During the first week of December in 1837, William Lyon Mackenzie led a ragtag gang of rebels down Yonge Street in an attempt to overthrow the government and capture Toronto. The insurrection was quickly and easily put down by colonial authorities.
For the latest entry in its Historic Beers of Canada series, Black Creek Historic Brewery has released Montgomery’s Courage, named after the Yonge Street tavern that served as a rallying point for the rebels and where they held their last stand.
Rye was apparently a popular grain for beer recipes in the 1830s (especially after other harvests failed), and this amber ale hews to that tradition. Even though the rye is merely a supporting character, I’m always happy to see a beer that calls the distinctive, character-filled grain into service.
Montgomery’s Courage pours a gold-amber with an off-white top that sticks around and leaves a decent amount of lacing. The aroma is mainly the sweet notes of toffee and late-autumn fruit with a hint of butter. The first sip brings a peppery spice from the rye along with traces of burnt sugar and a welcome hoppy finish.
I think this beer will work best at either the beginning or the end of a meal. The peppery notes and the bitter hops will do a great job of accenting rich, salty flavours of appetizers like smoked fish or olives. There is also enough sweetness in this beer to pair it with desserts like gingerbread cake or sticky toffee pudding.
Like the first two entries in this beer series (Rifleman’s Ration and Dray Horse Ale), Montgomery’s Courage has an attractive label. But this ale won’t stand up to aging, so it’s best to save the empty bottle for your collection.
Black Creek Historic Brewery Montgomery’s Courage, $3.95 for a 500 mL bottle, LCBO #343137
In addition to covering beer, new restaurants and food trucks for Post City, David Ort writes about food and drink for several Toronto publications including Spotlight Toronto and his own site, Food With Legs. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter.