Consistency is also a goal aimed for by most small brewers, but this consistency is often judged in terms of a general level of quality rather than specific aromas or flavours.  Because just as the characteristics of a fine wine will vary from vintage to vintage, changes in a craft beer from batch to batch are generally accepted by brewers and drinkers alike as being part and parcel of the craft brewing process.

The reasons for these differences are numerous, ranging from slight variations in the ingredients used, to intentional recipe tweaking on the part of the brewmaster. Sometimes the adjustments so subtle that they're barely noticed, while others change the beer to such a degree that those of us who take account of such things find ourselves giving the beer a full reassessment.

All of which is a roundabout way of explaining why I'm writing about Great Lakes Devil's Pale Ale when I already reviewed it back in 2007. Because while the distinctive black can might be remain same, the liquid inside has changed quite a bit since then - and to my mind, it's changed for the better.

At first glance, it's hard to tell that much has changed. The can, as noted above, is identical, and the beer still has a rich chestnut-copper colour that seems a bit dark for a "pale" ale, but not enough to complain about too much. In the aroma, however, the change is obvious: described three years ago as "quite malty, with caramel and dark sugar notes, and slight herbal and woody undertones," the nose is now dominated by juicy grapefruit-like hop notes, with the sweet malt dropping to the background.

So, too, goes the flavour. Previously noted as having a "front-end maltiness moving smoothly into a lingering hoppy finish," it's now hop-forward from the get-go, with strong notes of grapefruit and pine, and an interesting floral edge as well. Still, the slightly treacly malt is pronounced enough to provide balance, but like a good male dancer, it holds back enough to let its more spicy and flamboyant partner really shine.

I'm not sure what inspired the folks at Great Lakes to give Devil's Pale Ale such an overhaul, although my educated guess is that the popularity of their seasonal Canuck Pale Ale and assorted hop-heavy cask ales has made them realize that Ontario beer drinkers are finally ready for a bigger dose of hops in their regularly available beers. However it came about, I'm just glad that such a fantastic beer is both easily obtainable (LCBO 615880, $2.60/473 mL) and locally made - and just as I concluded in 2007, "it's a model that more Ontario craft breweries will hopefully decide to follow."

One of these few is Guelph's Wellington Brewery. Founded in 1985 by Philip Gosling, David Moorsom, and brewmaster Charles Maclean, Wellington was notable for being the first modern brewery in North America to brew real ale - or as it's more commonly known nowadays, cask ale - at a time when it was undergoing a resurgence in England thanks to the efforts of consumer lobbying group CAMRA. With Southern Ontario now being considering one of the best regions on the continent to find and enjoy proper cask ale, it's the gents from Wellington who can be given credit for getting the whole thing started.

While Wellington brands like Arkell Best Bitter and Special Pale Ale are still available on cask in a number of better beer establishments, the brewery has long offered filtered versions of their beers in bottles, and have also branched out over the years to brew more mainstream beers like the rather poor (and thankfully retired) Beehive Honey Lager, and the decent but uninspired Trailhead Lager. Early fans of the brewery have been known to criticize these moves, some even suggesting that the cask ales being produced today don't stand up to the brews of a couple of decades ago.

Even so, when word came out earlier this year that Wellington would be marking their 25th anniversary with a new beer, hopes were high that it would be something special and in keeping with the brewery's roots in British-style ales. Perhaps the return of their much missed Iron Duke Porter - or maybe a barley wine, a UK style never tried by the brewery, but one well suited to marking such an important milestone.

What wasn't expected was a golden ale so completely removed from the British ale brewing tradition that it might as well be a pale lager - and not an especially good one, at that. But disappointingly, that's exactly what we got, in the form of Wellington Silver Wheat Ale (LCBO 187757 - $2.60/473 mL).

First things first: Despite the name, this is not a beer in either the Belgian witbier or German weissbier styles - either of which might have been interesting, despite being a stylistic departure for Wellington. Instead, Silver Wheat Ale is a North American style filtered wheat beer, similar to Big Rock Grasshopper, which is why it pours a completely clear golden colour. Which isn't the worst thing in the world - there are plenty of great golden beers out there - but the good ones generally don't have a lifeless looking white head that disappears to virtually nothing within seconds, even despite a vigorous pour.

Things turn even worse in the aroma, which has all of the hallmarks of a cheaply made mass-produced beer: cooked vegetables, wet cardboard, corn husks and slightly rancid butter. I'm honestly a bit worried about taking a sip of something that smells so awful, but when I do so, I'm relieved that it's not quite as bad as the aroma suggests - but it's not great, either, with notes of wet grain and corn, a bit of fermented fruit, and perhaps a vague hint of hops in the finish. Even the body disappoints, with the active carbonation in the glass suggesting it will be crisp and light, but the reality being that it's oily and sticky, leaving an unpleasant and lingering film on the tongue.

Judged by any standard, Wellington Silver Wheat is a dreadful beer, but it's especially disappointing given that it was created to mark the 25th anniversary of a brewery that played such an important role in Ontario's craft brewing revolution. To see an iconic brewery like Wellington miss such a great opportunity to hearken back to their glory days is a real shame, and hopefully their legacy won't be tarnished too much as a result.

Thankfully, just as many restaurants are emphasizing the use of fresh and local ingredients in their food, they're also looking for the same in their beer. That combined with the increasing presence of local breweries like Mill Street, Amsterdam and Steam Whistle in neighbourhood bars and pubs means that it's becoming easier to find a good pint no matter where you end up.

That said, there are still a good number of holdouts that ignore the little guys in favour of devoting their draught lines to Molson or Labatt products. But even there, the large brand portfolios of those multinational companies mean that the desperate beer geek might still find one or two palatable options amongst the tap handles at their local sports bar.

Case in point: The Shoeless Joe's near our apartment is a Molson-dominated joint, where they're proud to pour Canadian and Coors Light via a SubZero Draught system that delivers the beer at a tongue-numbingly icy temperature. They do, however, serve some kick-ass chicken wings, so we can often be found there on Tuesdays for half-price wing night. And to wash them down, I'm more than happy to order the one (or two, if you count Guinness) somewhat distinctive and flavourful beer that they have on tap, Rickard's White.

Some might view this as settling for the best of a bad lot, and in some respects, it is. Put up against the beers available at the places mentioned in the top paragraph, or even nearby Rhino, it certainly wouldn't be my first choice. But "settling" suggests the ordering of a beer just for the sake of having a beer, even if all of the presented options are unappealing. In that case, I'd stick with club soda or ginger ale - but in this case, I order the Rickard's White because I actually enjoy it.

This isn't so surprising considering that it's essentially a rebranded version of Blue Moon Belgian White, a pseudo-craft beer owned by Coors that has been popular in the States for many years. Soon after the Molson-Coors merger in 2005, excess capacity at Molson plants started to be used to brew Blue Moon mainly for export to the American market, and rather than try to introduce the beer to Canada under an unfamiliar name, Molson made the smart move to add it as an extension to their own pseudo-craft Rickard's brand line.

Marketing mumbo-jumbo aside, the beer itself is - as I note above - quite enjoyable. The hazy peachy-yellow colour and large snow white head are bang on in terms of what is expected from a Belgian-style wheat beer, and while the aroma is a bit muted, there's a nice mellow floral character and hints of citrus and spice. The flavour is admittedly sweeter than the style generally dictates, lacking the slightly acidic bite of a really on-point example, but the flavour elements that are there - orange, coriander, lemon, chamomile and apricot, in varying degrees of intensity - are all appealing and well-integrated.

So while it may put me on the same footing as an indie rock kid who admits that he likes Coldplay, I'm not ashamed of the fact that I like Rickard's White. It's certainly the best beer in the Rickard's line-up, and might be the best Molson beer period were it not for their ownership of the Creemore Springs and Granville Island breweries. I may pass it by at the store (LCBO 149864 - $2.25/473 mL) in favour of true craft beers and interesting imports, but at the sports bar around the corner on cheap wing night, I'll certainly have no problem downing a pint or two.

While I agree with this premise to a point, there are certain things I've tasted once or twice that I'm fairly certain I could never enjoy, even after numerous repeated attempts. This is especially true of many beers that have proven to me in an ounce or two that they have nothing pleasant to offer, and trying another bottle or pint isn't likely to change that opinion.

But then, every once in a while, along comes a beer like Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew to prove me wrong.

My first two tries at this beer came via a bottle given to me a few months ago by importers Roland + Russell, and a sample I had at a media tasting for the LCBO's Summer Beer release not long afterward. In both cases, I found the beer to be a complete mess. It had an extremely hazy - verging on sludgy - appearance, and aroma and flavour that had the promised hit of ginger muddled amongst an array of odd elements that ranged from yeasty and musty to funky and sour - notes that work well in some beers, like traditional Belgian lambics, but in this case, not so much.

After two unpleasant experiences, I had no intention of picking up any more bottles, but when it finally arrived on the shelves more than a month after the rest of the release, it started getting some good feedback on Bar Towel and a thumbs up from Josh Rubin in the Star. I also noted that it featured completely different packaging from the bottles I'd previously sampled, which led me to question how fresh those older bottles might have been, and whether their age combined with improper shipping or storage (an area where the LCBO has quite a spotty record) might have caused some degradation to the beer.

Whatever the case, the positive notes convinced me to take a gamble on another bottle, with my additional justification being that even if I still didn't like it, it was worth supporting in hopes that strong sales might lead to the LCBO considering the sale of other Hitachino Nest beers. First established in 1996 by Kiuchi Brewery, an historic Japanese sake and beer maker that has been around since 1823, the Hitachino Nest line-up features some really excellent ales, including a solid Belgian-style White Ale and an absolutely killer Espresso Stout, both of which I'd love to see available in Ontario.

Ulterior motive aside, I was pleased to find that the positive reviews of the new batch were accurate. While still a bit hazy due to being unfiltered, it has a much healthier reddish-brown hue than the previous samples. The aroma is pleasantly sweet, with warm notes of ginger and brown sugar. These come through in the flavour as well, along with a bit of malty caramel, and a warm and drying finish with hints of citrus rind and anise.

It's a very enjoyable beer, and I'm glad I gave it another chance. My only real complaint is that a beer this sweet and strong (7%) would be better suited for cooler weather, so perhaps including it in the Autumn Ales release would've been a better fit. But I guess that's easily solved by picking up a couple of bottles now (LCBO 171546 - $3.95/330 mL) and setting them aside until things cool down a bit.

After all, if I follow Gretchen Rubin's rule, I'm going to need to try it five more times just to be sure I really like it...

Get a group of Toronto beer geeks together, and there's bound to be a lot of good-natured debate about something or other related to the local beer scene. Whether discussing which bar serves the best cask ale, or which local brewery is the most innovative, or what beer is the best in the latest LCBO release, opinions will be expressed forcefully and will vary widely.

One thing that is rarely debated, however, is Toronto's Festival of Beer - and that's probably because most hardcore beer nerds are of the opinion that it pretty much sucks.

I'll admit that I've been known to rail against the Festival myself on many occasions, complaining about everything from the oppressive level of security, to the obnoxious "Brand Experience Areas" set up by the big breweries to flog their interchangeable swill, to the roving packs of fratboy douchebags who couldn't care less what they're drinking as long as it gets them as shitfaced as possible. And with so many truly great beer events in town - such as Volo's Cask Days, C'est What's Festival of Small Breweries, and last week's excellent Hart House Craft Beer Festival - there should really be no reason for me to go to Toronto's Festival of Beer at all.

And yet, I still go. I'll be going tonight, in fact. Here are five reasons why:

1) CASKapalooza

Launched last year Great Lakes Brewery as a way to promote their ongoing experiments with one-off cask ales - many of which end up being served at the monthly Project X tasting party at the brewery - the CASKapalooza booth featured 20 different cask ales being poured over the course of the four days of the Festival, with up to 8 available at a time and kept at proper cellar temperature via a psychedelically coloured wall of refrigeration units. While the booth was located in a fairly distant corner of the venue, it still drew plenty of attention, and probably exposed a lot of folks to the concept of cask beer for the first time. I paid the booth several visits during my evening at the 2009 Festival, and I expect to do the same this year, especially if the beer is of the same level of quality as it was last year.

2) The Venue

Last year saw the Festival leave Fort York and move to Bandshell Park at Exhibition Place. This was a great move on their part, and not just because they're now located about a 10 minute walk from my apartment. The new venue is larger than the old one, and much more open, giving more space to wander and making it easier to get from booth to booth. There are also more shady areas, more places to sit, and just a much better vibe all around.

3) The Local

New at this year's edition, The Local will be a specially designated area in the centre of the Festival grounds featuring a dozen members of the Ontario Craft Brewers including Black Oak, Mill Street, Flying Monkeys and more. This cluster of booths will help put the spotlight on the great beers that are available from the province's small breweries, and the prime location should draw more attention to them than if they were scattered throughout the venue. Not to mention that they're located in a prime spot from which to watch...

4) The Music

Given that the Festival now takes place around a large bandshell, it makes sense that organizers stepped things up in terms of music booking. And as with last year's edition, this year features a fairly big name act headlining each evening, representing a variety of sounds and styles including 70s blues rock (Little Feat, Sunday), 80s power pop (Squeeze, Thursday - pictured above), 90s roots rock (Skydiggers, Saturday) and modern hip hop (Kardinal Offishall, Friday).

5) The Rest

No doubt there will be lots of crap being pushed and poured at the Festival, but there will also be a few gems out there beyond the Budweiser Big Rig and other macrobrewery marketing madness. Aside from the OCB area noted above, there will also be a few importers on hand presenting selections from their portfolios, including McClelland Imports, Beer Barons and Innis & Gunn. Out-of-province breweries like Big Rock, McAuslan and Moosehead will also be represented, and food vendors including Caplansky's, La Poutine Machine and Ted's World Famous BBQ will be serving plenty of beer-friendly cuisine.

So while I'm sure I'll find plenty to complain about once it's over, I'll be down at Exhibition Place this evening enjoying all of the above. If you'd like to do the same, tickets for Thursday, Friday and Sunday are still available online and at the gate. The Festival runs 4 PM to 10 PM today and tomorrow, 1 PM to 7 PM on Saturday and Sunday, and is a 19+ event.

Top photo of CASKapalooza booth taken from Toronto's Festival of Beer website

There are a couple of pretty obvious reason for this - i.e. the mainstream light lagers brewed by the big guys simply aren't very good, and aren't really intended for the same demographic that tends to drink microbrews. (This is something I investigate a bit more in a complementary post over on my own blog.) So when you run a brewery that prides itself on creating beers that are unique and flavourful, using a style descriptor that immediately translates to "watery crap" in the minds of many in your core customer base probably isn't something that you'd be in a hurry to do.

As with most things, though, there are some exceptions to the rule. The aforementioned Nickel Brook Pilsner was originally known as Nickel Brook Light before being rebranded; F&M Brewing in Guelph offers Stonehammer Light, which to my palate is of nearly equal quality to their excellent Stonehammer Pilsner; and now, Muskoka Cottage Brewery in beautiful Bracebridge has jumped into the light beer pool with their recently launched Muskoka Pilsner Light.

Note carefully that name: Muskoka Pilsner Light, not Muskoka Light Pilsner. It's a subtle difference, but an important one, because as the notes on the back of the can say, the beer is a "specially brewed Pilsner... that just happens to be light." And to those in the know, the blurb below the ingredients that says the beer is "brewed to original gravity" is important, as it indicates that this isn't just a 5% (or stronger) lager that's been watered down, which is the shortcut used to make many macrobrewed light lagers.

It's also worth noting that while 5% is the alcohol level of most regular brands in world of big North American breweries, with anything below 4.5% or so considered "light", this isn't the case in many other countries. In fact, Pilsner Urquell - the classic Czech lager that defines the pilsner style - is only 4.4% abv, and other European lagers are in the same range. So there's certainly precedent for brewing a great quality lager at a lower alcohol level than the 5% that has become accepted as the standard for mainstream lagers.

And a great quality lager is exactly what you get when you crack open a can of Muskoka Pilsner Light. It pours a bright golden colour with a large and fluffy snow white head that dissipates into a thin but persistent cap of foam. The aroma is a good balance of bread-like malt notes and lemongrass hops, with a slight minerally edge. The body is crisp and tightly carbonated, and the flavour is reminiscent of a solid German-style pilsner - i.e. leaner and drier than Pilsner Urquell and other Czech examples - with grainy malt providing a mellow backdrop to lemon and herbal notes from the well integrated hops.

The fact that it has "Light" in the name and is packaged in a silver can might make some drinkers pass this beer by, thinking it to be an attempt to snag some of the Coors Light crowd with an equally bland product. But hopefully many pay more attention to the "Pilsner" part of the name  and give it a shot, because what they'll find is a delicious and refreshing craft lager that might be light in name and alcohol, but certainly not in quality and flavour.

Muskoka Pilsner Light is available now at the LCBO in single cans (LCBO 187302 - $2.65/473 mL) and as part of a Muskoka Mixer 5 Pack featuring cans of all of the brewery's main brands (LCBO 180687 - $ 12.75/5x473 mL).

The first of these I usually deflect by listing the many variables  (the season, the weather, food pairings, etc.) that I take into account when selecting a beer. The second is easier to answer: based on adding up the number of beers I've ticked on RateBeer, plus the backlog of several notebooks I've got filled with tasting notes that aren't yet entered, the current tally is running close to 3000.

This latter answer is usually qualified with an explanation that for many of those, I only had a sample, sometimes as small as an ounce or two. Which isn't to say that I don't prefer having larger samples of the beers I try. Working through a dozen Dixie Cup sized samples of new beers at a tasting or festival can be fun, but so is spending an evening drinking a pint or three of an old (or new) favourite.

In fact, it can be argued quite validly that many beers are best enjoyed in full servings versus blink-and-you'll-miss-it samples. Based on recent experience, I'm pretty confident in saying that Boneshaker IPA from Toronto's own Amsterdam Brewery is one of them.

My first taste of Boneshaker came in late May at C'est What's Spring Festival of Craft Breweries, where the samples come in small plastic cups and there's always a lot of new things to try - in other words, not an optimal situation for forming a full opinion of a beer. My notes indicate that I found the aroma "hot" with notes of "booze and nail polish remover", the body thin, and the flavour "unbalanced - and not in a good way". In other words, I didn't really dig it.

A few weeks later, I was asked to sit on the judging panel for the first round of Volo's Cask IPA Challenge, which meant blind tasting small samples of 22 different beers over the course of a couple of hours. Cross-referencing my notes with the beer list provided afterward, I found that my opinion of Boneshaker had changed considerably. While I described the aroma as "medicinal, green & a bit weird", I praised the "lingering grapefruity hops" in the flavour, giving it a "very good" rating overall.

So, what's the story here? Were the samples from different batches, one better than the other? Did the different times of the tastings (C'est What in the evening, Volo in the morning) play a role? Perhaps the beers I had directly preceding each sample caused my palate to be aligned differently? Or is it just not possible to make a truly reliable assessment of a beer based on quaffing a couple of ounces?

Whatever the reason(s), it seemed only fair to try a full pint or two of Boneshaker before making a final judgment. And having now done so, I'm pleased to report that my ultimate opinion is more in line with the notes from my second sample than my first.

Boneshaker is labelled an "Unfiltered India Pale Ale", and this is proven to be true by the pour, which brings a hazy reddish-orange body with a thick and persistent head of not-quite-white foam. The aroma has a hard time cutting through the head, but what does make it through is pleasant and fruity, with nice hints of pineapple and grapefruit, and not even a hint of nail polish remover. The body is medium full, and the flavour is chock full of hoppy goodness, with loads of citrus and tropical fruit, a bit of pine, and a long finish of grapefruit and orange zest. The malt definitely plays second fiddle, but offers enough caramel sweetness to be noticed.

Boneshaker IPA is available now in 500 ml bottles at the Amsterdam retail store, and on draught at select bars around town. In either format, it's worth having a full one - just act fast, as it's a limited release and won't be around for long.

Given what he and his team at barVolo have accomplished for Ontario's beer scene in the last few years, Ralph Morana could hardly be faulted if he decided to sit back and take it easy. But as anyone who knows Morana is aware, that's not exactly his style.

If anything, he's working harder than ever nowadays : Volo is still going strong; beer is finally being brewed in the small system nestled in the corner of the restaurant's kitchen (although it's still a couple of weeks away from being ready to serve); and HMH Negotiants, the beer import agency he launched last year in partnership with his son Tomas and brother-in-law Carl, is now representing a half-dozen breweries for importation into Ontario.

The latest addition to their portfolio is MicroBrasserie Charlevoix, a small brewery from Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec best known for their two main and distinct product lines - Dominus Vobiscum, a brand used for Belgian-style ales, and La Vache Folle, a label for their British-influenced brews. To help launch beers from both lines into the Ontario market, HMH held a few tasting events this past weekend, with Frederick Tremblay and Caroline Bandulet from the brewery flying in to join the fun.

On Friday, small meet-and-greet tastings were held at The Only Café and The Rhino, two establishments well known for supporting craft beer, including those represented by HMH and other importers. On Saturday, Volo played host to a trade and media tasting in the afternoon, followed by a public launch party in the evening. And Sunday saw what might well have been Canada's first interprovincial brewing collaboration, as Tremblay and Morana, along with Eric Ecclestone and Russ Burdick of the Biergötter Homebrew Club, teamed up to brew a chocolate-oatmeal-milk stout (with cacao from Chocosol) that will be served at barVolo in a few weeks.

The Volo events had nine Charlevoix beers on offer, and I had the opportunity to taste most of them at the afternoon session, where they were accompanied by a nice quartet of cheeses from the Charlevoix region provided by Provincial Fine Foods, and an array from chocolate from Chocosol. Here are some quick notes on the beers:

La Vache Folle ESB
It has the rich golden-amber hue expected from the style, and a well-balanced aroma caramel-like malt and herbal & slightly earthy hops. The flavour is a bit less balanced, with the hops coming to the forefront and lingering in the long, drying finish. Purists might not care for it as it definitely has more a more hop-forward flavour than a typical ESB, but I had no complaints.

La Vache Folle Imperial Milk Stout
Jet black with a nice dark tan head, and an aroma of malted milk and dark cocoa. The flavour is full and roasty, with notes of coffee, cream, toasted malt, and a moderately bitter finish. It hides its 9% alcohol level very well, making it both very drinkable, and very deceptive.

La Vache Folle Herkules Double IPA
La Vache Folle Amarillo Double IPA
The latest two installments in the brewery's series of single hop double IPAs, featuring the new Herkules strain from Germany, and the popular Amarillo strain used in many American IPAs. Both illustrate the best qualities of the utilized hops, with the Herkules bringing lots of orange, tropical fruit, and pine resin, and the Amarillo bringing tons of spice and citrus. My personal taste inclined me to prefer the Amarillo, but both of them are sure to appeal to the hophead set.

Dominus Vobiscum Blanche
A slightly unorthodox witbier brewed with chamomile, and that herb comes through quite prominently in the aroma and flavour, along with a nice hit of lemon zest. It might be a bit too floral/herbal for some, but I found it to be an excellent summer beer.

Dominus Vobiscum Double
I missed trying it this time around, but here are my notes from a taste I had a few years back: "Deep ruby-brown with a small mocha head. Interesting aroma mixing dark fruit juice, licorice, spices (nutmeg? clove?) and a hint of yeast. Flavour of sweet, fruity malt to start, warming in the middle, turning roastier as it warms, with a spicey, peppery finish." In other words, a solid Belgian dubbel.

Dominus Vobiscum Triple
A deep golden ale in the Belgian tripel tradition, both the aroma and flavour are quite hop-forward - perhaps a touch too strongly for the style - with backing notes of fruit (citrus, peach) and spice (clove, anise). A bit of alcohol heat in the finish, but otherwise, very well-balanced and easy to drink.

Dominus Vobiscum Grand Reserva Lupulus '09
Dominus Vobiscum Grand Reserva Hibernus '09
Brewed on an annual basis and packaged in elegant 750 ml bottles, this pair of 10% ales are the stars of the Dominus Vobiscum line-up. Lupulus is named after the Latin name for hops, humulus lupulus, and it's a fitting name for this robustly hopped beer that straddles the line between a strong Belgian ale and an IPA, with aromas and flavours including orange and pineapple, a slightly peppery spiciness, a hint of yeast, and a long, lingering finish. Hibernus, meanwhile, is a ruby-brown ale with lots of dark sugar and spice (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice) on the nose and palate - a bit rich for a hot summer day, but perfect for a cool autumn evening.

While it may be some time before we see any Charlevoix beers at the LCBO, most of the beers above remain available at Volo, although some are in very limited quantities. Selected bottles are also available at C'est What, Smokeless Joe, Rhino, The Only Café and some out-of-town locations, and several will be served alongside other beers from the HMH portfolio at the Hart House Craft Beer Festival 2010 next Thursday, July 29th. For more details, see the HMH Negotiants website.

Beer cocktails might appear to be hot new trend in the worlds of beer and booze, what with their increasing popularity at higher end beer bars, and even an occasional mention in mainstream media. But the blending and mixing of beer - both with other beers, and with other beverages - is something to goes back centuries, to a time well before bartenders were called "mixologists" and restaurants with good beer lists were called "gastropubs".

England in particular has been the birthplace of a multitude of different blends, dating back to the days when pubs would serve a range of a brewery's beers from mellow mild ales to hefty barley wines, and patrons would request a mixture of two or more beers to match their tastes. It was even believed at one point that a three-beer blend called "three-threads", popular with the many porters who worked the streets of London in the 1700s and 1800s, was the inspiration for the creation of the beer we know now as porter. While much of this theory has been pretty much disproved, it's still a fact that three-threads existed, as did many other beer blends both named and unnamed.

The majority of these concoctions have been all but forgotten in modern times, but at least one remains popular to this day: the blend of stout (or porter) and pale ale (or lager) known as the Black & Tan.

Most commonly created by pouring a half-glass of Bass Ale or Harp Lager, followed by a careful pour of Guinness on top, the Black & Tan is mistakenly considered by many to be a classic Irish creation. In fact, it's rarely ordered or served in Ireland, at least not under the "Black & Tan" moniker. This is due to the association of the name of the drink with the Black & Tans, a force of former soldiers sent into Ireland by the British government in the early 1920s to suppress nationalist rebellion.

This hasn't stopped it, however, from being a popular offering in pseudo-Irish pubs in many other countries, including Canada and the US. And this popularity has inspired a number of breweries large and small to create and bottle pre-mixed Black & Tans, either by blending two pre-existing brands, or by brewing one or both of the original beers exclusively for the blend.

(Personally, I think that this approach defeats the main attraction of the drink, which is seeing the dark and heavy looking stout floating on top of the ale due to the stout having a deceptively light relative density. But the success of pre-fab B&Ts from American breweries like Yuengling and Saranac tells me that I'm likely in the minority.)

Until recently, the last pre-mixed Black & Tan available in Ontario was from the Algonquin Brewery, which has been defunct for nearly a decade. But in the last couple of months, two new versions have appeared - one from Hockley Valley Brewing in Orangeville, and the other from Headstrong, a house brand of sorts for local beer import agents Premier Brands.

Hockley's take, a blend of their Hockley Stout and an unidentified "light ale", has a deep ruby-brown body with a thick and creamy beige head that leaves a lot of lace behind. The aroma seems subtle at first, but develops nicely as the glass goes down, with notes of caramel/toffee, roasted malt and cocoa, with perhaps a hint of hops. The body is medium-full - not quite as full as a stout, but on the level of a nice porter, and comparison that also applies to the flavour, which has a moderate caramel sweetness, a pleasant roasty-nutty character, a passing suggestion of cocoa, and some hints of grassy hops poking through in the finish.

The separate elements of Headstrong Black & Tan aren't revealed on the can, but it's a safe guess that the ale component is Headstrong Pale Ale, while the stout may be Saranac Irish Stout, one of the many brands brewed at F.X. Matt Brewing in Utica, NY where the Headstrong beers are brewed. Chestnut brown with an off-white head that recedes quickly, the beer resembles a nut brown ale in appearance. The aroma is a pleasant combination of pumpernickel bread, toasted malt and a bit of caramel, while the flavour holds roasted malt, some coffee and vanilla notes, hints of almond and smoke, and some mild hops in the end.

Both of these are quite respectable brews, suitable for stout fans looking for something lighter with a similar flavour profile, as well as folks who are just getting their feet wet with darker and fuller flavoured beers. They may lack the pretty two-colour presentation of the real thing, but until someone can figure out a way to pour a layered beer out of a single can, they're suitable at-home substitutes.

As a search of this site for the phrase "fruit beer" shows, I've tended to review a fruit beer or two right around this time each year, mainly due to the tendency of the LCBO to include several of them in their annual summer beer promotions. A good number of these have been of the "sweet alco-pop style" noted above, but in the last couple of years, there have been more gems appearing in the LCBO's seasonal releases in general, with the quality of the included fruit beers following that trend.

A good and somewhat unexpected example of this improvement in the latest summer beer release is Samuel Smith Organic Raspberry Ale (LCBO 171439 - $5.45/550 mL). It's unexpected because while the Samuel Smith Brewery in Tadcaster crafts traditional UK ales of great quality, very few British breweries are known for producing notable fruit beers. Samuel Smith, however, is an exception.

Or to be more accurate, Melbourn Brothers is an exception, as the line of Samuel Smith fruit beers are produced in Stamford, a small town in Lincolnshire, at the historic Melbourn Brothers Brewery, now owned by Samuel Smith and restored to original 1800s condition around 15 years ago. The fruit beers produced there following the restoration were initially brewed using the same spontaneous fermentation method used by traditional Belgian lambic brewers, with wild yeasts given free reign in the fermentation process. This changed when the brewery obtained organic certification in 2006, with brewer-introduced yeasts now doing the work, but the beers - or this one, at least - remain top notch.

Created by blending new and old ales with pure organic raspberry juice, the beer has a deep ruby-pink hue with a pink head, and an unmistakable aroma of juicy raspberries with a faint malt backing. The flavour is also all about the raspberry, with a balance of sweetness and tartness that makes it remarkably refreshing. As in the aroma, there's a hint of malt to remind that you're drinking a beer, and the refreshment is further enhanced by the crisp, fresh body that lacks the sticky and cloying characteristics found in many fruit beers.

While it may not have the complexity of a traditional unsweetened Belgian fruit lambic, Samuel Smith Organic Raspberry Ale is still a well-crafted and delicious beer, and a big step up from some of the sugar bombs that we've been subject to in past summer releases from the LCBO. The most ardent anti-fruit beer folks may not be swayed, but for the rest of us, it's like a bit of summer in a bottle.

Spending a lazy summer afternoon with a good book and a cold beer or glass of wine is something that many of us do from time to time, but it's not often that we give any thought to how well the beverage we choose will pair with the book we're reading. But just as a great story can evoke certain moods and emotions, so can a great beer or wine, so why not try to bring the two into harmony?

That was at least some of the reasoning behind a new initiative launched by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) in which the shortlist of books up for this year's Trillium Book Awards were each matched with a different craft beer and wine - all made in Ontario, of course. The resulting pairings, as selected in partnership with the Wine Council of Ontario and the Ontario Craft Brewers, were revealed last week at an industry and media reception at the Thompson Hotel.

"This is the 23rd year for the Trillium Awards which celebrate the best Ontario-based authors and publishers," said Karen Thorne-Stone, president and CEO of the OMDC. "We’re always looking for new ways to build audience and awareness, and to engage other industries. We think we’re very lucky in Ontario that we’ve got so many strong industries both in the food and beverage area and in the cultural area. And for a lot of people, when they sit down to read a good book, they pour themselves a glass of wine or beer and sit down to enjoy it. So what better way to celebrate that than to invite the experts to do some interesting pairings for us."

On the beer side, that "expert" role was filled by world-renowned brewmaster Bill White (pictured above) who was on hand along with Christine Mulkins of the Ontario Craft Brewers to pour and ponder the selected beers. White  is especially well known for his skill in pairing beer and food, and switching over to bringing together books and beer was a new and unique challenge, but one he was happy to tackle.

"As a brewer I’m obviously passionate about beer," White explained, "and beer can create emotions when you drink it. So I tried to match the theme and the emotions carried in each book with the beers, usually in a complementary manner, but with a couple of contrasting ones as well. Deux cercles (by Ryad Assani-Razaki), for example, is a heavy book about immigration and difficult lifestyles, so I went with a lighter beer (Wellington Trailhead Lager) to represent an escape. In other pairings, the twists and layerings of the beers go with the nuances of the books. Or sometimes it was an historical attachment, like the retro tractor in the Beau's Lug Tread logo that takes you back to the Depression (as represented in the poems in Jacqueline Borowick's Le chant do coucou)."

Across the room at the wine table, Ed Madronich (below right) of the Wine Council of Ontario was joined by sommelier Zoltan Szabo (left) to fill glasses and discuss the various selected vintages. "There's an artistry in both writing and winemaking," said Madronich, "and in our everyday life, we enjoy those things together. Look at any book club, I guarantee you that they’re drinking wine, sharing the amazing skill of an author with the passion and skill of a winemaker at the same time. It’s just part of what we do when we enjoy the arts, but we’ve never really pursued it as organizations. Hopefully this project breaks down those silos."

Rather than having a single expert take care of all of the pairings, the Wine Council decided to pass each book to a different member winery and have them select a wine from their portfolio that they felt was the best match. Madronich noted that in the case of Flat Rock Cellars, his family's winery were he sits as president, "it wasn’t just 'this wine has these characteristics and it should go with this book'. The book that we had (Lemon by Cordelia Strube) was about someone who was a bit of an outcast in society, who was very unique and wasn’t doing all the things that her friends were doing. And that’s really what our wine Twisted was all about. It's a blend of three varieties that were never really blended before, and when we created it, everybody said 'oh, you can’t do that, that’s not normal.' So the story of the wine really reflected in the story of the book."

Looking around the room filled with an authors, publishers, and an assortment of book and food media, it was obvious that a lot of learning and discovery was taking place. Thorne-Stone was checking in with the authors in attendance to see what they thought of the pairings selected for their books, and the opinions seemed to be positive. "This is the first year we’re trying this event," she reiterated, "but if it goes over well then I look forward to doing it again."

Below is a list of the finalists in each of the four awarded categories along with their beer and wine pairings. For the winner in each category as awarded at a luncheon last Thursday, a synopsis of the book as well as notes on the selected pairing is also included. More information on all nominated books and authors can be found on the OMDB website.

English Finalists for the Trillium Book Award/Prix Trillium

Winner

Ian Brown, The Boy in the Moon (Random House Canada)
Walker Brown was born with a genetic mutation so rare that doctors call it an orphan syndrome: perhaps 300 people around the world also live with it. Walker turns twelve in 2008, but he weighs only 54 pounds, is still in diapers, can’t speak and needs to wear special cuffs on his arms so that he can’t continually hit himself. Told with tenderness and stark honesty, Ian Brown infuses his book with love for his amazing son, for his family and for life.

Scotch Irish Brewing Sergeant Major India Pale Ale
First impressions can be deceiving. If you allow yourself to take the journey, this fine ale will surprise you with its depths and heights.

13th Street Winery Gamay Noir 2008
An ideal wine to sip and contemplate as you turn the pages of The Boy in The Moon. Like the novel, the wine intrigues with its complexity and nuance. Like the story, the importance of family, loyalty, hope and spirit is central to the production of this Gamay thanks to the efforts of the Willms family who raise the grapes and the Whitty and Mann families, owners of 13th Street Winery.

Runners-Up

Margaret Atwood, The Year of the Flood (McClelland & Stewart)
Great Lakes Brewery Devil’s Pale Ale 666
Kacaba Vineyards 2009 Rebecca Rose

Alexandra Leggat, Animal (Anvil Press)
Nickel Brook Maple Porter
Reif Estate Cabernet Merlot

Anne Michaels, The Winter Vault (McClelland & Stewart)
Trafalgar Brewing Elora Grand Lager
Southbrook Vineyard Triomphe Chardonnay

Alice Munro, Too Much Happiness (McClelland & Stewart)
Muskoka Cottage Brewery Hefe-Weissbeer
Pillitteri Estates Winery Gewurztraminer Riesling Fusion

Emily Schultz, Heaven is Small (House of Anansi Press)
Railway City Brewing Dead Elephant Ale
Cave Spring Cellars Riesling

Cordelia Strube, Lemon (Coach House Books)
Mill Street Brewery Lemon Tea Beer
Flat Rock Cellars Twisted

French Finalists for the Trillium Book Award/Prix Trillium

Winner

Ryad Assani-Razaki, Deux cercles (VLB éditeur)
This first collection by Ryad Assani-Razaki, a young writer who shows surprising maturity, deals with discrimination and exclusion. Each short story in Deux cercles is about a point in an individual’s life where the person has to face the difficulties and frustrations of immigration.

Wellington Brewery Trailhead Lager
The hints of toasted malt this light, golden lager serve is an oasis of taste in the face of difficulties and frustration. Nothing complex, just simple pleasure.

The Good Earth Riesling
Canadian Immigrants face many challenges, as Ryad Assani-Razaki alludes to in his book Deux cercles. Riesling, also an immigrant to Canada, has faced its own challenges, such as cold Canadian Winters, new pests and pathogens and the ever changing tastes of the Canadian wine consumer. The Good Earth Riesling, with its complexity and great depth of flavour, is a fine example of not only the Riesling grape, but also of what is possible when immigrants can overcome their challenges.

Runners-Up

Nicole Champeau, Pointe Maligne. L’infiniment oubliée (Les Éditions du Vermillon)
Black Oak Brewery Nut Brown Ale
Trumpour’s Mill 2009 Rosé

Jean Mohsen Fahmy, Frères ennemis (VLB éditeur)
Barley Days Brewery Wind and Sail Dark Ale
Chateau des Charmes Gamay Noir ‘Droit’

Daniel Poliquin, René Lévesque (Les Éditions du Boréal)
King Brewery Pilsner
Sprucewood Shores Deux Rouge

Daniel Soha, La Maison: une parabole (Éditions du GREF)
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Hoptical Illusion
Angels Gate Winery Angels III

English Finalists for the Trillium Book Award for Poetry

Winner

Karen Solie, Pigeon (House of Anansi Press)
Karen Solie’s first collection of poems, Short Haul Engine, launched her writing career to prominence, winning many awards and citations. She continued her upward trajectory with Modern and Normal and this collection is another leap forward. The poems are X-rays of our delusions and mistaken perceptions, explorations of violence, bad luck, fate, creeping catastrophe, love, and the eros of danger. Once again, Solie shows that her ear is impeccable, her poetic intelligence rare and razor-sharp.

Niagara’s Best Brewery General Brock Stout
The darkness belies the fate and creeping catastrophe. Stout meaning “strong” will provide the intensity to match the tone of the poems.

Pelee Island Winery Late Harvest Riesling
Anyone who works with the land can identify with Karen Solie’s observations. Pelee Island Winery’s Late Harvest Riesling reflects the sweet reward that comes with such an iconic struggle. It is an ideal balance of cool-climate acidity with a fragrant orchard fresh aroma and a delicate peach bouquet. A lovely wine to savour while pondering the elegance of Solie’s poetry.

Runners-Up

Susan Holbrook, Joy is so Exhausting (Coach House Books)
Neustadt Springs Brewery 10W30
Trumpour’s Mill Pinot Gris

Matthew Tierney, The Hayflick Limit (Coach House Books)
MacLean’s Ales Farmhouse Ale
Black Prince Winery Cabernet Franc

French Finalists for the Trillium Book Award for Poetry

Winner

Michèle Matteau, Passerelles (Les Éditions L’Interligne)
Recounting the unfolding of a single day in parallel with the seasons of the year, Michèle Matteau’s first poetry collection, Passerelles, explores the human journey. From the day’s dawning to the last light of dusk, the author recalls voices that have fallen silent and uses lines full of imagery to evoke the stages of their lives, their secret songs and calls for help, torn between joy and pain, certainty and doubt, revolt and acceptance. With lucid understanding, the author uses the stories of their lives to define her own more clearly.

Cameron’s Brewing Company Dark 266
On a journey of four seasons in one day, this beer will be an ideal companion. Refreshing for the gentle moments, but full of flavourful roasted malts to compliment more intense times. In the end, a smooth and comforting finish.

Norman Hardie Melon de Bourgogne
Michèle Matteau’s poetry is so reflective of the many days we spend labouring in the vineyards and cellar growing and crafting premium wines. The many facets and interaction of terroir, human skill and moods as well as dedication and focus makes this poetic piece the perfect match to enjoy with our Melon de Bourgogne. Light, refreshing, perfect for those long summer days on the patio, just enjoying life. Ideal as an aperitif, fantastic with oysters, crustaceans or a perfect alternative with a light lunch.

Runner-Up

Jacqueline Borowick, Le chant du coucou (Inanna Publications & Education Inc.)
Beau’s All Natural Brewing Lug Tread Lagered Ale
Reif Estate Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc

While the terms aren't used nearly as often as in the wine realm, the concept of beers being "old world" or "new world" in style is sometimes suggested, notably during discussions of new or hybrid beer styles and how they compare to the classics. In Europe in particular, many breweries that have been around for centuries stick with the long-established “old world” styles for which they’ve become deservedly famous, and eschew any influence from the exploration and experimentation of the “new world” craft breweries of North America and elsewhere.

I certainly don’t intend to suggest that there’s anything wrong with this. The beers produced by these breweries are considered classics for a reason, and the hundreds of years of experience and tradition behind them deserve the respect of beer drinkers far and wide. But the world of beer is ever-changing, and when the old guard starts to draw inspiration from the new, some very interesting things can happen.

A prime example of a veteran European brewery that has managed to strike a great balance between the old and new is G. Schneider & Sohn, a company founded in 1872 by the father and son partnership of Georg Schneider I and II when they purchased and renamed the oldest existing wheat beer brewery in Munich. Now located in nearby Kelheim due to the destruction of the Munich facility during WW2, the brewery remains family owned to this day, and while still brewing exclusively wheat beers, they’ve managed to develop a line-up that has surprising depth and diversity.

Ontario beer drinkers will be familiar with the flagship Schneider Weisse Original, a hefeweizen known for its distinct auburn hue, and Aventinus, a dark and rich weizenbock that is on my personal desert island beer list. And now thanks to the LCBO’s seasonal beer program, two more Schneider brands are on the shelves, one that gives a nod to the brewery’s past, and one that is firmly set in the present.

The one hearkening back to the brewery’s earlier years is Georg Schneider’s Wiesen Edel-Weisse (LCBO 157651 - $3.25/500 mL). Based on a recipe first developed by Georg Schneider I and last brewed for the 1942 Oktoberfest before it was revived as an organic brew by Georg Schneider VI in 1999, the beer was intended to be part of the LCBO’s Spring beer release but was delayed to the point where it now shares shelf space with the Summer promotion. Pouring a honey-orange colour with a small and rocky white head, the aroma has the spice and yeast notes typical of a weissbier, along with shots of orange and lemon. This follows through to the flavour, which has very little of the banana character common in the style, but a lot of lemon and hints of clove and pepper, all adding up to a very refreshing ale.

The more modern of the pair is Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse (LCBO 164046 - $3.25/500 mL), and as suggested by the name, the beer is a collaboration between brewmasters Hans-Peter Drexler of Schneider and Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery. Described as a “pale weisse-bock”, this potent 8.2% beer brings together elements of traditional German and modern American brewing, the result being a strong and very flavourful weissbier. The luscious aroma is full of pineapple, lemon, pepper, and prominent herbal hops, and the flavour is yeasty and spicy, with notes of clove and pepper, some lemon and pineapple, and a well-hopped finish that is herbal and a bit piney.

While the full Schneider line-up features five more beers not mentioned above, the four currently available at the LCBO do a good job in illustrating the ability of the brewery to produce great beers in styles that are old, new, and somewhere in between. Here’s hoping that they’ll continue bringing together the “old world” and “new world” to create interesting and enjoyable beers that are the best of both worlds.

I was also surprised, as Iceland isn't exactly known to be a hotbed for craft brewing excellence or innovation. Beer was actually prohibited from being produced or consumed from 1915 to 1989, and it was more than 15 years after that before the country's first microbrewery was opened. Even now, there are a mere seven breweries on the island, with only five of them being microbreweries (although with just over 300,000 residents, that's not a bad per capita ratio...).

Regardless of the quantity and/or quality, I didn't expect that I'd have the opportunity to try an Icelandic beer any time soon, unless a friend with some extra luggage space was planning a visit and could bring some back for me. So I was pleased when the list for the LCBO's Summer Beers promotion was announced a few weeks ago, and included a beer from Iceland. And not just any beer but one from Ölvisholt Brugghus, a brewery located in a former sheep and dairy farm in southern part of the country, and same brewery that my friend had spoken of so highly.

I was a bit less thrilled when I saw that the beer chosen for the release was Skjálfti ("earthquake" in Icelandic), described on RateBeer as a Premium Lager. Past experience has shown that this designator is often applied to bland and undistinguished lagers that are "Premium" only due to being made by a small brewery. Even with the praise my friend had given the brewery in general, I reckoned Skjálfti to be their mainstream moneymaker, and didn't expect much from it when I sampled it at a media preview of the release a few weeks ago.

Happily, my concerns were unnecessary, as Skjálfti is a Premium Lager in the truest sense of the phrase. Named after a large earthquake that hit the Ölvisholt farm in June 2000, as well as a smaller one that struck two days before the brewhouse was opened in 2008, the beer is made using a unique method that combines elements of lager and ale brewing. A conventional lager yeast is used, but fermentation takes place at a higher temperature more typical of ales, giving the beer a fuller and rounder flavour than a usual lager.

Also rare for a lager is the use of Cascade hops, a strain that contributes notes of bitter citrus that are more commonly found in American pale ales.  This combined with the rich golden-amber colour makes Skjálfti a beer that would be easy to misidentify as a pale ale in a blind tasting, although the similarly hoppy and slightly ale-like Brooklyn Lager might also come to mind. But whatever other beers it might evoke, the most important thing is that it stands on its own as one of the best beers to arrive in Ontario in some time.

Ölvisholt Skjálfti is available now in limited quantities at select LCBO locations (LCBO 168393 - $3.95/500 mL). And while it may be the first Icelandic beer to be available in these parts, it hopefully won't be the last, as importer Fitumi Trading Co. has already submitted Ölvisholt Lava, a smoked imperial stout, to be considered for an upcoming LCBO release.

The first Canadian foray into the world of beer weeks took place last month with the inaugural edition of Vancouver Craft Beer Week. Given the close ties between the brewing scenes in BC and the American Pacific Northwest region, it was a suitable and deserving location. But still, having Vancouver beat us at anything is a bit galling - so when do we get a Toronto Craft Beer Week?

Well, not quite yet (although maybe soon, if the rumours are true). But in the meantime, we’re getting something pretty close on June 20th to 26th, when the first Ontario Craft Beer Week will be celebrated throughout the province.

According to Steve Beauchesne, co-owner of Beau’s All-Natural Brewing and one of the main organizers of the Week, the Ontario Craft Brewers (OCB) had “talked about [holding a beer week] for a while, but made the decision to tackle it this year very suddenly. Craft beer weeks have been popping up [everywhere] and they seem like a great way to build awareness with customers and build on the collaborative nature of craft breweries.”

Beauchesne also stresses the Ontario-wide aspect of the Week, noting that “it represents what we are all about: local breweries supporting their local communities. Toronto certainly has a good list of events, but the idea we had was to make Ontario Craft Beer Week hit as much of Ontario as possible, and I think we've achieved that goal.”

A quick look at the events listed on the OCB Week website certainly bears this out, with happenings set to take place in Ottawa, London, Bracebridge, Cambridge and many other communities big and small. Toronto gets the bulk of them, though, with more than three dozen events scheduled all over the city, including the Week’s largest and most ambitious endeavour, a day-long craft beer festival called The Session.

Taking place on Saturday June 26th at Sunnyside Pavillion, The Session is being spearheaded by Jed Corbeil and Curt Dunlop, owners of The Griffin Pub and organizers of the Muskoka Beer Festival, both in Bracebridge. “When Ontario Craft Beer Week was announced,” Corbeil says, “we decided that moving the Muskoka Beer Festival ahead [from August] to coincide with Ontario Craft Beer Week would conflict with other non-beer festivals that are already planned. [But] we thought it was the perfect opportunity to launch a GTA Craft Beer Festival. It is a goal of ours to create numerous festivals that span the seasons, as well as geographical regions within Ontario.”

The Session is also notable for being the one event in the Week that expands beyond Ontario to feature beer from several out-of-province breweries, including Garrison and Propeller from Nova Scotia, McAuslan and Unibroue from Quebec, and Tree Brewing from BC. According to Corbeil, they’re hoping to “showcase the best craft beers from within Ontario, but to also give some exposure to the great brewing that is going on in the rest of our vast country.”

Another aim of The Session, and the Week as a whole, is to provide something that appeals to everyone from hardcore beer geeks to those who have little or no knowledge of craft beer. As Beauchesne notes, “We have two objectives for the week: to say 'thanks' to our supporters in a meaningful way, and to continue to grow our fanbase. Both objectives are best met by offering lots of events with lots of different themes right across Ontario. We're creating events that showcase craft beer as the star of the show, and other events where it makes a fun companion.”

With multiple events happening every day next week - many of them in restaurants and bars not generally considered craft beer destinations - there will likely be a lot of newbies exposed to the joys of craft beer in Toronto and throughout the province. That’s assuming, of course, that the madness of the G8 and G20 Summits doesn’t make everyone too afraid to leave the house.

The G20 could have an especially strong impact on The Session, which takes place on what will likely be one of the worst days for traffic closures and security headaches. But Corbeil takes it in stride, joking that “while global political powers are meeting and debating world issues, we will be having a great time on the waterfront with local beers, local foods, and great live music discussing the very pressing issue: What is the best beer made in Ontario? We hope that people can see this as an opportunity to get out of the downtown core and see what is going on in the beer world.”

The overlap of the two events could also be taken as inspiration to consider the political aspects of supporting small local businesses, something which flies in the face of the pro-globalization stance of the G20. As Beauchesne says, attendees “should know that by supporting Ontario Craft Beer Week they are supporting the communities they live in. Every glass of Ontario craft beer contributes so much more in terms of local employment, local taxes, local investment and local philanthropy than imports or mega-global beers do.”

Whether the aim is do something political, pleasurable or some combination thereof, Ontario Craft Beer Week will offer plenty of opportunities to get out and support your local brewery. Aside from The Session, events in Toronto will include: a “Belgontario” beer feature at Volo with Belgian-inspired ales from a number of Ontario breweries; a cask ale night at Great Lakes Brewery with guest casks from Muskoka, Flying Monkeys and F&M; a beer brunch at The Roxton and lobster boil at The Cloak & Dagger; a Neustadt Brewery beer and sausage pairing at The Only; and many, many more. For full details, check out the Ontario Craft Beer Week website.

It also helps that citrus flavours tend to be considered refreshing and summery, and there's a strong history of blending citrus flavours with beer that goes well beyond the Corona-with-a-wedge-of-lime that inspired the creation of BLL. From the Shandy in England and the Radler in Germany - both a mixture of beer and lemonade - to the orange peel used in making Belgian Witbier, there seems to be a natural affinity between citrus and beer.

Another summertime beverage that lemon plays well with is iced tea, either via a squeeze of tart juice to balance a sweetened tea, or in the iced tea and lemonade mix made popular by - and named after - golf legend Arnold Palmer. So bringing beer AND tea AND lemon together seems like a logical next step - doesn't it?

The folks at Mill Street Brewery obviously thought so, and they took a first shot at it last year with a small batch of Lemon Tea Beer that appeared on tap at their brewpub and a couple of other places. This year, they've brought it back on a much wider scale, making it the anchor beer in the latest edition of their Mill Street Brewpub Sampler six-pack (LCBO 188102 - $12.75/6x341 mL), and also as their first product to be released in single cans (LCBO 186783 - $2.65/473 mL).

There will likely be some cynics who view this beer as being a gimmick meant to appeal to the same segment of drinkers targeted by Bud Light Lime and the other lime beers that followed in its wake. But anyone who knows Mill Street will know that even though they play the branding and marketing game very well, they've always got quality brews to back things up, and Lemon Tea Beer is no exception.

To start with, rather than using "natural & artificial flavours", the amber ale is made using a blend of Orange Pekoe and Earl Grey teas, real lemon puree, and organic cane sugar. This gives a beer a pleasant iced tea aroma, a very well-balanced infusion of tea and malt in the initial flavour, and natural-tasting lemon notes meshing well with the light-handed hops in the finish. It also comes across as a beer that would be flavourful and enjoyable even without the addition of tea and lemon, which is rarely the case with flavoured liquids from the larger breweries.

Or to put it another way: Mill Street Lemon Tea Beer should satisfy both beer nerds and the Bud Light Lime lovers, giving you one less thing to worry about when stocking up for your next backyard BBQ or other summer gathering. Look for it now at the LCBO and the Mill Street Brewpub retail store, and on tap at bars and restaurants throughout the city.