What is your favourite beer? I’m sure that you immediately thought of an answer but probably then got to several other candidates. I can’t really pinpoint an exact answer for this question myself but I have a few beers I’d like to write about and then, after reading, you can comment about some of your favourites to share with me and other readers.
I really love British-style ales and the best place to get them around the Maritimes, even cask-conditioned (unpasteurized so it is still alive in the keg), is from Granite in Halifax (check out Henry House on Barrington St). I love their Best Bitter, Ringwood, and Peculiar. British ales will normally be blonde to brown in colour due to the medium to rich dark malts, with a great hop appeal in the nose, and a moderate to heavy bitterness that invites another drink. Alcohol content normally ranges from as low as 3% on session brews up to 8% and sometimes higher in old ales and Winter warmers.
Locally, Picaroons has a couple of products that come to mind – Blonde Ale and Best Bitter although they have several ales available in bottles and on tap. I’ll often order the Blonde Ale at Urban Deli by the bottle, as it’s quite palatable for most food due to it being so middle of the road with toasted honey nut oat malt and hops and a creamy mouth feel.
The Best Bitter is much deeper in dark malts and noticeably bitter. You can pick up both by the 500 ml bottle at ANBL and at SJAH you can grab the Blonde Ale by bottle and Best Bitter on tap. Shadow Lawn Inn, Barnwood, and Pomodori in Rothesay, Happinez and Callahan’s in Uptown SJ, and Vintage Bistro & Lounge in Hampton all sell Picaroons products.
Fullers London Pride, available on ANBL shelves in a 500 ml bottle, is also a great example of British ale and it could be my favourite import because it is the closest to what I love about real ale that is available in a bottle – and is a truly balanced ale with a tad of thirst inducing astringency. Pumphouse, from Moncton, also specializes in ales but are often in the North American styles – all very excellent though and is sold at UD and other fine establishments.
Nothing beats a crisp cold lager on a hot summer’s day. Lagers are brewed differently than ales as they are brewed at colder temperatures for longer periods of time. This creates higher costs for a brewer, especially craft breweries, who have limited equipment that is tied up longer, among other things, if making a lager. Due to these reasons, you don’t see many craft brewed lagers.
However, things may be changing in this regard and soon to be brand new to ANBL shelves is Feels Good Imperial Pilsner made by Picaroons. It has been on tap in Fredericton for some time and now it is ready to be shared and enjoyed with the rest of New Brunswick. feelsgood.ca is an arts, music, and community movement and Picaroons has been kind enough to brand the beer after this organization.
At 7% alcohol this beer can be dangerous as the alcohol is well-masked due to how smooth this beer drinks starts and then the hoppy aftertaste keeps you going back for more. I know this pilsner, a type of lager, will be a regular in my fridge.
Big Tide Brewery, on Princess Street, has had a pilsner on tap and most likely will again. It was quite delicious the few times I had it. It was very clean, with fruity malts, and decently hopped but not overly so. Moosehead Breweries’ Alpine Lager is a clean drinking beer whether by the bottle or draught. Alpine has actual flavour, especially compared to the other mass-market North American lagers it competes with but could use more hops.
Urban Deli will be picking up the Feels Good Imperial Pilsner as soon as it hits the shelves and Alpine is always available at UD along with several other beers by the bottle, always from New Brunswick only.
Follow the businesses listed on twitter: @urbandeli, @SJAH_NB, @picaroons, @loveoffood (Pomodori), and @FeelsGoodMusic.
(Note: The Feels Good Imperial Lager should be on Saint John shelves very shortly. The www.nbliquor.com site shows it is already in several stores. The price will be $3.75 for 500 ml bottle, which is the same price as their other products yet it is 7% alcohol.)
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Bio: Dan Jones is a food, drink, and travel writer from Saint John. Follow him on twitter: @danjjj
If there is a bible for Canadian foodies, it’s Where to Eat in Canada. It lists, and reviews, the best restaurants across the country so that when you’re travelling, you know where to go for great eating.
They tell us the newest edition (2011, with Urban Deli in it) will be available in early June. We’re anxious to see it and read what they had to say. We’ll keep you up to date on that!
