- Story by Jane Zatlyny Photography by Don Denton

I like beer B次元官网网址� sometimes. When it comes to beverages, itB次元官网网址檚 hard to beat the refreshing taste of an ice-cold ale alongside a dozen fresh-shucked oysters, or a dark, chocolate-brown stout with grilled baby back ribs. Still, my natural inclination when dining out has always been to reach for the wine list.

But lately, as I walk by the banks of fridges devoted to craft beer at my local liquor store, I canB次元官网网址檛 help but wonder: am I missing something? For answers, I asked Joe Wiebe, author of Craft Beer Revolution: The InsiderB次元官网网址檚 Guide to BC Breweries and all-round BC beer enthusiast, to lead me through a beer tasting.

As we settle in at a back table at VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 , Joe orders a flight of beer for us to sample. We talk about how Victoria, with its long-established brewpubs like Spinnakers and Swans, has always been at the epicentre of the Canadian craft beer movement.

B次元官网网址淚 like to say Victoria is the cradle of the revolution,B次元官网网址� Joe says, noting that changes to liquor legislation in 2013 allowed breweries in BC to operate tasting rooms, much like wineries, further propelling the popularity of craft beer here.

Like alchemists, craft brewers today experiment with herbs, spices and fruits. They express themselves through the hops they use and through new interpretations of traditional brewing techniques.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e producing some incredibly exciting flavours,B次元官网网址� says Joe. B次元官网网址淏eer has really evolved in the last decade or so. ItB次元官网网址檚 a tasting culture now.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 these more eclectic brews that IB次元官网网址檓 most interested in tasting, beginning with our first beer, Strawberry Hibiscus Milkshake IPA from VancouverB次元官网网址檚 (6 per cent alcohol). The name is intriguing, but how good can a strawberry-flavoured, milky beer taste?

Surprisingly good, it turns out: this is no ordinary milkshake. B次元官网网址淢ilkshakeB次元官网网址� actually refers to the use of lactose by the brewer, an unfermentable sugar that retains sweetness in the beer. ItB次元官网网址檚 the perfect complement to the star ingredient: ripe strawberries. The first taste reminds me of springB次元官网网址檚 first strawberry, greedily plucked in the field, while Joe likens it to strawberry ice cream.

Next up? A Beets by Sinden sour beer from (5.5 per cent). Deep pink in colour, this beer is unusual for two reasons, says Joe. One, itB次元官网网址檚 made with beets, and two, itB次元官网网址檚 part of a category of beers known as sours.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檝e erupted in the last few years as their own category of beer,B次元官网网址� he explains. Traditional sour beers have a three-year aging process, but modern craft brewers figured out how to accelerate the aging process by heating the beer in the brewing kettle. Sour beers then became more practical to produce and more affordable for consumers.

Sour beers are often the B次元官网网址済atewayB次元官网网址� beer for people who donB次元官网网址檛 think they like beer, says Joe: B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e very sour, and thereB次元官网网址檚 a certain type of person who just loves them. TheyB次元官网网址檒l taste one and say, B次元官网网址極h! I didnB次元官网网址檛 know beer could taste like that!B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Raising the glass of peony-coloured beer to my nose, I really can smell the beets, or at least a very earthy suggestion of beets. The beer is sour, but pleasantly so and very refreshing. If I didnB次元官网网址檛 know better, I would have said this was a cider.

B次元官网网址淭his beer is proof of how far the craft beer industry has come,B次元官网网址� laughs Joe as he drains his tiny glass. B次元官网网址淗ere I am, a big bearded guy in a flannel shirt, drinking a pink beer.B次元官网网址�

The third beer in our flight was another sour B次元官网网址� the Corvus Lingonberry Lime Gose from in Abbotsford. Joe says that this salty sour beer won Gold at the World Beer Cup B次元官网网址� quite an honour for a fledgling BC brewery.

As I peer into the cloudy, pinkish glass of wheat beer, I canB次元官网网址檛 really distinguish the smell of red lingonberries. But I can taste the tartness of lime and the salinity of the Himalayan salt in my first sip.

B次元官网网址淭his beer would taste great with seafood or a big bowl of mussels,B次元官网网址� I mention to Joe.

B次元官网网址淏eer works really well with food in general,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 much more versatile than wine, and the carbonation is great for cleaning the palate between courses.B次元官网网址�

Interesting point. IB次元官网网址檇 never thought of that.

Leaving sours behind for now, Joe introduces me to another sub-category of beer B次元官网网址� the very popular hazy IPA. The Humans IPA from in Port Moody (6.3 per cent) is like lemon meringue pie in a glass: itB次元官网网址檚 golden-coloured with a pleasant froth and a sweet, lemon-drop scent.

B次元官网网址淏rewers have started to experiment with adding hops later in the process, so you get more of the fruity sweet characteristics of the hops and less of the bitterness,B次元官网网址� Joe explains. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 what gives us that huge burst of lemon aroma.B次元官网网址� The beerB次元官网网址檚 flavour is just as fruity but not sugary. It reminds me of tropical mango, pineapple and peach.

ItB次元官网网址檚 time for our second flight (I should mention at this juncture that neither of us are driving and weB次元官网网址檙e sharing six-ounce glasses). This time, weB次元官网网址檙e turning to nut brown, dark and stout beers, beginning with the Silk Road Chai Nut Brown Ale (5.2 per cent) from in Victoria. YouB次元官网网址檇 have to like the scent and flavour of chai tea spices to enjoy this amber-coloured brew, a classic nut brown ale made with loose tea from VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Silk Road Tea. Fortunately, I do.

B次元官网网址淗ere you have something with definite spices,B次元官网网址� says Joe. B次元官网网址淚t reminds me of some sort of baked Christmas treat.B次元官网网址�

I agree: B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a molasses flavour coming through, like the sticky goodness of a fruit cake on the bottom of the pan.B次元官网网址� Again, I can imagine a great food pairing, perhaps a cr猫me br没l茅e.

Coriander, cloves, orange zest, Belgian candi sugar and local plums flavour our next beer, Saison Noel (6 per cent) from in North Saanich.

B次元官网网址淭his small brewery produces some incredible craft beers,B次元官网网址� says Joe. B次元官网网址淭hey make the candi sugar themselves in the brew kettle.B次元官网网址�

The Belgian-style dark beer tastes well-rounded, sweet, but not cloyingly so, with a slight tannin aftertaste. DonB次元官网网址檛 tell Joe, but for this wine lover, Saison Noel is reminiscent of a rich Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our last beer is a stout, and it does not disappoint. The Mole Stout (6 per cent) from in North Vancouver is crafted in the style of the famous Oaxacan dish, and brewed with poblano and jalapeno spices. Like a true mole, its flavour profile is complex. B次元官网网址淪ome beers with peppers are incredibly hot,B次元官网网址� says Joe. This stout is not. The peppers add depth without the searing heat; cocoa nibs, chocolate malt and fresh Mexican spices balance the full, rich flavour of this delicious stout.

As we finished our last drops of beer, I admit to Joe that I was truly surprised at what IB次元官网网址檇 just experienced B次元官网网址� so much so that I may no longer automatically reach for the wine list. Joe nods. HeB次元官网网址檚 heard all of this before.

B次元官网网址淲hether youB次元官网网址檙e a high-level beer geek or someone who doesnB次元官网网址檛 know a lot about beer, order a flight of beers, and youB次元官网网址檙e sure to find something there you like,B次元官网网址� he says.

INFO

7th Annual Victoria Beer Week, March 6-14

Learn more about BC craft beers at the 7th annual Victoria Beer Week.

Check out these events to try some new and unique brews:

B次元官网网址� Lift Off! The opening night event will feature all-new beers from a variety of BC breweries

B次元官网网址� Pucker Up Sample all of the sour beers on tap at the GarrickB次元官网网址檚 Head & Churchill Pubs

B次元官网网址� Saturday Night Casks More than 20 cask-conditioned beers showcase brewmakersB次元官网网址� creativity, often using highly unusual ingredients

/schedule

Make craft breweries a highlight of your next B.C. staycation by checking out this province-wide ale trail. bcaletrail.ca

Craft Beer Revolution: The InsiderB次元官网网址檚 Guide to BC Breweries

Paperback, 2nd edition, by .

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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