Bomber Brewing, Oktoberfest B.C. Beer Collab (6.2% ABV)
Close to half a dozen breweries helped develop the recipe for this golden, medium-bodied festbier, brewed in honour of B.C. Craft Beer Month. The beer was brewed at Bomber Brewing in East Van, and promises notes of “toast, sweet malts, moderate hop bitterness,” with a balanced, crisp finish. Available on tap at Yellow Dog, Parkside, Moody Ales, Fuggles & Warlock, R&B Brewing, Foamers’ Folly and Bomber. 500mL tall cans also available at Bomber and select B.C. Liquor Stores.
The Growler/Faculty Brewing, B.C. Collab Series Midnight Wheat Ale (4.9% ABV)
So this one is a big deal for us over here in Growler-land! Last month I had the pleasure and privilege to brew a midnight wheat ale with Mauricio, Rachel, Jackie and the whole gang over at Faculty Brewing Co. in Vancouver. The beer itself was designed to change people’s notions about what a dark beer should taste like. While the midnight wheat gives the beer a dark appearance, it doesn’t impart the strong roasted flavours commonly associated with dark beers. Instead, this light-bodied wheat ale is a ray of sunshine thanks to generous Citra dry-hopping. It looks like winter but tastes like summer; the perfect dark beer for people who say they don’t like dark beers.
Available exclusively at the B.C. Beer Awards this Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Croatian Cultural Centre.
Powell Brewery, Hop Hash Double IPA (8.5%)
If you’re wondering what “hop hash” is, it’s the sticky stuff that’s leftover after hops are processed into pellets. The green gunk is made up of pure, resiny lupulin, the yellow powder that’s the active ingredient in hops. Powell Brewery is using Idaho 7 hop hash in its recently re-released Hop Hash DIPA, along with Vienna and wheat malts to create, and I quote, “one of the dankest of dank” double India Pale ales. Available on draft and in 650mL bottles province-wide.
