by Margaret Swaine | Dec 1, 2001
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by Margaret Swaine | Apr 7, 2001
Look at a display of balsamic vinegars in a fancy grocery store and you’re bound to be confused. Exactly why are some priced at under ten dollars while others sell at over two hundred? The main reason is that there are two types of balsamics – the commercial versions and the traditional. The clue on the label for the original and true balsamic is the word “tradizionale” along with the more standard wording Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. The bottle shape is uniquely squat with a square bottom, bears a seal and a D.O.C. (controlled denomination).
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is an artisan-made product that in its illustrious past was aged 50 years or more, but now must obtain a more modest 12 years before it can be sold. The stuff of legends, the Giuseppe Giusti family of Modena claim to be the oldest producer still making it, since 1605 in the same building, with the same barrels as their ancestors. The Ducal Family of Este is reported to have made balsamic to impress kings and emperors in the 1700s. However it was so precious it was mainly given as gifts in the past. It has only been sold in a commercial way since the 1960’s and the association of traditional balsamic makers was just formed in 1967.
Its popularity has so blossomed in these past three decades that supply can not keep up with demand. And as it’s so very difficult and time consuming to make the “tradizionale”, hence also very pricey to buy it, imitators abound. For this we need be thankful, as who among us can routinely afford to pay hundreds of dollars for a few ounces of vinegar.
To understand the difference between balsamics, it’s important to know about the real stuff. It can only be made in Italy’s Po Valley in the district of Modena and Reggio Emilia in the region of Emilia-Romagna. Ripe trebbiano grapes are the preferred raw material, though a few other varieties are permitted. Then begins a long fermentation process that starts with the grape must (the skins and pulp) condensed by simmering gently in an open vat over a fire. The liquid is thus reduced from 30 to 70%. This concentrated must is aged in casks organized into a solera system. Casks of different woods and sizes are used, most often made from oak, chestnut, cherry, ash, juniper and mulberry. When vinegar is drawn from the smallest and oldest of the lot, this barrel is topped up with vinegar from the next smallest cask and so forth until the largest barrel receives the new batch of cooked must. The average vinegar making “set” is made up of five, seven or more casks ranging in size from 10 to 75 litres or more. The casks are generally kept in attics to benefit from hot summers and cold winters, which allow different stages of development. Large holes in the tops of the barrels encourage evaporation and enzyme reactions that increase complexities and concentration. No spicings, flavouring or colour can be added to the traditional balsamic.
Today it also must pass a stringent taste test by experts organized by the Traditional Consortium of Balsamic Vinegar. They perform a dozens of tests and make independent ratings. If a batch of vinegar doesn’t get enough points, it’s rejected and can’t be called tradizionale. The official description of the product is a dark brown, syrupy like substance with a distinct complex, sharp and unmistakably acid fragrance. The flavour should be sweet and sour in perfect proportion. On the palate it should be full and rich with a variety of shadings and evolving burst of new expressions. There are two grades of the traditional version; at least an average of 12 years old and the older “extra vecchio” which must be an average of 25 years old.
Every single guy who used these magic pills for once, is acquisition de viagra using it again and again, and recommending it to everyone. It normally occurs in the lower back, they are cheapest generic tadalafil still puzzled regarding its evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction. Today, you can find a brand levitra 20mg stunning array of herbal products in online stores boasting cure from testosterone deficiency. Everything in moderation viagra online is said to be good for their relationship. There are about 200 producers of traditional balsamic. Only a limited quantity per producer, per year, is approved. Nowadays some of the best producers choose to sell their traditional balsamic that doesn’t have the age to pass the strict Consortium regulations, as “condimento”. Less scrupulous producers add cooked down grape juice to young vinegar. While condimento is controversial because it’s not regulated, there are some great vinegars at more reasonable prices among this style.
The commercial versions also want to ensure quality and hence a Consortium for the Protection of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena drew up regulations several years ago which starting in January 1999, issued numbered seals for bottles that passed their rules. The balsamic must be produced in the geographical areas of Modena and Reggio Emilia, must spend time in wood barrels and the factory and its procedures must pass inspection by the Consortium. A gold and white seal with the words “invecchiato” certify that the vinegar has passed chemical and physical analysis and been aged for more than three years in wood barrels.
The better commercial balsamic is a blend of young artisan-made balsamic and good wine vinegar. Cooked down grape juice added to wine vinegar is a less expensive way to add sweetness and density. The worst commercial balsamics are poor quality wine vinegar coloured and flavoured with caramel. Industrial balsamics far outsell the real thing. This is partly because of price but also because workhorse balsamic is good for every day use. The trick is to find the good commercial versions.
Use commercial versions for salad dressing, marinades, sauces and the like. The tradizionale can be drunk like a digestive, dribbled over ice cream or strawberries or used to finish main dishes. Italians drizzle it over pastas, risotto, grilled vegetables, meat, seafood and even flans. Modena born opera singer, Luciano Pavarotti, makes a veal dish with balsamic, which he says is a delightful way to detach himself mentally from opera and melodrama. There is no substitute for the real thing in these instances.
by Margaret Swaine | Feb 28, 2001
Ancient Greeks considered that wine was a gift from the gods and worshipped Dionysus, a creature with the mind of a man and the instincts of a beast. I did my own worshipping back in my college days when I fell in love with a modern Greek Adonis whom I met at the Acropolis in Athens. We spent several sunny carefree summers on the sand beaches of the Greek isles snacking on fresh bread, feta and black olives while sipping the anise flavoured ouzo or cool pine sap tasting retsina.
When a few years ago I returned to Greece to check out the wine scene, my former lover, despite two marriages and several children hadn’t changed much. But the country and its habits had. It’s hard to find much selection in retsina even in Greece anymore. I still love its piney taste with the olive oil drenched food of the land, but only a handful of serious producers, such as Kourtakis and Malamatinas put their vats to it.
The majority of the Greek vintage (about the same size as that of Bordeaux) is focused on non-sapped indigenous varietals. There are over 300 native grapes, but certain names such as xinomavro and agiorigitiko for reds; assyrtico, rhoditis, robola and savatiano for whites crop up the most. These have been augmented with vitis vinifera such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot.
French, German and Australian trained Greek talent, along with money from the country’s wealthy industrialists and the EU funding has put the wineries in a position of having all the technology and expertise to run with the best. I wrote after my trip in 1998, that with proper attention focused in the vineyards, the world would be begging for limited edition Greek bottlings, instead of chortling about pine resin. However while the market has stabilized in the past few years, demand for Greek wine dropped sharply during the last 15. Viniculture in Greece has been shrinking at a fast rate since the beginning of the eighties due to a pull up program.
Despite controlled appellations of origin, “table wine” still accounts for ninety percent of total wine consumption, with retsina taking up thirty percent of that. Producers have found that retsina and mavrodaphne (their sweet fortified red) hold their own in sales because they cannot be copied. And it’s hard for foreign markets to go directly from retsina to say Gerovassiliou, one of Greece’s top award winning winemakers. Today’s situation is such that of the 200 or so Greek producers, only a few have the size and organization for major export. Tsantali, Boutari, Achaia Clauss and Kourtakis are among the strongest and it’s their competent mild, inexpensive, house wine style products that are generally available around the globe. They all do however also make higher end wines that naturally have more limited distribution. Slowly we are also seeing top labels from the smaller producers gaining sales because of the global consumption swing towards quality.
The Regions Appellation of Superiour Quality (OPAP) of which there are 28, are from grapes from a certain geographic zone, where the producing area may be included on the label. The words reserve or grand reserve indicate extended aging. Topikos Oinos (vin de pays) and Epitrapezeos Oinos (table wine) are the rest of the wines produced in other areas. The ever expanding local area wines number over 25 wine producing zones (and growing) and often combine native Greek with foreign varieties. Commercially Attica, Drama and Epanomi are important local areas.
Then just as in Italy, some of the renegade boutique wineries make table wines more famous than the officially recognized ones. Space does not permit detailing all the wines and regions – for that I recommend Miles Lambert-Gócs “The Wines of Greece”, a comprehensive, over 300 page book on the subject and “The Greek Wine Guide” by Nico Manessis.
Northern Greece: In Macedonia wine is produced in a scattering of areas with specific microclimates. The “xinomavro” red variety is a major part of the blend of three of its appellation wines and of numerous local wines. A lowish tannin, high acid grape with farmyard and cherry character, its name means “acid-black” and it’s one of the most successful indigenous grapes. It’s the predominant variety in the appellation of Naoussa, on the southeastern slopes of Mount Vermio, with its 7,000 acres at an altitude of 150 – 350 metres.
During recent years Naoussa has also been planted with merlot and syrah with good success. Côtes de Meliton appellation, on the sunny slopes of mount Meliton, has a dry, warm climate that gets the benefit of the nearby sea. White appellation wine is produced from Greek varieties such as rhoditis, athiri and assyrtico. Athiri produces pleasant wines with a fine fruity aroma and full taste. Assyrtico is a distinguished multi-purpose variety characterized by its rich body and high acidity. It produces both lemony crisp wines and rich, oak matured ones, as well as special sweet wines.
A generic cialis in canada person has to always consult the doctor before selecting the dosage. Studies have shown that Yohimbine is effective in treating impotence is great. free cialis Men have been able to experience generic viagra online a significant improvement in their depression symptoms as well as erectile functioning. Simple varieties linked with levitra fast delivery on the net are known as predators by the majority of surfers. Epanomi, a farming village, is famous for being the home of Ktima Gerovassiliou. Evangelos Gerovassiliou, selected wine maker of the year by The Greek Wine Guide in 1996, makes dynamite wines, at a spotless and pretty winery half an hour east of Thessaloniki. Vineyards are planted on the highest slopes of the region on soil rich in iron and minerals derived from the sea waters which used to cover the land. Bordeaux graduate and student of Emile Peynaud, Gerovassiliou has planted assyrtico, chardonnay, viognier, petite syrah, malagousia and grenache. He skillfully blends native Greek varieties with the French imports for some of his whites or for example mixes grenache with petite syrah for his red. The winery is ultra modern with air conditioned cellars for the French oak barrels.
Drama, in Thrace in the far northern reaches of Greece, is home to two other famous wineries, Ktima Kosta Lazaridi and Chateau Lazaridi. The two Lazaridis are brothers who made their money from marble. When I visited the modern, leading edge Chateau Lazaridi (owned by Nikos Lazaridi), I met Bakis Tsalkos, a Bordeaux trained Greek winemaker. Tsalkos was looking after 28 properties in St. Emilion. “I came back to Greece because I was embarrassed by the poor quality of the Greek wines abroad,” he explained.
He started at Lazaridi by planting French varietals to make a name, with plans to work in some indigenous grapes. His Magic Mountain red (name inspired by Thomas Mann novel and the mountain overlooking the vineyards), for example was a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot first released in 1990. Brother Kostas who owns nearby Domaine Constantin Lazaridi is also a proponent of French varietals. Amethystos is a blend of cabernet and native limnio and the white generally a combo of sauvignon blanc, semillon, and native assyrtico. They also make tsipouro, the Greek version of grappa, with bottles are painted by John Nanos, a famous Macedonian painter.
The plain of Thessaly, surrounded by mountains and not far removed from the sea, has all the necessary prerequisites for vine cultivation. Three appellations are in this region, including the lovely red of Rapsani, made from xinomavro, krasato and stavroto grown on the foothills of Mount Olympus. Tsantali has vineyards in Rapsani, Macedonia and other parts of northern Greece. Thirteen company oenologists analyze soil, leaves and climate to determine optimum varietals and cultivation techniques and supervise the planting of experimental plots of viognier, merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and other French varietals. To create Cava Tsantali, they blend xinomavro and cabernet sauvignon.
The pine forested areas of Central Greece are where much of the production of retsina takes place. The most common variety of the whole area in savatiano, a workhorse type that with modern winemaking now makes soft and fruity instead of oily and thick wines. In Attica newly planted French varieties, especially cabernet sauvignon have also seen good results in recent years. Semeli in Attica makes an oak aged agiorigitiko and cabernet blend that’s lovely.
In Atalante, near the slopes of Mount Parnassus, ancient home of Dionysus, is Domaine Hatzimichalis. Owner Dimitris Hatzimichalis made his fortune bringing products from Longines, Citizen, Grundig and Boffi to Greece. In 1973 he began to fulfill a dream by purchasing land at Atalante, 142 kilometres from Athens and just six from the sea. His winery combines Greek varietals with sauvignon blanc to make gentle, mildly fruity wines. They do barrique aged chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The Ambelon is a delicate white based on the robola variety generally found on the Ionian Islands and thought to have been introduced by the Venetians in the 13th century.
The Peloponnese the second largest viticultural area of Greece with almost 200,000 acres, stretching on plains, hillsides and plateaus has the greatest number of Greek appellations. The appellation wines of Nemea are produced from the noble native red variety, agiorigitiko. They are distinguished by a deep ruby colour and complex aroma.
The Aegean Islands have been growing wine since the Neolithic ages. Santorini, formed by a volcanic eruption, has a special soil which favours whites such as assyrtico, aidani and athiri. Cretan wines have been famous since the Minoan period. Peza is a notable appellation on the island. Samos is known for its sweet wine made from a variety of Muscat.
While the symposia, the highest intellectual form of social activity of the ancient Greeks (where they drank wine mixed with water for hours and talked) may be long over, the beauty of man, grape and the land is very present. A 4000-year-old tradition of wine cultivation, like a first love, can’t be forgotten.
by Margaret Swaine | Mar 4, 2000
The days started overcast and cold, opening up to torrents of rain by afternoon, but spirits were high in Cognac this October. Once the harvest is in, damp coolness is desirable to best keep slumbering spirits mellowing in their oak casks. Less for the angels’ share, a euphemism for the considerable amount of fine cognac that evaporates into thin air. Black licks around the window sills outside the cognac warehouses, looking much like the aftermath of a fire, but actually a testament to the thirst of black fungus called “tarula compniacensis” which lives off cognac vapours.
It’s a point of pride that black. No one cleans it off. The equivalent of 23 million bottles of cognac a year evaporate. Some say the people here live a long time because they breathe in these life-giving fumes constantly. And in the part of the cellars called Paradis (paradise to anglos) behind locked bars, cognacs from the 1800’s rest in glass demi-johns to guard them from further disappearance. After 50 or so years in casks, it’s time to remove them to more protected surroundings. Besides, cognac improves as it concentrates and mellows only up to a certain point in time in wood. In the Paradis of Martell I sipped on 1848 cognac, aged in barrels 65 years then put in demi-johns May 30, 1913. It was very spicy, long and dry with wood overtones. The 1875, which spent 49 years in oak before resting in glass since 1924, was even more intense, pungent and powerful, with rich, thick sweet tastes.
Cognac lies north of Bordeaux, close to the Marrenes-Oléron Atlantic basin where half of France’s oyster beds lie. The town thrived in olden days as an established centre of the salt trade, an activity which dates back to the 11th century. The Charente River winds through giving access to merchant boats. Early on the traders of northern Europe discovered the thin acidic wine which they brought back from there, survived the voyage better if distilled, and even more so if stuck in oak barrels. This improved “burnt wine” is much in demand today with 90% of it sold outside of France.
The top growing areas (crus) are named Grande and Petite “Champagne”, after the chalky whitish calcium rich soil. Beyond these two crus (known as Fine Champagne when combined in the bottle), are the Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Borderies. Ugni blanc is the main varietal grown, a grape which definitely shows its best distilled. The young, always double distilled, grape spirit give off floral aromas. Oak from French forests, toasted by fire when the barrels are made, add their aromas of vanilla, brioche and coco. Then slow oxidation in these barriques puts the final touches of mushroom, roquefort cheese and leathery/nutty “rancio” to the mix.
These are the common elements of cognac. Master distillers put their stamp to the spirit by cutting the “heads” and the “tails” of the distillate at exact points to optimize flavours without adding undesirable off odors like acetone which smells like nail polish. Cognac houses buy both wines and distillate from growers and distillers who dot the countryside. Despite about 90,000 hectares of vines, only a fraction are owned by the ten big Cognac houses who make an estimated 95% of the product sold. The big four in order are largesse are Hennessey, Remy Martin, Courvoisier and Martell (interchangeably in 3rd or 4th spot depending on the year) and they hold over 80% of the market.
Developments in recent years have not been kind to the big houses however. The Asian flu dried up that market considerably. Once huge buyers of the most expensive premium cognacs, the Japanese have lightened up their consumption (and gift giving) in this area. The wealthier Chinese in Hong Kong have switched from guzzling bottles of cognac at dinners and night clubs to fine red wine, albeit sometimes mixed with coke especially in the karaoke bars. Cognac houses have had to get ingenious to encourage new converts to their famous spirit.
Some houses such as Hennessy are doing single distillery cognacs, celebrating one location, one climate and one distiller such as Jean-Pierre Vidal of Le Peu. Others, Hine for example, are doing special spicier, fuller blends of cognac to match with cigars and also vintage dated cognac. L&L Cognac are appealing to the youth by blending with passionfruit, beer, tonic and so forth. The Cognac bureau itself is pushing the spirit as a mix with tonic water or ginger ale. Then there are the approximately 400 growers/distillers who now label their own brand of cognac, as well as selling to the big guys. While these small fry represent less than a tenth of the total production, their numbers have been growing since the 1980’s. The negotiant houses, sitting on lots of stock, weren’t buying as much from them so what else could they do with their production? The small producers having only the right to bottle their own product are individualistic and multi-faceted.
For example Jacques Brard Blanchard on the family farm of his grandparents follows organic methods to grow his vines including the more demanding bio-dynamic farming when possible. While half of his crop is the traditional ugni blanc, he also has merlot, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and other varieties which he sells as table wine. Then like many in the area he also makes pineau des Charentes, a sweet aperitif wine that combines grape juice (fermented but one day) and cognac, which is then aged in barrels. Of course he also makes cognac. Jean-Louis Brillet, aside from brilliant cognacs and pineaus, makes a liqueur of poire-william and cognac called Belle de Brillet.
Francine and Michel Forgeron, located in Grande Champagne, bottle a vintage 1965 cognac straight from the barrel which they sell as Hors d’Age at its natural alcohol strength of 50% (available here in Quebec). Said Francine, “I was asked, don’t you have any 50 year old cognac? So I said, I will have. I’m not in a hurry but I will have.”
Cognac Houses
Chateau de Cognac
Old Chateau once home of François 1er in historic part of Cognac.
Otard 1795 Extra: Limited edition, average of 50 to 60 year olds including some Paradis. Very rich, deep, sweet vanilla, lots of strength but very mellow, long and deep. ($300)
Martell
Seagram owned since 1988, have over 60 different sites for their aging warehouses.
Cordon Blue: About 50 different cognacs from different vineyards and vintages used in the blend. About 40% is Borderie, to define the Martell style, more floral than fruity. I found it complex with leathery, sweetness and spice. ($158)
L&L Cognac
Sell individually bottled cognacs from each of the five Crus as well as these unusual mixed drinks:
XO Beer: An 8% alcohol beer with 5% of mix being XO cognac of 25 to 45 year old. Deep auburn colour, malty nose, rich, smooth, packs a velvet glaved punch. ($4.75/330mL.)
Alizé: Passionfruit, orange, citrus fruit and cognac with a strong passionfruit character. ($22)
Godet
Ancient house, family of Dutch origin settle in the 1600’s in Cognac. Age their cognacs in La Rochelle on the coast.
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Godet V.S.: All from Grande Champagne, five years of age. Penetrating, tobacco, and oak flavours, with a fine balance and smooth finish. Great buy. ($45)
Léopold Gourmel
Names bottles according to the flavour notes coming out at the different stages of aging.
Age de Fruit: Is around seven to eight years of age, with dominant fruity aromas and lots of lingering sweet vanilla tastes. ($85)
Hine
Located in Jarnac, founded in 1763, direct descendent Thomas Hine at the helm, though now owned by huge conglomerate LVMH.
Hine Rare & Delicate Fine Champagne: very refined, floral and elegant. Delicate aromatic nose, gentle, fruity on the palate with a long finish. ($75)
Hine Cigar Reserve: From 15 to 20 year olds, some Fins Bois, rounder, softer, more mellow and fuller made very approachable to match with cigars. ($95)
Hennessy
Do three single distillery products and a host of well know labels. Have own cooperage even.
Hennessy X.O.: From 30 to 35 year old cognac. Very mellow, mocha, milk chocolate flavours with some peppery spice, cloves and old leather in its sweet density. ($170)
Courvoisier
In Jarnac. Known for its special collection of cognac in Erté designed crystal.
Courvoisier X.O. Imperial: Mid weight, baked custard, vanilla nose with florals and delicacy, and then a sweet finish. ($175)
Cognac Marnier
Better known for their wonderful orange liqueur called Grand Marnier, but also producers of fine cognac.
Marnier V.S.O.P.: A Fine Champagne, with a bit of leather, some spiced vanilla and a fine, correct and squeaky clean character. ($60)
Remy Martin
Use only Grande and Petite Champagne in their blends. Top of line is famous Louis XIII in baccarat crystal.
Extra Fine Champagne Cognac: From 27 to 30 year olds. Rich, nutty, dried fruit spiced by tones of nutmeg, tobacco. Smooth, lengthy finish. ($395)
by Margaret Swaine | Aug 22, 1999
Peter McAuslan, president of McAuslan Brewing believes in beers with distinctive flavours. This focus on brews for discerning drinkers, has won the ten year old Quebec company praise and awards, including most popular beer in its category at the recent Montreal Beer Festival for its Apricot Wheat Ale. McAuslan is one of about 30 micro-brewers in Canada making their mark against the Labatt and Molson by targeting the connoisseur niche market.
McAuslan has called the flavour profile of mainstream brews akin to Wonderbread. “They’re consistently made, everywhere and quite bland,” he said, noting that because they have to appeal to the maximum number of people, they can’t go for a flavour profile that off-puts any segment. “We take the polar position of creating a beer with distinctive style and characteristics….They’re too flavour pronounced for a large portion of the populace,” he added.
Of course he’s as outspoken as his beers, which are made under the supervision of his brewmaster wife, Ellen Bounsall. As a joking tribute to his pokes at the industry, he was presented with a loaf of Wonderbread and a bottle of Molson’s Rickard’s Red at a recent meeting of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Brewers Association. However while ten years ago they laughed at him, he said that now the big brewers have to respond. “They missed the whole concept and greatly under-estimated North American interest in specialty brews.” Recent research from the Toronto Beer Buying Monitor by Ascot Marketing shows beer drinkers are more interested in experimenting with beers and less likely to be tied to any one brand.
While the micro-brew share of total sales is only estimated at 2 to 4%, they take a bigger chunk of the margin pool. By getting more profit per bottle, McAuslan figures the micro-brews capture about 6% of the value of the beer business. His own volume is around 4 to 5 million bottles, with a dollar value he puts vaguely in the $5 to $10 million range. He estimates that about a third of the micro-breweries focus on specialty craft brews with high flavour profiles.
The simplest formula for beer as defined by the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, is malted barley, yeast, hops and water. From even such a seemingly straightforward recipe, it can get complicated. The type of yeast makes a huge difference on the flavours. A certain German yeast for example, commonly used in making European wheat beer, gives a clove and banana taste to the brew. The noble, classic Czech hops called, Saaz, add floral, spicy and herby aromas. Barley can be toasted to different degrees of darkness, changing colour, body and tastes in the resultant brew. Even the water, depending on its trace mineral content, can add flavours. Beer, once made, can be refermented in the bottle or aged in barrels. Some breweries go even further and add fruit, spices, honey or herbs to a batch.
Micro breweries can experiment with different styles and flavours on a small scale. Those that don’t carve out a niche following can be dropped to make way for others. It costs big money to launch a new brand beyond the experimental stage into broad availability. One industry spokesperson estimated the price on label design, packaging and promotion to be a minimum of $70,000 each new brand. Further, no brewery wants to cannibalize its own established brands with marginal sellers. There’s only so much shelf space to go around. Thus many add variety to their line by bringing out seasonal brands. McAuslan’s summer Raspberry Ale makes way for the Pumpkin in the Fall and so forth. But then Apricot was such a hot seller this spring, it’s continuing into summer and may stick around even longer.
Niagara Falls Brewing Company is one of the breweries with such a focus. Formed in 1988 by two brothers from Addis Ababa, Mario and Bruno Criveller, they make a full bodied, darkish ale called Gritstone which is a consistent seller. Stronger in character than most Ontarian ales, it’s styled after British beers. But they also make a unique seasonal beer, Eisbock, which is concentrated by freezing and extracting water in the brewing process. Eisbock, now in its tenth year of production, was the first of its style in North America when they launched. Their fruit and maple flavoured beers, introduced a few years a go were the first of their type in Ontario. While they’ve abandoned the cherry and maple syrup brews which didn’t sell in sufficient volume, the Apple Ale made from a concentrate of granny smith apples, is a winner. Originally only a summer offering, it’s so popular that they’ve decided to go year round with it.
Granville Island Brewing, the first micro brewer in British Columbia, did a $2 million revamp in 1997 to focus on bringing handcrafted small batch beer closer to the public. (A formerly public company, which went private last year, the majority of their production is now done in the Okanagan Valley at Calona Winery.) They renovated their high profile site under the Granville Street Bridge so that the brewing equipment is viewable behind a see-through partition and put in a room for on-site tasting adjoining their retail outlet. Brewmaster Mark Simpson makes limited quantities of prototype beers on an ongoing basis. The program, at present called ProtoTap (though the name will change as Simpson says the consumers don’t get the play on words), is a way to introduce beers at a lower risk. Cypress Honey Lager, a ProtoTap program beer which gets its special flavours from Saaz hops, honey and orange peel, was such a success it’s now a main brand and their second best seller. Hefeweizen, a step away from the classic blond beer, is made using English Ale yeast, wheat and coloured malt. It’s popularity is such that its going to break into system wide availability. However his lovely Apricot Altbier, which I tried last year, is alas no longer. “I found that when you say it’s a fruit beer, it puts a lot of people off,” said Simpson. Maybe McAuslan knows something he doesn’t. Or more likely, tastes are different across the country.
Others like Brick Brewing Company of Waterloo, Ontario have gone public on the stock exchange, plunging into more commercial tastes without sacrificing their craft beers. Started in 1984 by Jim Brickman, it had the first new brewers license granted in Eastern Canada in 37 years. The first beer they made was Brick Premium, based on a German style lager. Now the company offers 21 different brands which span the taste spectrum. They brew to exact recipes to produce international brands (Henninger, Celis White and Andechs), create unique brands such as Waterloo Dark and purchase labels by swallowing up Connors, Algonquin and the “popular price” Laker. Last year Brick sold over a million cases, with the capacity to expand to three million annually.
“Individuals are experimenting with all kinds of beers,” said Jim Brickman. “I myself like a range of taste experiences…We’re always tweaking different recipes. It’s the fun part of the business. You can’t be a one trick pony.”
While European brews are on the upswing in North America, but some brews never in the past made it to our shores because of concerns over keeping the freshness intact. Andechs, brewed by the Benedictine Monks of Kloster Andechs Monastery in the Bavarian Alps since 1455, was one such beer. After much negotiation, Brick was entrusted with the recipe and two years ago introduced the first Andechs Spezial Hell Lager made outside of Germany.
Brick is certainly a brewery to watch with respect. Lately wheat beer has become one of the fastest growing specialty brews on this continent. Celis White, a Belgian styled wheat beer flavoured with coriander and orange peel, is a brand produced by The Celis Brewery of Austin Texas. Last spring Brick made a deal with them to brew in Canada under license.
The founder of Celis Brewery coincidentally helped Unibroue of Quebec create it’s first wildly successful brand. When former hardware magnate André Dion searched for a white beer recipe for his winery in 1991, he chanced upon Pierre Celis, exiting the famous Belgian white beer company Hoegaarden, en route to set up a brewery in Texas. Celis worked with Unibroue on the recipe for Blanche de Chambly, a bottle fermented coriander, clove and citrus tasting beer with enduring popularity. Unibroue subsequently expanded into other flavourful Belgian style beers with devilish names such as Maudite and La Fin du Monde and a few years ago went public. However Dion, singer Robert Charlebois and others (but not Celis) from the early days are still involved. And the beers are as wonderfully tasty as ever.
Beer creation appears to be even more addictive than beer drinking. Over at Granville, Simpson is already working on his beer for the millennium. He tells me it will be aged in cognac barrels to add character, colour and an extra punch of spirit.
Flavourful Beers
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Unibroue Maudite: A strong beer kept on the lees. Slightly murky auburn/bronze colour. Full body, highly spiced with cloves, allspice and more. Aromatic, deep and mellow with strong alcohol. (8%) ($11./6x341mL)
Unibroue La Fin du Monde: Triple fermented with special yeasts and left on them. Golden hue, robust, tangy fruit, allspice and clove that’s complex and refined. Strong, a Champagne of beers. (9%) ($5.50/750mL)
McAuslan St-Ambroise Pale Ale: Consistent quality and innovation from this micro-brewery. This an brownish old gold colour with a good malty fruit taste. Textured and layered flavourful mouthful with a nice refreshingly bitter finish. (5%) ($10./6x341mL)
McAuslan Apricot Wheat Ale: Pronounced aromatic apricot bouquet. Dry, quite full, mellow and smooth taste with mere hints of apricot in the taste. Pretty orange/rust colour. (5%) ($7./3x341mL)
McAuslan Spiced Pumpkin: Spiced with cinnamon, allspice, clove, a small amount of pumpkin. Smells like a pumpkin pie and tastes spicy, creamy smooth and harmoniously full. (5%) ($7./3x341mL)
Niagara Falls Brewing Special Edition Eisbock: Made bock style by freezing the beer then removing the ice. Concentrated and strong, dark auburn tinted, with an intense spicy, malty flavour and molasses-like finish. (8%) ($6.50/750mL)
Niagara Falls Brewing Gritstone Premium Ale: Amber-russet, assertive and fairly full bodied with both bitterness and sweetness. Rich toasted malty tastes from its roasted malts. (5.5%) ($3./630mL)
Niagara Falls Brewing Apple Ale: Straw coloured, flavours of apples like the pear-perfumed delicious and the crisp granny smith. Dry finish. (6.5%) ($4./630mL)
Andechs Spezial Hell Lager (Brick): All barley, three different special hops, following a recipe created in 1455. Pale golden colour. Perfumed, gently hopped aromas become like boiled cereal/dried herbs as exposed to air (hence the understandable concern for freshness). Both light yet substantial and layered, rounded in the mouth. Finishes refreshing with a tweak of bitterness. (5.5%) ($9.50/6x341mL)
Celis White (Brick): Cloudy white/faded yellow when chilled. Very aromatic nose with spice and citrus peel. Nice undercurrent of spice and fruit in the taste, like nutty banana bread. Tangy with a smooth, rounded mouth-feel. (5%) ($9.85/6x341mL)
Granville Island Hefeweizen: Made using English Ale hops to avoid the clove and banana character that the more correctly traditional German yeast gives. Lemony crisp and refreshing style. (5%) ($4.85/650mL)
Granville Island Christmas Ale: Hearty Belgian style combination of fruit, spices (allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, anise etc.) and imported malts. Deep amber, rich with higher alcohol warmth. (7.2%) ($4.85/650mL)
Note: All prices are approximate. They vary among the provinces as well as within them when private stores are part of the retail system.
