In every issue of the Growler we pick 10 stand-out beers. Sometimes they’re cutting-edge and innovative; others they are the day-in-day-out favourites that have shown steady excellence over the years. Either way, they get a special “Growler approved” badge to make them easier to find in the brewery directory.
Here are the 10 that wore the honour so well in our current issue:
Octopus Wants to Fight IPA (6.2% ABV) by Great Lakes – We also found out that this IPA, ringing in at 88 IBU (hence the name), has been upgraded to full-time status.
Indie Ale House’s Ritual Madness (8% ABV) – From their Fates & Furies series of aged special releases, this is a Flanders Red that gets a kick in the pants from a close association with wine grape must and skins.
White Lies (6% ABV) by Blood Brothers – Who would have imagined that eldorado hops and white wine grapes would be the key to one of Ontario’s best wine-associated brews? Blood Brothers did.
Nickel Brook’s Lost in Orbit (4.5% ABV) – Late summer 2018 brought a new wave of session IPAs to the Ontario market and this is our pick from the litter.
Half Hours on Earth Yalla Yalla (6.5% ABV) series – Grab whichever of the single-hop pale ales from Seaforth is up next for a bright and clear view of the latest in lupulus.
Absent Landlord (5.3% ABV) from Cowbell in Blyth – They call it a “country kölsch” and some feel it’s a bit amber for the style, but we dig the touch of zest and clean, sharp finish.
Wellington’s Helles Lager (4.5% ABV) – One of the province’s best lagers that does its job with quiet efficiency and comes in stays-cold short cans.
The Juice (5.4% ABV) by Barncat – Dense with flavour and nearly-opaque hazy; the name’s promise of an awesome level of hops is entirely fulfilled.
Real Real a collab by Merit Brewing and Jen Nad – Worth a try just for the chance to taste kettle souring applied to saison made with spelt, not to mention that DDC’s Jen Nad had a hand on the mash paddle.
Godspeed’s Ochame (6.8% ABV) – Can Japanese green tea work in an IPA? Leave it to Luc Lafontaine’s brewery to make it work.
What beer have you tried and loved this season? Let us know below in the comments.