What I am currently drinking
Well it’s now summer. Isn't that nice? I’m into it and I am also into drinking beers and ciders on a patio. Whether it’s in your back yard or in the park or even if you manage to squeeze your way onto a patio and get some sun. It’s time to get outside and get a cold one!
People in Toronto love patios. We are basically obsessed, so when the government finally said we could have a beer outside on a patio, people we already lined up at the door. I mean, I can’t really blame them seeing as most of us have been cooped up inside for so long we are starting to have sane conversations with ourselves in the bathroom mirror. I think we are all ready to get out and enjoy the sunshine, before we kill our roommates or significant others
Today, I am going to talk about 3 kinds of beer that I love to drink in the heat and 1 type of cider. This is again my preference, so take it for what you want. I am going to give you a bit of info and a bit of help for the next time you are walking around the beer isle in the liquor store all confused about what to pick.
Maybe this time you will want to try something different than your usual North American light beer.
Session IPA
Every craft brewery in Ontario makes a session IPA. Think lower alcohol, with the same hoppy style as an India Pale Ale. It may change on the season and vary with the ingredients, but you will see it all over the beer aisle any time of year. In order to reflect the flavours of the season, there will be lightly different ingredients added to the fermentation. Maybe a bit of coriander seeds or orange blossom and pine or maybe just a bunch of citrus depending on the flavour character the brewer wishes to achieve. Summer Session IPA’s will most likely have citrus and pineapple flavours, making them easy to drink on a sunny day.
Radler
If you like citrus flavours (mainly grapefruit), then this is the beer for you. I remember drinking Radler’s in Austria when it was like 40 degrees Celsius out and oh brother did it ever quench your thirst. These beers are a perfect mix of the flavours in beer you love and the other flavours in citrus fruit juice you also love! Kind of sweet, but super refreshing, they are perfect for a patio or for a lovely evening in the park. I would just warn you that they tend to be sweeter than a regular beer, because of the fruit juice, so just keep that in mind if you don’t usually like sweet flavours.
Kölsch
This is a style of beer that originated in Cologne, Germany. It sits somewhere between and Ale and a Lager and has slight fruitiness on the nose. This beer is bubbly and light and you can have about 5 of them before you know it and won’t feel a thing. I like these because they are thirst quenching and light. Kölsch is s fermented with ale yeast, but then finished in cold temperatures like a lager. They are also approachable to food, maybe something with high fat, since the crisp acidity of the beer will cut right through it
*I couldn't find any Ontario Kölsch, but I know there are a few breweries in the city and the province making some, so try and find it (Muskoka, Burdock to name a couple breweries)
Dry Cider
I love cider and it is something that I feel is overlooked in the beverage world. I could sit here and write a whole article about my love for cider, but I will spare you this time and just keep it short for now.
I was raised to drink cider that was English and super dry. Some people maybe prefer to have a little sugar in it, but I think it’s better when it hits your lips and your mouth has to almost pucker up when you sip it down.
Ontario has a great range of Apples and a great range of craft ciders which are made from these apples. I enjoy ones that are naturally fermented and a bit cloudy, kind of like Spanish cider and served with a bit of ice. It sometimes tastes a bit funky, since there might be some sediment left from fermentation, but I think it adds character and nuttiness ad makes it even better to have with food.The tartness of the apples is great with food, especially Pork and fried crispy foods. Cider is versatile and goes extremely well with cheeses that vary from soft and mild, to oka styles and cheddar’s. Cider is also great for marinating meats, braising or using in vinaigrette's for salad's.
Well there you go! A bit of sudsy information coming at yah! Maybe next time you’re walking down the beer aisle you might stop and debate whether to try one of these yummy things on an afternoon in the sun. Prost!
*on a side note, most craft breweries are doing delivery straight to your house, since they might not actually be open to the public just yet. I would check out the brewery in your neighbourhood and see what they got!
Here is the list of beverages featured (all available at most LCBO locations):
Sunnyside Session IPA-Great Lakes Brewery-Toronto, Ontario
Beau's Radler-Beau's Brewery-Vankleek Hill, Ontario
Kölsch-Becker and Co Brewery-Cologne, Germany
Draught Cider-Spirit Tree Cidery-Caledon, Ontario
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