@bhopps83 #BeerRun @run_beer
We’ve all been in this situation before: The scene is a dinner party, or a wedding social, or some non-descript event you really didn’t want to attend in the first place. Inevitably, you’ll have to venture towards the bar.
The drink situation is a lot like the people you’re trying to make small talk with: bland and boring. Your choice of brew is always the same. You’re forced to choose between two “light” beers, or a “premium” variety of the first two choices.
This, ladies and gentlemen should not be the choice we’re entitled to make when a “pick-me-up” is required to pass the time.
I bring the aforementioned social scenario to your attention because the same situation was presented to me at a wedding social for a friend I hadn’t seen in years (sound familiar?).
The evening was playing its course quickly enough,and at this point, thankfully, so was the beer. Except, one of the people I was talking with, discussing, the lame selection of alcohol (also, a friend I hadn’t seen in years), turned out to be a Beer Representative for Okanagan Springs, Creemore Springs and Granville Island Brewing Company. The friend was based out of Winnipeg, and was responsible for bringing the brand to Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
My jaw went slack for a good three seconds.
When I regained social consciousness, I confessed to being a self-educated hophead, and enjoyed discussing the finer points of beer.
We ended up trading business cards at the end of the evening, and I marvelled at my stroke of good luck in having grown up with someone who works in the industry.
Currently two of GIB’s flagship beers are available in Saskatchewan: Kitsilano Cream Ale, and English Bay Pale Ale. Both are enjoyable brews, but with reference to the overall point of the article, I point out these two beers for their break from the norm. They offer up variety. Both brands are immediately palatable. For those who are used to light beers, GIB’s mainstays are a great introduction into the world of craft brewing.
Perhaps the greatest reason I can think of to include The English Bay Pale Ale in your introduction pack is after your initial sip, the hops in the brew aren’t all that present in the taste, but come out slowly in the seconds after you swallow, and along with it a subtle taste of caramel and honey.
The main difference between the English Bay and Kitsilano Cream Ale is the ending. Instead of caramel and honey, the Kitsilano has a kick of maple. As you can devise from your own experiences with caramel, maple and honey, both of these varieties are sweet to the taste.
GIB is constantly brewing new recipes to add to their lineup. You can visit their website at gib.ca and while only two varieties are available in Saskatchewan right now, if you can get your hands on some of their other beers, they are definately worth a second sip.
When organizing your next social function, be it a wedding social, or 40th wedding anniversary, instead of making sure the beer list includes the four major beer brands, think of the people like me. Add at least one drink that’s different; a break from the norm. You’ll have people saying, “the people were bland and boring, but at least the beer was good!”
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