Silver medal – Best Belgian-Style Beer, Antwerpen
Silver medal – Best Wheat Beer, White
A lot of breweries in B.C. make Belgian-inspired beers, but there’s something different about Dageraad’s that make them unique.
So when Dageraad was named Brewery of the Year at the Canadian Brewing Awards earlier this year, absolutely no one in the craft beer community was surprised.
Ben Coli, Dageraad’s owner, brewmaster and resident Belgophile, says part of what sets Dageraad apart is their patience and attention to authenticity.
“We derive so much of our character from fermentation, rather than malt and hops,” he says. “We ferment all of our beer with special strains of yeast originating in breweries in Belgium.”
The fermentation continues in the bottle itself, as all of Dageraad’s beers are bottle conditioned—meaning the beers are naturally carbonated.
“Bottle conditioning adds a lot of time and expense to the process, but the second fermentation adds character to the beer,” Coli says. “Because yeast is excellent at soaking up oxygen, it preserves the beer’s freshness and improves shelf-life.”
The end result? Exceptional beer, and a mantle full of awards.
