Vancouver Craft Beer Week kicks off with the East Van Crusher tonight (May 25) at the Maritime Labour Centre, where you can be among the first lucky people to sample VCBW’s 2018 Collaboration Beer, the Double Dry Hopped Pilsner by Backcountry Brewing, Beere Brewing Co. and Coast Mountain Brewing.
If you can’t make it tonight (and that’s a shame, because you’re going to miss the Feats of Strength, which is all sorts of ridiculous fun), VCBW’s annual collab beer is available at select private liquor stores around town for a limited time.
This year’s collab theme was Sea-To-Sky Country, and given the large number of Australians living in that part of the province, perhaps it should come as no surprise the participating breweries chose to cram as much Southern Hemisphere hops into this beer as humanly possible.
While ostensibly referred to as a “pilsner,” it would be unrecognizable as such to any self-respecting German or Czech beer fan. Given its 7% ABV, it’s probably closer to a helles bock, but in reality, it’s neither. This one is all about the hop flavour and not so much the hop bitterness, landing pretty close to the hazy pale ale on the style spectrum. You know where pilsner malt is super common in pale ales? That’s right, Australia.
Is it heresy? Yes. Is it goddamn delicious? You friggin know it.
Up front you have gobs of tropical fruit and absurdly delicious hop aromas, while the bitterness is kept within reason. The light malt and absence of yeast character means there’s nothing to get in the way of these big, juicy flavours.
This beer comes with one very important caveat, however: drink it in moderation. I know it’s sunny out and you’re thirsty as all heck, but this beer is just too refreshing for 7% ABV, and if you’re not careful, you’re liable to end up maggoted (as our antipodean friends like to say).
Vancouver Craft Beer Week’s 2018 Collaboration Beer: Double Dry Hopped Pilsner by Backcountry Brewing, Beere Brewing Co. and Coast Mountain Brewing (7% ABV)… whew!
Appearance: Hazy golden orange with a fluffy white head.
Aroma: Tropical fruit, citrus, pineapple.
Flavour: Pineapple, passion fruit, melon, citrus, tropical fruit, guava, pear, berry, pine, very subtle bready malt character. Moderate hop bitterness.
Body: Medium bodied with a clean, crisp, dry finish.
Pairs with: Grilled prawns (because no Australian has ever put a “shrimp on the barbie”), pavlova, hiking to—and jumping in—Garibaldi Lake, budgie smugglers and cossies.
