Craft Hipster

It’s fun, when you’re 50, to poke fun at the younger generation. So for my Halloween costume this year I went as a “20 something hipster”.  One ironic moustache and several well drawn and/or outdated tattoos later I was a hipster.

It was also a ruse to allow me to talk about craft beer all night – and I brought a lovely one to the party from Lake of Bays – Stamp Hammer oak aged amber lager.

Back to my tattoos for a minute.  They were drawn so expertly that everyone assumed they were real.  Honestly, the “vital signs” one that flatlines and then says “carpe diem” may become a tattoo if i ever get over my fear of needles and hep b.

Stamp Hammer is only available in October and November so you may want to stop reading now and go the the LCBO.  A dark amber, i found it slightly spicy, not overly hopped, and a vanilla from the oak barrels that rounded the lager out into a smooth finish. Everyone loved it.

LAKE OF BAYS STAMP HAMMER
LCBO 439430 | 750 mL bottle
SEASONAL/LIMITED QUANTITIES
Price $ 9.95

Also, my spider-web elbow ink rocked.

The harvest

Autumn really is a food lover’s paradise. Consider this haul from the farmers market in Guelph last Saturday. Cornucopia indeed.

It’s also the best of times for Autumnal Ale from up North. Here are two of the best

Lake of Bays 10 Point is a nice, lightly hopped IPA – I love the pine aroma and the bite on the finish.

 

Muskoka’s Harvest Ale has been repackaged from the original orange label [in part because people thought that it was a pumpkin ale] but the recipe remains the same.

If you hurry you may also catch a keg of Mash ‘n Pumpkins on tap at OX. Pumpkin pie in a pint glass with notes of spice and molasses – delic.

 

 

 

#marketing

Craft beer breweries are taking the level of marketing to a new level. A clever hashtag seems to be born every minute [#wellyoneoff my current favourite].  New flavours and names are pushing the craft beer envelope [Muskoka’s Legendary Oddity reminds me of premium gin and what the heck is that falcon/peacock/scary antler deer thingy on the label?].

Lake of Bays Brewing Co.  is speaking Canada’s true love language – hockey – through their NHL Alumni Signature Series. Last year they released China Wall Vienna Dark Lager, a beer dedicated to the Leafs’ legendary  goaltender Johnny Bower.  This year’s edition is Cujo Imperial Golden Ale. If I have to explain who Cujo is then you likely aren’t interesting in this blog post anymore.

LAKE OF BAYS NHLA CUJO IMPERIAL GOLDEN ALE 
LCBO 383653 | Price $ 11.95 

Only 16,000 bottles have been produced – I have one of them – and I know what my annoying Leafs fan brother-in-law is getting for his birthday [he’s only annoying because he’s a ridiculously optimistic Leafs fan – the only thing worse than an arrogant Habs fan – which I’m]. The Cujo is delicious. It starts off with sweet notes of caramel and honey, continues with some nice orange and grapefruit marmalade hops, and ends up with a nice dry finish. Very refreshing and not so hoppy that it blows your head off.  My brother-in-law and I found ourselves conversing back and forth between hockey and beer for the entire sitting.  And isn’t that what a great Canadian ale is meant to do.

Now Habs fans, don’t worry,  rumour has it that Jacques Plante gets honoured next with  Jake The Snake Imperial Pilsner, a white ash wood aged strong lager. Go Habs.