only one she knew of in the Ottawa area was the Arrow & Loon.

I love the Arrow & Loon, but unfortunately I don't get out to it very often. Not nearly often enough to take advantage of a seasonal.

Fortunately, for me, I don't give up easily. Especially, since I live on the border with Québec. Sure, it wasn't available at the LCBO, but maybe a dépanneur would have it^*.

Not only did I find the St-Ambroise IPA in a Gatineau store (McAuslan's Web site shows who carries their beer), it was an awesome store, and it was only a two-minute drive from my office.

La trappe à fromage (The Cheese Trap) is a gorgeous épicerie that offers (obviously) cheeses of every ilk plus deli meats, specialty jams, jellies, and spreads, and more. And it has a great beer selection.

It's beer heaven. There are lots of microbreweries: from Unibroue to Gatineau's microbrewery, BDT. There were labels that I didn't recognize but am eager to try. And I found McAuslan's IPA.

So I cleared the store out of their supply.

Here is the low-down on this ale.

St-Ambroise India Pale Ale
Brasserie McAuslan
Montréal, QC
La trappe à fromage: $9.99, 4 x 341 ml; 6.2% ABV

Made with pale, Crystal, and Munich malts, and with both Willamette and Golding hops, this is a traditional English IPA. The colour is a brilliant copper-amber; the head, a white foam that dissipates shortly after the pour. The nose is aromatic: I could sit and breathe the fresh citrus bouquet all day, but I really wanted to get to the drinking part.

On the palate, you are hit immediately with intense hops, but the flavour of bold, fresh orange and spice almost instantly washes the tannin-like taste away in a clean, short finish. I was reminded of a cold orange pekoe tea as I drank. This IPA is immensely refreshing. The flavour hits you, goes away, and has you craving more.

St-Ambroise IPA may very well be the best IPA I've ever had. There is a nice balance between the flavours and alcohol. Though it is a strong beer, it doesn't drink like one.

I'm hoping that even though this beer is a seasonal that it sticks around for a while. And I hope that La trappe à fromage gets more.

But if you want to get some, you'd better act fast: as I said, I'm only a two-minute drive from one of Gatineau's two locations. Maybe you'd be best to try the Arrow & Loon.

^* I know, I know. It's currently unlawful to transport alcohol over provincial borders. But the law will be changing soon and I'm counting on the belief that authorities have bigger fish to fry. So shh... 

Wordless Wednesday: Candid

National Capital Beer Week Festival, Ottawa:

Beer O'Clock: The Accidental Photographer

I first met JP Fournier, president of the National Capital Craft Beer Week, at the opening party at D'Arcy McGee's. You may remember that event from last week's post. At that event, we exchanged business cards and pleasantries, and I got up close for photos with him, other festival organizers, and the mayor.

The next time I ran into JP was just inside the grounds of this weekend's beer festival, at Marion Dewar Plaza at city hall. It was a serendipitous meeting: I was just entering the festival grounds, he was just heading out. We shook hands and he saw my camera equipment. And then he asked: "Are you going to be at the event for both days?"

"Yes," I replied. I was really looking forward to meeting the brewers and checking out their brews. But JP was not simply making conversation. I noticed that he was still glancing at my camera bag. JP had a problem, and it appeared that I was going to be his solution.

Apparently, the photographer he had booked to cover the event had a conflict, and as a result he cancelled on JP. "Would you be my photographer for the event?" he asked me.

This was great: I was planning to take some shots of the event for today's post anyway. By helping out JP, I could maybe draw more people towards my blog. And when JP handed me a VIP pass (I had already paid for a two-day event pass), it made my presence feel even more official. (The fact that the VIP pass also meant I didn't have to buy tickets for food and drink was just icing on the cake.)

It was an accidental meeting, but it couldn't have been better timed.

The festival was extremely well-organized. All of the area's craft brewers were well-represented, and even some other Ontario craft breweries were on hand, such as Flying Monkeys, Muskoka, Steam Whistle, Nickel Brook, King, Wellington, and, one of my favourites, McAuslan. The keynote speaker, beer guru and author Steve Beaumont informed the crowds on the flavours of the different styles of beer. There were forums with the brewmasters. There was live entertainment. Rock radio station, CHEZ 106, broadcast live all Friday afternoon.

The festival ran without a hitch. While crowd numbers were not very high on Friday afternoon (people were working, after all), the crowds came out in droves on Friday evening and all day Saturday.

Because I was originally there to try the beer and meet the people responsible for the beer, I did sample quite a few samples. While I can't get into detail about everything I tried, I want to highlight some that I thought stood out.

• Muskoka Spring Oddity: this Belgian-styled ale had great herbal notes (basil and coriander) and spice. It was strong, at 8 percent ABV but was well-balanced and didn't taste heady.
• Ashton Brewing Company Brown: this unfiltered brew tasted of creamy caramel and was wonderfully malty, with a hoppy finish (a happy ending).
• Flying Monkeys Netherworld Black IPA: these guys have some of the most intense hops in an Ontario craft beer. This cask-conditioned IPA looked like mud in a glass: no light was getting through my sample glass. There was excellent hops and fruit combined in this special offering. Made with Galaxy dry hops, which give it a kick.
• Nickel Brook Naughtiest Neighbour Cask-Conditioned XAPA: I first tried the Naughty Neighbour at the Arrow & Loon during Blog Out Loud. Back then, I said it was "fucking awesome." The Naughtiest Neighbour is even more fucking awesome. Clear, bright orange in colour, the hops really come through on the nose and carry right through to the finish. Flavours of orange zest and grapefruit are prominent on the palate.
• Mill Street White Cap Ale: made at the Ottawa brewery, this is a mellow drinking cask-conditioned ale with lovely hops.
• Beau's Pan Ontario: this was an unusual blend of mystery beers from Wellington, Flying Monkeys, Grand River, and Great Lakes breweries. Beau's blends the four beers in a bourbon cask to make a black concoction that is heavy in coffee, licorice, and bourbon flavours. I loved it.
• St-Ambroise IPA: this was my favourite IPA of the festival, and I'd really like to get my hands on some again really soon. It is a traditional English IPA made with Goldings hops, and I felt that I was drinking orange pekoe tea. It was wonderfully refreshing.
• Muskoka Brewery Mad Summer: this wasn't an official offering from the brewery but a blend of two beers that they had on tap, both that I have reviewed in the past: Mad Tom IPA and Summer Weiss. I love Mad Tom and I enjoyed the Summer Weiss, and together they make a special combination. A lemony citrus ale with plenty of hops and a clove finish.

There were so many other beers that I enjoyed, including the brown ale from one of the newest local breweries, Cassel.

My friends at Mill Street

I meant to stay to the end of the festival on Saturday, but a second accident befell me early in the afternoon. I was shooting photos of people lined up at the front gate when I tripped on a barrier stand while looking through my viewfinder. In an effort to protect my camera above all else and in failing miserably to regain my balance without my arms, I crashed to the ground in spectacular fashion. With security guarding the gates, I had to explain that I wasn't drunk, that I was the official photographer protecting his equipment.

Unfortunately, I had twisted my ankle in the fall but continued wandering the grounds, getting great shots. I'd climb up on picnic tables and shoot from above and would hop down when I was done. And by dinnertime, my ankle had had enough, and I began to limp. I took a few more shots and then had to tell JP that I was going home. I hobbled to the bus stop, and by the time I reached my end of town, I could barely walk. I called my wife to pick me up.

I refused to let my ankle ruin my time at the festival. It was an accidental meeting that got me the honour of being the official photographer and a dumb accident that shortened my stay.

But it was a great festival. I'm definitely looking forward to next year.

And to JP: next year, if you want me to shoot pictures for you again, I'll be there. For hire!

Here are some shots of the event. More are on my Picasa Web album, and more will be available on the Craft Beer Week site.

Mill Street Co-Founder, Steve Abrams, gone mad

Wellington Brewery

Grammatically speaking, it's "them"

D'Arcy McGee GM, Jeff O'Reilly and comedienne, Christina Walkinshaw

Steve Beaumont

Festival president, JP Fournier

Lots of great food

Ashton Brewing Company

Those goofy gals at Kichesippi

Cheers!

Beer O'Clock: It's National Capital Craft Beer Week, Baby!

I've been waiting for this event for a long time.

Believe it or not, this is my first big beer festival. Oh, sure, for a couple of years I helped out at the Ottawa Wine & Food Festival, pouring beer at my friend's microbrewery booth (and pouring lots of it into myself), and I did join this same friend, pouring a wicked pumpkin ale he made for Cask Days at BarVolo in Toronto in 2006.

But this is the first time that I've attended a big beer festival, one that has been all about beer and has been running for several days—and runs until August 18. And I'm thrilled to be part of the crowd that is not pouring drinks (one for you, one for me; one for me, one for you; one for me, one for me... ).

The first-ever National Capital Craft Beer Week (NCCBW) kicked off on Friday with a great opening celebration at D'Arcy McGee's on Sparks Street. The place was packed with beer lovers from all over—not just from our nation's capital. There were giveaways (I scored a couple of t-shirts, a pint glass, keychain bottle opener, and mini mug), food samplers, a live band, and most importantly, beer. Representing our city included the likes of Kichesippi Beer, HogsBack Brewing, and Big Rig.

Our beloved mayor, Jim Watson, officially welcomed the festival and tapped the inaugural cask, an IPA from Big Rig. Coming from this oak cask, the richness of the hops was incredible. I also sampled the HogsBack Vintage Lager that I reviewed last week.

If you couldn't make it to the opening, here's what you missed (and if you were there, these photos might jog your memory).

D'Arcy McGee's general manager, Jeff O'Reilly, welcomes the crowd.

I'm pretty sure the mayor is saying "open," as in "I declare the National Capital Craft Beer Week open." Either that, or he's saying, "Oh, my God, there are a lot of drunk people already." Something like that.

NCCBW Founder and President, JP Fournier. Cosmo, from CHEZ 106. And a really, really hot woman.

Mayor Jim Watson taps the inaugural cask, from Big Rig Brewery. I should have stood back.

Cheers!

Darren Stevens, from HogsBack Brewing Co.

Pouring Kichesippi's Natural Blonde: a brunette.

Yesterday, NCCBW moved to another venue, The Arrow & Loon, in the Glebe, where there were tastings of many cask-conditioned ales: something I would have loved to attend. Unfortunately, I missed the event because of conflicting commitments. However, my beer buddy, Katy Watts, has written about the event in her blog post, which you can read here.

Tonight, I'm taking the beer celebrations to Big Rig. In celebration of Craft Beer Week, some Ottawa peeps and I are going to hoist some pints. If you're in Ottawa and want to join us, we'll be there from about 6 pm on.

For full details of this week's events, go to the NCCBW Web site. The event end in high style on Saturday, August 18. I hope to see you there.

Cheers!