Pink is the new Citra

Sour season is upon us

Author

Joseph Lavoie
April 20, 2022

You know spring has arrived when every taproom in the province carries a fresh supply of fruit-forward sours, and this year doesn't disappoint.

This week we see the return of seasonal favourites, the launch of some intense Dead Frog creations which fly in the face of the Reinheitsgebot.

We've also got a grand re-opening and a second location for two breweries in the Fraser Valley.

Have a great week everyone!

- Joseph Lavoie

New Beers in the Lower Mainland

A whole lotta sour

Farmhouse Brewing - Strawberry Rhubarb Sour

Strawberry rhubarb pie? Nah, it’s the return of a sour beer from Farmhouse Brewing that’s sure to satisfy your sour cravings. Sours aren’t my favourite, but we get the appeal. 

  • Details: 6% ABV | 4 IBU

  • Description: “This fruited sour beer is tart and sweet. It was brewed with a blend of pale, vienna and wheat malts with brown sugar added in the boil to help mimic Oma's flaky pie crust. A large addition of Strawberry and Rhubarb gives this brew tartness and fruitiness”

  • Where to get it: Available on tap and in six packs from Farmhouse Brewing

  • Brewery location: 6385 Lickman Rd Lot 2 southsumas, Chilliwack, BC V2R 4A9 | Google Maps

Dead Frog - Juice Box Sour Mixer

With the sun setting later everyday, all we need to feel like summer is (almost!) here is an eclectic tropical sour pack. Looks like this one will do the trick.  If you weren’t at Dead Frog on Saturday to pick up your box, keep an eye out for the brewery’s latest Juice Box Sour Mixer at your local BCL. 

  • Where to get it: Available on tap and in eight packs from Dead Frog Brewing

  • Brewery location: #105 8860 201 ST. Langley BC, V2Y 0C8 | Google Maps

New Beers in BC

Not your mom's lemonade

Beach Fire Brewing - Pink Lemonade Pale Ale

Strawberry rhubarb pie? Nah, it’s a new sour beer from Farmhouse Brewing that’s sure to satisfy your sour cravings. Sours aren’t my favourite, but we get the appeal. 

  • Details: 5.5% ABV | 40 IBU

  • What’s good: Fermented with lemon juice and hibiscus

  • Where to get it: Available on tap before it sells out, at Beachfire Brewing

  • Brewery location: 594 11 Ave, Campbell River, BC V9W 4G4 | Google Maps

It's called what?

The Reinheitsgebot

(Pronounced rine-hites-kuh-bowt). a.k.a., the Bavarian Purity Law, a series of regulations that limited the ingredients in beers made within Bavaria, circa 1516. In other words, a law that all of this week’s new beer releases would have flagrantly broken. The only ingredients allowed? Water, barley and hops. The Bavarins of old must be turning in their graves seeing the list of new beer releases this week.

Brewery Openings

Old Yale Brewing to Open Second Location

The Chilliwack-based brewery is expanding to Downtown Abbotsford and will have 220 seats, 15 beers on tap, an indoor games lodge (something I didn’t know I needed until now), and even a little Explorers Corner. The current schedule has Abbotsford getting its shiny new brewery “this coming Winter.”

  • Location: 33738 Laurel St, Abbotsford, BC V2S 1X2 | Google Maps

Check out the planned before and after photos:

Five Roads Grand Re-Opening on Saturday

Five Roads is having a Grand Re-Opening Party at its Langley location, with food from @vegout_yvr. Sounds like a trip worth making to Langley. 

Beer School

What’s butter got to do with it?

Butter beer: Ever had a sniff of a proper English ale and wondered why you detected a touch of buttery popcorn? You weren’t imagining things. You were smelling (or tasting) Diacetyl. 

Dia what? In many beers, Diacetyl is an off-flavour, a sign that the yeast used to ferment the beer was not healthy or that the fermentation temperature ran hot. That, or the beer line at the pub or taproom needs cleaning. 

  • Unless you’re drinking a style in which diacetly is expected, if your beer smells or tastes like a night at the movies, you’ve detected an off-flavour. 

Solution: Either send it back, or use it as a learning experience for your friends….show off your amazing palate and share your beer wisdom.

Leftovers