Here’s some new releases we’re looking forward to this week…
Fernie Brewing, The Professor Märzen (5.5% ABV 19 IBU)
Fernie Brewing is honouring the memory of brewer Gord Demaniuk with their latest seasonal release, The Professor Märzen. Demaniuk passed away last September after a long battle with cancer, and not long after, a half-finished märzen recipe was found in his old recipe book. Demaniuk’s son, Jeff, who took over for his dad as head brewer at Fernie, completed the recipe, and the result is The Professor – an easy-drinking, malty lager that Gord would have loved.
This Oktoberfest classic is medium bodied, and amber coloured with rich, toasted and caramel malts and a hint of noble hop flavour and aroma. The beer’s label features an illustration of Gord, as well as the colours of his beloved Edmonton Oilers.
Fernie Brewing launched the beer last week, with proceeds from the sale of The Professor going to Fernie Friends for Friends, a local cancer charity.
The Professor Märzen is available on draft and in 650mL bottles and will be available for a limited time at liquor stores across the province.
Steamworks Brewery, Winter Lager (5.4% ABV 30 IBU)
It’s beginning to look a lot like winter, which means the evenings are getting darker, and so are the beers! Steamworks’ recently released Winter Lager is designed with the wet West Coast winter in mind. This rich, malt-forward lager finishes crisp and clean thanks to Hallertau hops, making it a highly drinkable, yet complex beer.
According to the brewery, “whether an après ski or just après trying to find a cab in the rain, it’s a comforting yet refreshing lager that will leave craft drinkers reaching for another.”
Available in tallboy four-packs (4x473mL) province-wide.
Steel & Oak, Roggen Weizen (5.6% ABV 15 IBU)
This seasonal rye wheat ale won New Westminster’s Steel & Oak Brewing Co. a gold medal at the 2016 B.C. Beer Awards in the specialty beer category, and the 2017 edition is hoping to follow up on that success. Brewed with hefeweizen yeast, the beer is packed with fruity esters and phenols, imparting notes of banana and clove. This malty, full-bodied beer pours a hazy amber-brown with a persistent pillowy head.
“I describe it as Banana Cream Pie because it sounds amazing,” says Steel & Oak co-founder Jorden Foss. “We think the 2017 version is even better [than last year’s] and hope that you do too!”
Available in 650mL bottles province-wide.
