Last week BC breweries represented well at the 20th annual Canadian Brewing Awards, placing in a number of categories. Congrats to Howe Sound Brewing for winning Brewery of the Year!

We have an eclectic mix of new releases this week, from salted ales to smokey lagers, to extremely tart sours.

Plus, what exactly is a lagered ale? Or a gruit, for that matter?

— Joseph Lavoie

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New Beers in the Lower Mainland

Flamingose is back!

It could be that because I first had this Gose shortly after moving to BC that I enjoy it so much. Bright, flavourful, approachable and screaming summer vibes, it's great after hiking or running the Diez Vistas and Lake Buntzen Loop.

• Description: “This glowing, summer-loving gose brewed with grapefruit peel and coriander features an electrifying, citrusy aroma with a glimmer of lemony tartness. The lightly malty body illuminates a refreshing, clean profile, finishing with a satisfying lick of Himalayan pink salt.”

• Where to get it: Available at the brewery and online.

• Brewery location: 2601 Murray St., Port Moody | Google Maps

Barrel Aged Golden Sour

As part of its anniversary series, House of Funk has released AION 2022, a 6% barrel-aged golden sour, a beer made from a blend of different barrels. This release promises tropical and stone fruit acidity, balanced with delicate oak character.

• Where to get it: Available online and in stores, starting at the end of the week

• Brewery location: 350 Esplanade E #101, North Vancouver | Google Maps

Try the alternative

Altbier is quite possibly the best beer style, and one that just doesn't get the attention it deserves. There are so few altbiers available in BC that when a brewery adds one to its tap list, we feel compelled to include it here. This lagered ale offers well-balanced, clean, smooth malty goodness, an assertive bitterness, and a beautiful deep colour with brilliant clarity. Each sip evolves to give you a range of flavours. And this version adds a twist with the use of Beachwood smoked malt.

• Description: "Barrel-aged for a year with five months more spent on whole apricots, the beer is balanced with brett funk and the tang of lactobacillus."

• Where to get it: In the taproom at both Five Roads locations

• Locations:

  • 130–12251 No. 1 Rd., Richmond | Google Maps

  • 1 - 6263 202 St., Langley | Google Maps

Rhubarb Lemonade Sour

Here's a fun fact: this new sour from Bricklayer is made from an 11-year old sourdough starter, as are all sours from Bricklayer. This new release is "exxxtra" tart with lots of summer vibes in this funky sour.

• Details: 5.0% ABV, 10 IBU

• Where to get it: Available in pints at the brewery or in tall-can four-packs to go.

• Location: 46126 Yale Rd. #101, Chilliwack | Google Maps

New Beers in BC

The new mimosa

Beacon Brewing hopes to normalize beer for breakfast in a town known for brunch. Maybe it's because I hang out with soccer fans too much, but I didn't realize beer for brunch was a thing that required normalizing. But hey, if you're late to the game, this seems like a delicious way to start.

• Description: "This big, beautiful IPA is packed full of orange peel and juice, as well as a cornucopia of citrus forward hops."

• Where to get it: Only available in the tasting room for a short period of time

• Brewery Location: 9829 Third St., Sidney | Google Maps

It's called what?

Gruit (rhymes with root)

The majority of beers on the market today, and certainly those that are readily available in BC are battered with hops. But hops are not the only option brewers have to add bitterness to their beer. They can also use a mix of bitter herbs, plants, and spices that can all serve to balance the beer, or cut into the sweetness of the malt. These mixes are called gruits. Before hops became the rage some 600+ years ago, pretty much all beers were made using gruit mixes. Today, we use the term to refer to unhopped beers.

2022 Canadian Brewing Awards

BC Breweries take home 58 Medals, up from 40 last year

Special shout out to Bad Tattoo Brewing, Steamworks, and Howe Sound for their multiple medals. Also a huge shout out to Abandoned Rail Brewing taking home a gold for their English Style IPA. The brewery just opened its doors in late March of this year. That's a hell of a way to make an entrance!

The breakdown:

• 21 Gold 🥇

• 17 Silver 🥈

• 20 Bronze 🥉

• 5 Honourable Mentions

The full list of all winning beers from BC breweries:

• Kapitan Czech Pilsner, Lighthouse Brewing 🥉

• Dissimulator, Twin City Brewing Company 🥈

• German Kölsch, Wildeye Brewing 🥈

• High Country Kölsch, Mt. Begbie Brewing Company, 🥉

• Elder Moon Belgian Witbier, Settlement Brewing 🥈

• Summertime, KPU Brew - Kwantlen Polytechnic University 🥉

• Bear Beach Baltic Porter, Sooke Oceanside Brewery 🥉

• 10°, Dageraad Brewing Inc.🥈

• Washed Away Belgian Quad, Dog Mountain Brewing Ltd. 🥉

• BEES! Belgian Blonde Ale with Honey, Dog Mountain Brewing Ltd🥉

• Dia De Los Muertos Cerveza Fuerte, Bad Tattoo Brewing Co. 🥇

• Sunshine Daydream, R&B Brewing Co. 🥈

• Belgian Blond, Sooke Brewing Co.🥉

• Tous Les Jours, Dageraad Brewing Inc. 🥉

• Reynard Oud Bruin, Strange Fellows Brewing Ltd.🥇

• Kirsche, Steamworks Brewing Co🥉

• Dark Stormy Porter, Fisher Peak Brewing Company 🥇

• When it Rains It Porters, East Van Brewing 🥈

• Sandbagger Brown Ale, Freddy's Brewpub 🥈

• Brave Liver Scotch Ale, Mt. Begbie Brewing Company 🥇

• Pale Ale, Russell Brewing Co 🥇

• Tickity Boo, Twin City Brewing Company 🥈

• Sam McGuire's Pale Ale, Shuswap Lake Brewing 🥉

• Ullr’s Oatmeal Stout, Bulkley Valley Brewery 🥈

• Keepers Stout, Lighthouse Brewing 🥉

• Kindling Imperial Stout, Cannery Brewing 🥇

• Tunnel Vision IPA, Abandoned Rail Brewing Co. 🥇

• Sol Vida Cerveza Clara, Bad Tattoo Brewing Co. 🥇

• Lions Gate Lager, Steamworks Brewing Co 🥇

• Skyline Lager, Bomber Brewing 🥈

• Los Muertos Cerveza Negra, Bad Tattoo Brewing Co. 🥉

• Craft Light Lager, Russell Brewing Co. 🥇

• Bad Light, Bad Tattoo Brewing Co. 🥉

• Okanagan Lake Cream Ale, A-FRAME Brewing Company 🥇

• Gladstone Cream Ale, Gladstone Brewing Co. 🥈

• Heroica Red Ale, Steamworks Brewing Co. 🥇

• Idleback Amber Ale, Slackwater Brewing Inc. 🥈

• Ruby Tears, Parallel 49 Brewing 🥉

• Campout West Coast Pale Ale, Fernie Brewing Co. 🥇

• Chinook Rye Pale Ale, Ace Brewing Co. 🥉

• Campout West Coast Pale Ale, Fernie Brewing Co. 🥇

• Naked Fox IPA, Main Street Brewing 🥈

• High Knoll Hazy IPA, Tinhouse Brewing Inc. 🥉

• Strange Resemblance, Strange Fellows Brewing Ltd. 🥇

• Humble Hive Brown Ale, East Van Brewing 🥉

• Lazy River, Howe Sound Brewing 🥇

• Gladstone Belgian Single, Gladstone Brewing Co. 🥈

• Ultra Destroyer, Howe Sound Brewing 🥇

• Sparkchaser, Twin City Brewing Company 🥇

• Smoked Porter, Iron Road Brewing, 🥉

• Barleywine, Sooke Brewing Co. 🥇

• Oak Boy, Parallel 49 Brewing 🥈

• Monolith, Howe Sound Brewing 🥇

• Storm Watching, Howe Sound Brewing 🥉

• Time's Arrow, Dageraad Brewing Inc. 🥇

• Cherryoperis, Four Winds Brewing Co. 🥈

• Toasted Coconut Imperial Stout, Steamworks Brewing Co. 🥇

• Hip As Funk, Moon Under Water 🥈

• Backyard IPA, Whistle Buoy Brewing Co. 🥈

Beer School

What is a lagered ale?

With an altbier making our list of new releases this week, we thought it might be time for a refresher on the difference between ale and lager, and how lagered ales like altbier sit in between.

What's the difference between ale and lager? Quite simply, the type of yeast and that yeast's preferred fermentation temperature. Ales are made from top-fermenting yeasts that like to ferment at warmer temperatures (18-24ºC on average, but can go as high as 35ºC with certain yeasts). Lagers are bottom-fermenting yeasts that like to ferment at colder temperatures (6-12ºC).

What is lagering? Fermentation can take longer at colder temperatures, so lager beer was traditionally lagered, meaning, stored in cold cellars to let the yeast do its thing. To lager a beer is to store it cold for an extended period of time before packaging it.

A lagered ale, therefore...is an ale that has been lagered. In other words, using an ale yeast, fermented cooler, and lagered at cool temperatures for six to eight weeks minimum, to bring out a beautifully clear beer.

What else is brewing?

$19 Stella (are you kidding me?)

• You think beer prices at BC Place absurd? PGA Championship 2022: Fans are freaking out over the beer (and water) prices (Golf Digest)

• If you're going to spend that kind of money on Belgian beer, for for these instead. Craft Beer Experts Shout Out The Most Underrated Belgian Beers (Uproxx)

• Homesick in Calgary? Not to worry you can hit up 33 Acres in Cow Town.

• Nine Best Craft Beer Podcasts of 2022 (Hop Culture)

Brews you missed

Here's the lastest newsletter editions

• Wine or beer? It's the best of both. And party like it's 2014 - read here

• Honey brown, pomegranate and the difference between black and white IPAs - read here

• Beer, but for mothers day - read here

• Pina colada, what is SRM and how breweries carbonate beers - read here

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