Fresh brews to toast the waning days of summer

It’s likely the last warm long weekend of the year — maybe the last chance to savour the flavours of summer before the leaves abandon the trees and the days and evenings start getting chilly.

With that in mind, here are six new/new-ish local brews that should make the transition to fall a little more palatable. Three are on the lighter, crisp side, while the other three are heavier, hoppier brews to usher in autumn. There are interesting collaborations, beers brewed for good causes and more. Read on…

Good Neighbour Brewing Co. Runner’s Reward Paul’s Kölsch (Winnipeg — $3.99/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors, Liquor Marts)

This is the second year this beer has been made in conjunction with the 5K Paul Wawryko Memorial Fund; this year it was brewed by Good Neighbour and is a kölsch, while last year’s beer was a saison brewed by Oxus. It’s medium gold in colour and clear, with bright cracked oat and malty biscuit aromas as well as subtle floral and herbal notes. On the dry, light-bodied and crisp palate it brings all those fresh grainy flavours with modest hops, an herbal note and, at 4.6 per cent alcohol, a crisp, clean finish. A portion of the proceeds goes towards the Paul Wawryko Fund for Global Conservation and a memorial scholarship in the late local pathologist’s name. It’s an exceptional kölsch — and there’s still time to sign up for the (very fun) 2k or 5k run that takes place on Saturday, Sept. 27. 4.5/5

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One Great City Brewing Co. New Leaf Wildfire Relief Lager (Winnipeg — $3.90/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors, Liquor Marts)

Made from donated Canadian malt (from Scythe Malting) and hops (from JGL Shepherd Hops), this beer is a collaboration between One Great City and Trevor Allain, who posts on Instagram as @beerandbaphomet, with a dollar from each can going to the Canadian Red Cross to support wildfire relief in Manitoba. It’s medium gold in colour and clear, with a frothy head, and aromatically brings subtle hoppy, herbal notes along with the fresh malt, citrus and honey components. It’s dry and light-plus bodied, with a solid touch of bitterness from the hops coming alongside the malt and citrus flavours, while the five per cent alcohol adds just the right amount of length. Great beer, great cause. 4/5

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Interlake Brewing Co. New Iceland 150 Blonde Ale (Winnipeg/Gimli —$3.79/473ml can, Oxus Brewing Co., beer vendors)

This blonde ale, which was released around the time of Islendingadagurinn and celebrates the 150-year anniversary of the founding of New Iceland in the Interlake region, is in all likelihood the same beer as Interlake’s Foxtail Blonde Ale, albeit in Norse-themed packaging. It’s medium gold and clear in appearance, with up-front malty aromas coming with toasty oats, red apple and subtle spice. It’s dry and light-plus-bodied, with fresh malty/grainy flavours along with secondary red apple and herbal notes, modest bitterness and, at 4.5 per cent alcohol, it goes down smooth. Brewed for cans at Oxus, but likely also available on tap at the Gimli brewery/pub. 3/5

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Little Brown Jug Not Another Hazy IPA (Winnipeg — $4.69/473ml can, brewery, Liquor Marts, beer vendors)

LBJ’s latest hazy IPA is a collaboration with Yakima Chief Hops, using HyperBoost™ and DynaBoost™ extracts from the hops producer to boost flavour and, apparently, reduce waste. It’s medium straw and quite hazy in appearance, with bright tropical, wheat, banana candy and malty notes on the nose and a hint of hop bitterness. On the almost off-dry, medium-bodied palate the flavours bring depth and ripeness, with big tropical flavours, lively (but not overpowering) hoppy bitterness, a solid malt component and, at 6.5 per cent alcohol, some length on the finish. Fun. 4/5

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Kilter Brewing Co. Happy in Death Hazy Double IPA (Winnipeg — $5.50/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors)

A collaboration with Montreal’s Brasserie Messorem, this IPA is double dry-hopped with Nectaron, Citra and HyperBoost™ Citra extracts, also from Yakima Chief Hops. It’s bright yellow-gold and hazy, with almost-savoury, dank and herbal hops notes that come with grapefruit, pineapple and sweet citrus notes. It’s medium-bodied and mainly dry, with big bread dough, intense and moderately bitter hoppy notes and deep, ripe tropical fruit flavours. At eight per cent alcohol this brew has bite, and comes with a long, intense finish. Not for the faint of heart. 3.5/5

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Half Pints Brewing Co. Humulus Ludicrous Double IPA (Winnipeg — $5.75/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors)

Winnipeg’s original double IPA is back in cans, and is a decidedly more traditional take on the style than, say, Kilter’s offering. The Humulus Ludicrous is medium copper in colour and slightly hazy, with an earthy, almost clay-like note coming with the roasted malt, resinous and grapefruit oil aromas. It’s medium-bodied and dry, leading with rich roasted malt flavours, secondary caramel and earthy flavours, subtle grapefruit rind and grassy notes and a robust burst of bitterness coming from the slightly dank and punchy hops (it’s 100 IBU). The grainy and malty notes work well together with the hoppy component on a big-but-not-brash finish (it’s eight per cent alcohol). Old school and cool; crack this around a late-day fire. 4/5

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