Festibiere - A celebration of Quebec beers

I am not an expert on beer at all.  I love to learn about it, love to talk to brewers and of course taste as much as I can.  There are so many beers from so many areas and in so many styles it is hard to keep up.  Festivals are a great way to learn as much as you can about beers from a certain area.  Big or small festivals are the way to sample beers you do not know but maybe want to learn more about.

Gatineau's Festibiere is the perfect way to learn more about beer from the province of Quebec.  The festival hosted 32 booths of breweries both big and small, Quebec food vendors and presentation area.  It is also a family friendly festival which means children are welcome to attend with their parents and there was plenty for them to do.

I had planned to attend but as luck would have it the Barley's Angels were invited do a tasting presentation.  I was asked to be one of the participants.  I arrived Friday and my group of three Angels headed off to find three beers to sample.  We took some time to chat with brewers and reps, chose our beers and made our way to the presentation area.

Once the talk was done I was free to check out all the booths at my own pace.  Saturday was much the same idea and Sunday was simply a day to relax.  While the ground was muddy from the rain on Friday morning the festival organizers did their best to cover the worst areas with wood or plastic stepping 'stones'.

Food vendors were great with options like thai, BBQ, sausages and smoked meat.  Activities for kids included bouncy slides and climbers and a climbing wall.

The main focus though was all the great beer that was available to sample.

Dieu du Ciel had some of their staples on hand including the Rosee d'hibiscus and Peche Mortel. Stand outs for them were L'Herbe a Detourne, a belgian tripel with citra hops. Mea Culpa, a cream ale that was heavily hopped like an IPA.

Broadway Pub brought their La Don Juan.  This beer was a belgian dark with a 9% abv.  Big, complex flavours and a peppery note at the end.

Microbrasserie le Naufrageur brought an amazing bourbon barrel aged pale ale.  This beer had amazing vanilla notes that blended well with the mild hop.

Les Brasseurs RJ had Death Valley, an imperial IPA and Apocalypse, an imperial stout.  The Death Valley had warm sweetness and caramel notes that ended with a nice bitterness.  The Apocalypse had all the chocolate notes you hope for in a good quality imperial stout but was not overly sweet at all.

Les Trois Mousquetaires brought a randall.  This amazing contraption allows the beer to flow through chambers, in this case, filled with fresh hops and ice.  It was a pale ale that was pumped over the hops and made it taste like you were eating the hops without all the plant material.  Anyone that tried it and loved hops loved this beer.

Brasseurs du Monde had a number of beers to try.  L'Infusee, a wit beer with tea notes.  It would be perfect on a hot summer day.  Saison Imperiale was a farmhouse style beer with complex start and warming boost from the 8.1% abv.  It didn't carry a strong alcohol taste but would hit you hard if not shared with friends. My favourite from them was the A Table.  Replace any basic red wine with this beer.  Strong pepper and spice notes.  Would pair amazing with a hearty red meat meal with all the fixings.

The standout brewery of the festival for me was L'Alchimiste.  I first talked to Patrick Dupuis when we were searching for beers to do our presentation about. I liked their beers so much I made the trip back to their booth on all three days.  Wee Heavy their scotch ale came in at an 8% abv but the caramel and light peaty-smokiness the beer carried mellowed any chance at the alcohol burn.  Unlike other beers the smokiness was not overwhelming.  Their Eisbock was not only my favourite of their beers but of the entire festival.  It poured an amberish colour.  They use a process similar to ice wine to get an intense bourbon or brandy flavour in this beer.  The abv is a high 9.5% but the beer, with all the caramel taste is deceptively smooth.  This beer easily replaces any brandy as an after dinner drink.

This was my second year attending Festibiere and I look forward to next year's edition.  They proved once again that Quebec is a gem when it comes to new and interesting craft beer.

An Immodest Event

The craft beer world is kind of small.  Go to enough events and you will start recognizing faces.  Start seeing the same people enough and you are bound to start talking to them.  Sometimes you go to things, meet people and next thing you know it is four or five years later and you are at a bar for the release of their beer.

This is sort of how we met Ryan Morrow of Nickel Brook Brewing.  We happened to be at a very small beer festival a number of years ago.  I was being forced to try this drink made with half lager, half vodka cooler.  I was told I would like it as "women love this cause it tastes like lemonade and not beer."  I took one sip, hated it as expected and passed it to a friend.  I happened to look over at the next booth.  It was for Nickel Brook and I just happened to have their green apple pilsner in my fridge.  I said as much and  a conversation was quickly struck up with the man at the booth.

We tried the beers, loved them and in the end got his card.  Turned out that the person manning the booth was the brewer himself, Ryan.

Over the years our fridge has seen many a keg from Nickel Brook and currently the Naughty Neighbour occupies one of the taps.

It was of course our pleasure to join Ryan and Ottawa rep Justin da Silva at the Arrow and Loon to celebrate the release of Immodest Imperial IPA.  We were also thrilled to find out that Ryan had brought with him a keg of Creepy Bitch.

Both Ryan and Justin suggested we start with the Creepy Bitch.  Between the two it had the more citrus and floral notes.  This beer is a belgian tripel with a 9% ABV.  It was a collaboration brew between Nickel Brook and Great Lakes.  It was served with a rose petal floated on top.  The aroma was, as expected very floral and the taste carried notes of blood orange.

The Immodest carried a wonderful woody nose  The hops, a healthy dose of Citra and Simcoe, gave the beer a nice almost pine like taste with a hint of grapefruit on the end.  A bit malty but not overly sweet at all.  As with all their beers I found it very, very well balanced and complex

The evening was hit of course.  There were of course many familiar faces in the crowd.  Many beers were enjoyed. Once again Nickel Brook and Ryan did not disappoint.

Thanks to Ryan and Justin for a great evening.

Celebrating 3 Years for Kichesippi Brewery

Kichesippi Brewery celebrated three years of brewing this past spring.  It has become one of the go to craft beer breweries here in Ottawa and for me, I use their flagship beers 1885 and Natural Blonde as a gateway beer for non craft beer drinkers.

I will admit I don't always love their beer.  I find many too mild for my palate.  That doesn't mean I don't admire what they have done in their three years of brewing here in Ottawa.

Taking over the brewery once operated by Heritage Brewing, Paul Meek has to build a brewery that is recognized throughout the city.  They were the beer the mayor used for his bets during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Arriving, I bought my chips and headed off to find food and beer.  My food consisted of an amazing chili grilled cheese from StreetEats. My beer choices consisted of the Polaris, the 1855 and the Heller High Water.  I am not a fan of the Polaris so I opted for the Heller.

I was joined by a bunch of fellow Barley's Angels and we happily chatted over beers and delicious food.  Marissa, another Angel and I met the challenge of pinning Paul Meek, the owner.

Another treat to be had at the party was Harvey and Vern's soda.  I tried both the ginger beer and the cream soda.  If you ever want to taste soda the way it should be done I highly recommend Harvey and Vern's. The ginger beer was amazing with all the bite you'd expect and the cream soda a clear, smooth cream soda.

Before heading off the Barley's Angels had our picture taken in the photo booth and I snagged a Pascale's Ice Cream 1855 sandwich.  Nothing beats handmade ice cream sandwiches, especially when they contain beer.

Cheers to Kichesippi Brewery!

A word about Barley's Angels

For those that don't know Barley's Angels is a group formed to help promote beer lovers of the female persuasion.

If you have ever gone to a brewery event, a brewery tour or a beer festival you will see that the ratio of women to men is quite different.  This isn't because women don't like beer, far from it but simply that a higher percentage of men attend.  Barley's Angels aims to help bring women and beer together.  Events centre around tasting and discussing beer.

Now, I am a woman, I like beer, I like craft beer and I attend as many events as I can make time and have the budget for.  I rarely pay attention to how many men vs women there are in a crowd since I am there for the beer, not to do a head count.  That being said I am often reminded that overall there are less women around me at these things.  I mean how do you not notice the really short line up in a bathroom? How often does that happen?

Back in March, I was tipped off to the forming of an Ottawa Chapter of Barley's Angels. I was excited to learn that my city was going to have a group of women uniting in their love of beer.

The first meet up was at the beginning of April.  The group showed up at Kichessippi Brewery for board games and beer.  There was plenty of food, courtesy of the pot luck tag for the event and lots of different games to play.

Meagan gave the girl's a brief talk on the history of the brewery. I will admit to being disappointed to the lack of acknowledgement to Heritage Brewery and what they did for craft beer in Ottawa and for Kichessippi itself.

The rest of the evening was spent with board games, good conversation and beer.

The second event for the Angels was at Cassel Brewery in Casselman.  Tickets had to be purchased in advance as space was limited.  The brewery itself is not overly large and with the count of members at over 200 there was no way to get us all in.  Those of us who were lucky enough to make the 45 minute drive were treated to a sample of each of Cassel's beers, cheese and crackers provided by event organizers and a tour of the brewery.  Of course more than a few growlers were purchased.  Myself I brought home Hopper Car, Aged Honey Brown and Maple Rye (bottles.)

The third Barley's Angels event was in Quebec at Bieres du Monde.  For those who have not made it to this amazing store they carry an almost overwhelming number of beers for purchase.  Again with space limited tickets were purchased ahead of time.  This group of ladies were led through a tasting of seven beers. Ryan, the owner, was extremely friendly and knowledgeable.  He walked us through the tasting of each asking what we smelt, tasted and if we liked it or not.  Each beer was paired with a cheese.  My picks from the evening were Dieu Du Ciel's Chaman and Les Trois Mousquetaires Baltic Porter. Of course I left the store with a box of various beers that I purchased. 

The most recent event was at the Arrow and Loon.  A more social meet up this one too found us with limited space so tickets were 'bought' though there was no cost.  It helped the Arrow and Loon to ensure there was space for everyone.  There was much talking and beer drinking.  I enjoyed a Nickel Brook Malevolent as those at my table discussed types of beer and brewery tours.  Centretown news was on hand talking to some of the Angels about the group.  

Our next meet up is again at Kichessippi Brewery on June 26th. The focus of this night will be learning about hops. Nickel Brook/Clocktower's Justin da Silva will be on hand to give the ladies a lesson in varieties and the role of hops in beer.  

Beer Travel-Portsmouth Craft Beer Week

A simple headline in my RSS feed set things into motion.  In October, after visiting New Hampshire and taking in many of the local breweries I promptly returned to Ottawa and began following every brewery I could find on as many forms of media as possible.  Imagine my delight and disappointment to learn about all the new and exciting things happening in New Hampshire’s craft beer scene and my inability to enjoy them on a daily basis.  

So when I read the headline - “2013 Seacoast Winter Brew Fest” - I followed the link to learn more.  Not only was there to be a winter brew fest but it would lead to the Portsmouth Craft Beer Week.  Even more intrigued I followed the link to the calendar of events.  Immediately I began to wonder if it was a trip we could make.  Instead of a weekend we could have a whole week celebrating great craft beer and enjoying a beautiful state.  

I began to keep tabs on the events as the list grew.  Each one that was added just made a more compelling argument for the trip.  I mentioned the Winter Brew Fest and beer week to our friend in New Hampshire.  His words, “Is it enough to make my two favourite Canadians come and visit?”  My husband and I looked at each other and decided that yes, it most certainly was.

Vacation time was booked and I began a list of the events we wanted to attend.  I was pleased to find out that many were walking distance from each other.  Timing was also important and while not many overlapped some did and choices had to be made.  The plan was altered a few times as we tried to fit as much in as we could without overdoing it and risking getting “beered out.” (I know, it seems far fetched but it can happen.)

First up was the 11:00 am VIP Session of the Seacoast Winter Brew Fest.  The list of breweries was impressive and the VIP allowed us tastings of rare whiskey, bourbon and scotch.  The fest did as promised and we spent four hours sampling some great beers and spirits.  Everyone we talked to was friendly, knowledgeable and engaging.  Some beers stood out with Allagash’s FV 13, Dogfish Head’s Bitches Brew, Sam Adam’s Vixen, Great Rhythm Resonation, Widmer’s South by Northwest being just a few.  

Sunday found our trio sitting at Earth Eagle sampling their beers.  We tried all six of their offerings.  The New England Gangsta and Chinese Rock were the favourites though I can honestly say all six were very much enjoyed.  The company was great including one of the brewers and another couple who were craft beer fans.

That afternoon we made the walk to RiRa’s for the Rollin’ Out the barrels.  Sam Adam’s and Smuttynose were hosting the kick off to beer week with some rare beers.  Here again the event’s description did not disappoint.  The bar itself is not to be missed (an old jewelry store that has kept the beautiful elements including the ceiling and vaults) and the beers were great. We had a chance to chat with Bill Harris from Smuttynose and Mike Lianza from Sam Adam’s.  Both were great guys to talk to.  

Monday we arrived at Thirsty Moose for the Founders tappings.  The bar itself was not my favourite of the trip though their selection did help make up for the marginal service and ambiance. We ran into Bill Harris from Smuttynose.  He gave us a few tips for restaurants to visit, including the event at the Black Trumpet.  Admittedly we had been torn between the East vs West event or that one but Bill’s recommendation on the food was enough to sway us.  We settled in for a shared flight and some individual pints.  Highlights included Founders Centennial Ale, Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale and Rogue Chocolate Stout.

We were not steered wrong.  The menu for the Early Blooms tap takeover was amazing.  We tried Smuttynose Paradox, Durty, Bloom and the Robust Porter.  Each was paired with two small plate tastings that were perfectly matched to the beer.  Highlight was the butterscotch pudding with molasse whip that was paired with the robust porter.  The group was in complete agreement that all the beers were excellent.

The next day was bright and sunny.  We spent the morning snowshoeing before heading back to Thirsty Moose for the Smuttynose food and beer pairing.  Good price and interesting mix. Not all the dishes matched as well as I had hoped but overall it was good quality.  The highlight for me was the stroganoff while my companions favoured the jerk pork tenderloin and the chocolate cupcake.

We took the short walk to TJ’s for the IPA tap takeover.  The best part of a group of three is everyone can order something different and drinks can be shared so that everyone gets to taste them.  This is the strategy we employed after looking at the list of fourteen different IPA’s.  Standouts of this delightfully hoppy night included Stone Ruination, Sixpoint Bengali Tiger and getting to try Sam Adam’s Grumpy Monk on tap versus the bottle.

Wednesday the guys humoured me with a trip out to Seacoast so that I could stand on the rocks in the pouring rain and ice.  What better way to reward them?  Lunch at the Black Birch in Maine.  Another recommendation from Bill that came with a warning to get there early or they are packed.  We did as we were told and got in before the dinner menu kicked in.  Hot soup, warm grilled cheese, house pickles and a great selection of beer took the chill away.  Oxbow’s Farmhouse Pale Ale was the lunchtime favourite.

To celebrate the great food we headed to the North Coast tap takeover at the Press Room. We found three seats at the end of the bar and ordered our beer.  Again we employed the divide and conquer strategy.  We tried the Scrimshaw Pilsner, Brother Thelonius and the barrel aged Old Rasputin XV.  Shortly after we sat down and our beer arrived we were pleased to meet Matthew Webster from North Coast Brewing.  He had some regular Old Rasputin out of the bottle to compare next to the barrel aged.  It should be noted that all craft beer fans should carry a bottle opener, you never know when you will be in a bar and unable to open a bottle to hand out samples. (Thanks to Ottawa brewery Broadhead, for the keychain bottle opener.)

Our last stop for this Wednesday evening was Portsmouth Brewery.  Not only were we in the mood for some dessert but they were hosting a collaborative brew night.  Head Brewer Tyler Jones was joined by Rik Marley from Flying Goose Brew Pub and Annette Lee from Throwback Brewery.  We were treated to two beers. The first was an oatmeal pale ale that was paired with corn and cheddar fritters.  The second was Holy Mole porter paired with chicken taquitos. Both were very tasty and the food, of course, spot on.

Our final day in New Hampshire found us seeking out Milly’s Tavern for lunch and White Birch Brewing for a tasting.  The trip back towards Portsmouth was not complete without a stop at the newest microbrewery, Blue Lobster.  We ran down the list of their beers, including a bit of a beer they were aging but ran out of room for.  (I believe it is to be the Lobster Genome Project)

From there we took the short drive to Throwback Brewery.  Again, employing the three man strategy we were able to try the Dippity Doo, the Hog Happy Hefeweizen, Donkey-hote, Campfire Smoked, Oma’s Tribute and the Chocolate Mint Stout.  

Our next stop was a quick jaunt over to Gary’s Beverages to sample some Sam Adams.  We had some bottles of the red IPA and the Grumpy Monk at the hotel but we were pleased to try Cinder Bock, Imperial White, Double Bock and Verloren Gose.  While the place was cramped, many people being in there to buy their evenings beverages, the woman was quite nice and the samples tasty.    

Our final two stops were close together.  First was Portsmouth Brewery for collaboration brew tasting number two.  Here Tyler presented the group with Cirque de Citron, the collaborative brew with Oxbow Brewing.  This was paired with a spring roll.  The second was a beer done with Great Rhythm brewery.  It was a wheat stout called Total Eclipse of the Stout.  This they paired with hazelnut brittle.  Again the chef had some winning combos.  

Second and final stop of our beer week was Coat of Arms British pub.  It was firkin night and there were three beers to try.  Lemon drop from Smuttynose, Double Dippity from Throwback and Imperial stout from Moat Mountain.  Each of us took one and toasted what was a wonderful week.

The week could not have been any better.  We ate some amazing food, prepared by some fantastic chefs.  We tried over 130 new beers across our entire nine days. (We did spend two days in Boston.) We also met some really great people who helped make our trip that much better.  It is nice to see that no matter where you go the craft beer scene is the same.  Friendly people who want to talk beer with anyone willing to listen to them talk about beer.  

This wasn’t our first trip to Portsmouth but it was our longest.  It was also our best which guarantees it will not be our last.  

Thanks to Bill, Mike, Tyler, Matthew, Sean and everyone else who showed us the best the week had to offer.