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British Columbia, land of fruit beer?
General Beer Discussion by MITCHFORGIE
I have been thinking lately how craft beer has been taking off here in BC, but IPA does not seem to have a big part in it, the way that it did in the States. Similairly it was cask beer that brought micros to the forefront in the UK, and the Belgians have their own unique brand. Why haven't those beer styles caught on here? Then I thought..... I just had an afternoon with an architect that I work with. We drank McAuslan Apricot, OK Springs new Apricot Summer Weizen, Noble Pigs Ginger Beer (not technically fruit beer), Tin Whistles Cherry Porter, Crannogs Pooka Cherry Pale Ale, Howe Sounds 4 Way Fruit Ale and finished with Parallel 49s Watermelon Wit. Then I thought about the fact that lots of swill serving pubs have a fruit ale, but don't have a IPA. Then I thought, I live in the Okanagan, land of fresh fruit of the variety that brews well. We even grow tons of ginger here! Is it then that BC is not a place of a handful of average micro-breweries without international cred, or that in fact we are on the cusp of our own beer revolution, with fruit ales, both weizens and that in the summer, and stouts and porters in the winter that perhaps is our own unique, culturally and geographically important contribution to the beer world?
12 years ago
MARTINSANDERS
8451
A friend and I were discussing this just the other day. All still part of Canada catching up to the US when it comes to the craft beer scene.
MIKEMORROW
2627
IMHO Fruit beers might be one of the hardest to get balanced right. I've tried many of them that the fruit is too strong and overwhelms the any beer flavor. Personally I like the fruit in the background alittle. Sweet alittle berry with a wheat feel.
MITCHFORGIE
11160
I guess my point of view is that often I think it is easy to take for granted what one aleady has, and see's greener pastures elsewhere. While most people in BC do not know what a hoppy beer tastes like, many have had fruit beers, for better or worse, and so perhaps that is more culturally relevant to the average person in BC.
PAULCARDOM
10850
It's funny you mention that (and I'm glad you did) because here in Ontario, BC is considered to be a producer of beers as hoppy (or almost as hoppy) as some of the better known US West Coast breweries. Ontarions love Central City Red Racer and hold it in high regard.......I had some friends from California here a few weeks ago for a conference and gave them all some Red Racer, and they were all extremely underwhelmed.
quote: Originally posted by mitchforgie
While most people in BC do not know what a hoppy beer tastes like,
SLOWRUNNER77
84439
The Red Racer IPA seems to be in pretty good standing here and on RB...
MATTFUNGUS
5888
I just had red racer yesterday in a wisconsin bar and loved it.
MITCHFORGIE
11160
I also think Red Racer is a great beer, and when it first appreared in BC liquor stores, it was only $11 a six pack, which put it cheaper than Bud! Too bad those days are gone, but its still one of my most regular year round beers. And i suppose many of the micros out here have at least one DIPA in the line up. I guess I am just really gelling on this idea about something being great in one place, doesn't mean its great in another place, and that something similair, but different might make itself more important. Its like when someone says ______ in _________ is way better than what I have here, or they do something better there, I just think (as a Canadian) that we suffer to much from the grass being greener and fail to notice how awesome many local things are. That is all
