Radler’s, Session Ales, Saisons and Sours – summer craft beer mini guide

Jul 12, 2017

The summer season is the best selling season for beer, and among craft brewers (of which there are now a staggering 218 in Ontario) beer is now very much a seasonally focussed beverage. and brewers are putting out some classic summer beers these days..

Session Ales (and lagers) – Session ales are a version of India Pale (IPA) or American Pale Ales that are low in alcohol. While an IPA can easily run between 6% to 10% alcohol, and pack a bitter full bodied punch while doing it, Session IPA’s are much, much, lighter, usually at 4.5% or lower. They are brewed so that the tangy citrusy aspect of the hops takes precedence over bitterness. Among the larger craft brewers, such as Muskoka (Detour) and Amsterdam (Cruiser), Session Ales are easy to find in local liquor and beer store outlets, but other breweries make good session ales as well.

Whit Beers and Hefeweizen - Sweet and frothy and a bit musty - in the best sense of musty - whit (wheat) beers are good for summer drinking, and particular good with summer BBQ. Kichesippi Brewery, out of Ottawa, makes a good Hefeweizen, and for those who get to Kingston on occasion, Stone City makes a whit beer that is available year round, called Windward Belgian Wheat They also have an Ameircan Wheat beer available now called Sons of Sydenham. It is a beer originally brewed in collaboration with Ryan Morrow of Nickebrook Brewery, who grew up right here in Sydenham. And in terms of local beer, Wolfe island Spring Brewer makes an Orange Whit beer, which is fruity and spicy but not too sweet, and is on tap at the Wolfe Island Grill.

Saison/Farmhouse Ale – These beers, like many in the modern craft industry, are basically a throwback to the pre-industrial foundations of the craft brewing movement. They were brewed in late winter for summer drinking, ie after labouring in the heat harvesting dusty hay. They are generally a bit higher in alcohol, up to 7%, are kind of a mix between a session ale and a hefeweizen since they have a bit of hoppiness and some of that belgian sweet musty sourness to them, plus they often are brewed with spices. I picked up a bottle of County Road 3 from County Road Brewing Company, a brewery/pub from Hillier in Prince Edward County a couple of weeks ago and it became a new favourite. Amsterdam, Beau’s, and Bellwoods all make a variety of farmhouse/ session ales. Brewers often put out these beers as single batch offerings.

Radlers – Legend has it that a German pub owner was inundated with thirsty cyclists late one afternoon and he did not have enough beer in his kegs to serve them all. He did have some lemonade, however, so he mixed it into the beer, and invented the Radler. Rickard’s, which is a beer label attached to Molson-Coors, one the two brewing giants in the world, makes a pretty good one. It is low in alcohol, fruity but not too sweet, and refreshing. Some of the newer Radlers from Amsterdam or Ottawa’s Big Rig, are better, however.

Sour beers – I saved this for last. These beers are the least beer-like of just about any beer. They are indeed sour, and resemble dry ciders as much as they do beer. For my taste they are sometimes too sour, but a couple of months ago, thanks to Bellwoods Jelly King, and a Gose style beer made by the Quebecois brewery Trois Mousquetiere (available in Ontario) I have began to see the light. Look also for a new series of sour beers put out by a sub brewery connected to Beau’s Brewery. And Stone City has a Gose coming out on Sunday called Yacht Rock.

So much beer, so little time.