Nothing quite says summer heat like a good rosé. It’s the wine I reach for when I’m hot and parched but still want wine. While I’d almost always prefer a good red, in the heat of the summer, when the ambient outdoor temperature will warm a glass of red before you get through a few…
Keint-he Winery – Chardonnay (2009)
Moving to another burgeoning wine region of the country, Prince Edward County. This hidden peninsula is quietly tucked away between where Lake Ontario gives its final gasp and becomes the head waters of the St Lawrence, this is a relatively young wine producing region with some delicious secrets that I’ve quite grown to love…
Tangerine Beef with Broccoli and Ginger
Invigorate your plate with the season; infuse your meal with sunshine. To be clear, I’m all about cooking with ingredients that are local but when they can’t be local, I want them to be at least seasonal. So when the culinary doldrums of winter arrive, citrus becomes king. Thus, as I prepared to chase away…
“Saint Paix” (Fruit Beer) Les Brasseurs RJ Inc
Some things are entirely tied to a moment in time. It really is remarkable how much our mood and place impact our intuitive reaction to things … reactions which might be quite different if we sat down to really dissect what we’re experiencing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating for a careful dissection of…
“10 Bitter Years” (Imperial IPA), Black Oak Brewing Company
I had a lot of choices in my house as to what would be my last drink at home before heading to the very dry terroir of Saudi Arabia – and, yet, for a few weeks, I’ve instinctively known it was going to be this bottle. This anniversary beer from Black Oak Brewing has celebration…
“Hopkins Double I.P.A.” (Double IPA), Boquébière Microbrasserie de Sherbrooke
Hmm … so I’ve been waiting some time to try the big (BIG) bitter brother of Hopkins single IPA that I previously reviewed. There was the small distraction of some amazing food and a recent trip to Prince Edward County (and a lot of wine) that interceded between tastes, but we have finally arrived at…
“Hopkins India Pale Ale” (West-Coast IPA), Boquébière Microbrasserie de Sherbrooke
Sometimes you just get a good feeling about a beer before you even open it. Hopkins, brewed out of the Eastern Townships (which is Western Quebec for those not from around these parts), is a good example of just that. The label says “funky” with its retro, throwback monochromatic portrait but what really impressed me…
“Brown Ale Americaine” (Brown IPA), Pit Caribou
As relatively disappointing as my last few tastings have been, and with a bizarre spring storm brewing that has sucked the light out of the air last weekend, it felt right to return to Quebec and a darker brew. This is also a nuanced type of beer I haven’t hitherto tasted: Brown American Ale. I’ve…
“Colonel Cornwallis” (IPA), Bilboquet Microbrasserie
Here’s a beer I first tasted on tap in fall at the Chelsea Pub and which I wanted to give another whirl from the bottle this time. The other reason I pulled this tonight is because it is not coincidentally the first beer I recognized as being sur lies – and whence I first questioned “what does…
“India Pale Ale” (American IPA), Microbrasserie La Chouape
Sooner or later, we were going to have to tackle the question of what the heck is sur lie (which translates as “on the lees” in English). You’ve undoubtedly seen in as I have on some European labels and it is an even more common description on the labels of Quebec beers. So, what does it…