LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2015

BEER  HIP HOPS

HOP NOS I NG G L A S SWAR E

While you may be prone to drinking your beer from an ordi‑ nary, straight-sided glass, when it comes to drawing out the complex aromas of hops, some‑ thing a little more elaborate is required.

WINE GLASS Since most people already have wine glasses in the house, a deep-bowled and stemmed one is a great place to start. Fill to no more than halfway, swirl, sniff and sip.

TULIP GLASS The classic beer- tasting glass will have a short stem, wide bottom and flared lip, all of which allow the drinker to bask in the beer’s full aromatic glory.

GOBLET Lacking the flare of the tulip, this, too, can intensify aromas, but if the pour is limited to about two-thirds and your nose kept above the glass, a goblet can be a stylish addition to any tasting.

SNIFTER Although you run the risk of concentrating the beer’s aromatic attributes a little too much, especially when sampling strong beers, a snif‑ ter will still get the job done.

MILL ST. STOCK ALE

BIG RIG GOLD

While some hops are indeed all about the aroma, others exist mainly for their high alpha acid content, or in other words, their abil‑ ity to contribute bitterness to beer. One such variety is Nugget, a U.S.‑grown “superalpha” hop prized for its bitterness-to-volume ratio, which boasts over twice the bittering capabilities per gram than do hops like Fuggle and Vanguard. Which is not to say that it is entirely bereft of aromatic qualities, as plainly evident in the soft herbal notes found in Mill St. Brewing’s Stock Ale ( LCBO 27623, 6 pk, $13.75), or that any beer it is used in will automatically be bitter in taste. Its role in some beers is more to efficiently balance the sweetness of the beer’s malty character and prevent it from growing too overtly sugary or cloying, which, in the Stock Ale, it accomplishes with aplomb.

When Lon Ladell, brewer at Ottawa’s Big Rig Brewery, found himself unsatisfied with the quality of the Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops he was getting, he turned instead to one of that classic German hop’s many offspring, a U.S.‑born-and-bred variety known as Van‑ guard. He never looked back. In use for fewer than 20 years, Vanguard has Hallertau-like herbal qualities that are clearly in evidence in Big Rig Gold’s ( LCBO 398255, 473 mL, 2.75) fragrant and grassy aroma, although with perhaps a bit more of a spicy edge than one finds in the mother hop. Its soft bitterness re‑ flects the gentle nature of a hop well-suited to the exquisitely balanced southern German lager style known as helles. Coupled with the Gold’s mildly fruity maltiness, Vanguard helps craft a beer that is as refreshing as it is satisfying.

64  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2015