Mt Begbie High Country Kolsch

Summer Beer

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 | Beer | No Comments

Once again, it is hot in Vancouver, and even hotter in the Fraser Valley. I’m not complaining, the heat is nice, but it is hot. All meals are now cooked outside on the grill, the oven is officially off limits, and all beer must be served cold. This kind of heat leaves no room for cellar temperature ales – if a darker beer is a must, I recommend pairing it with some cool vanilla ice cream to make a beer float.

Lager, Alt/Kolsch, Blonde Ale and the occasional Pale Ale are all far more affordable than buying a brand new air conditioner, plus they are far tastier. Here are a couple of great summer beers that may help you keep cool.

S u rgenor Steam Donkey Lager. A great pilsner style lager.
Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Ale. I was have never been all that fond of fruit beers, Lost Coast has made me a believer.
Mission Springs Blonde Bombshell. I have found there to be some consistency issues from bottle to bottle, but when it is right, it is a delicious blonde ale.
Yaletown Brewing Raspberry Wheat Ale. If you find yourself in Yaletown it is well worth a taste. I’m not sure how long this one will be around for, so don’t wait too long.
Mt. Begbie High Country Kolsch. A great example of a German kolsch.
Central City Brewing Spring Board Lager. A well priced craft brewed lager, Central City’s brewmaster, Gary Lohin, can do no wrong.

Feel free to comment on any of your favorite summer beers.

Cheers,

Erik

Tags: Central City Brewing Spring Board Lager, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Ale, Mission Springs Blonde Bombshell, mt begbie high country kolsch, Summer Beer, Surgenor Steam Donkey Lager, Yaletown Brewing Raspberry Wheat Ale

Bud Light Lime is an abomination

Monday, June 15th, 2009 | Beer | 46 Comments

Recently added to the list of things that decrease my faith in humanity, a list that includes America’s Next Top Model, Paris Hilton, Gary Bettman, the US Republican Party, Hummers, and most rap music, is Bud Light Lime. I mean really, if you want some lime flavor with your watery beverage, why not drink vodka water with a splash of lime? Why pretend that this is even beer at all?

Bud Light Lime also comes in a clear bottle, perfect for soaking up some summer skunkiness. What compelling reason would somebody have to drink this beer, other than it is probably really cheap? I can’t think of any besides marketing. It really bothers me that a giant corporation can just repackage crap, hire an agency to rattle off a marketing blitz, and have a winner, especially when there are many small time brewers pouring their hearts and souls into superior products.

I understand the need for a cold, light refreshing beer in the hot hot heat of summer, but there are plenty of non crappy ones out there. If it is a bit of citrus you’re after, why not drop a lemon wedge into a German Hefeweizen or a Belgian Wit? I should note that the act of adding a lemon or lime wedge to a beer was popularized in North American to mask two things, one being bad tasting beer and the other being our own general beer wussiness. If you find a wheat beer to flavorful for you, there are many fine local lagers out there too. I have assembled a list of wonderful, light summer beers that most anyone would enjoy:

Every time I see somebody drinnking a Bud Light Lime I die a little bit on the inside. When you reach for a cold one this summer, why not grab something from the list above?

Cheers,

Chris

Tags: abomination, belgian wit, but light lime, central city springboard lager, driftwood farmhand ale, granville island belgian wit, hefeweizen, howe sound garibaldi pale ale, mission springs bombshell blonde, mt begbie high country kolsch, old yale pale ale, phillips phoenix gold lager, red canoe lager, swans old towne lager, tin whistle peach cream ale

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