It wasn’t too long ago when beer from BC only reached Ontario in a very slow stream of drips and drops. We would get an occasional selection like Red Racer, or a few entries from Howe Sound, but things finally seem to be changing. A few weeks ago, a six-pack sampler of BC beers arrived on LCBO shelves.
Some of these beers seem to have been selected to hook entry-level drinkers with craft-brewed versions of middle-of-the-road styles. But the Switchback IPA from Victoria’s Lighthouse Brewing is an excellent beer that will appeal to advanced fans of India Pale Ales.
Switchback pours a deep, medium gold with IPA’s familiar off-white, pillow-like cap. The aroma includes the usual citrus rind, but also a good dose of peach, and there’s a floral background. The flavour adds a tropical fruit sweetness to the malt and hop interplay.
The names of hops varieties are familiar enough these days that Keith’s put “Cascade” and “Hallertau” right on the label of its Hop Series beers. As macrobrewers bring these into the mainstream, craft brewers are looking for new varieties to maintain cachet and to create interesting new releases.
The next step in this evolution is the use of proprietary blends of hops that come branded with catchy names. Switchback uses two of these: Zythos and Falconer’s Flight.
Craft breweries in Ontario are producing excellent releases (including standout pale ales). This six-beer selection is good point of comparison for what is happening with craft beer elsewhere in the country.
Natural Selections six-pack, $13.45, LCBO #338467
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 his own site, Food With Legs. He is also the author of the upcoming Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter or get in touch at info@foodwithlegs.com.