Summer brews to while away dog days

Last week I was in Niagara attending the 16th International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C+).

And while it may sound a little niche, it offered a fascinating window into the ways in which the king of white wine grapes is being made in Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and a handful of other cooler-climate wine-producing countries in the world.

I’ll have more on i4C+ coming soon, but after tasting around 100 or so Chardonnays in four days, I’m giving my palate a break from wine this week, and am instead getting caught up on some new/newer/new-to-me local brews that have landed on shelves.

All the following beers are available at the breweries where they were made as well as Liquor Marts and beer vendors (should they choose to carry them), and are listed roughly in order from lightest to fullest…

If you want to relive your favourite Winnipeg Folk Festival moments (or have folk fest FOMO), there’s still some of the Little Brown Jug Folk Fest Lager (Winnipeg — $4.39/473ml can) out in the wild. It’s pale gold and clear in appearance, and brings bright biscuit, malt and oat notes on the nose, with a modest floral component in there as well. It’s dry and light-plus bodied, with cracked oat and malt flavours, no notable hoppiness and, at five per cent alcohol, finishes fairly simply. A fun, easygoing warm-weather brew. 3.5/5

A “Mexican cream ale with cactya” (soursop), the Blumstein Brewing Co. Zumma Dach (Stanley — $4.42/473ml can), whose name means “summer day,” is medium straw in appearance and slightly hazy, with a fresh citrus-forward nose that also delivers bright malt and subtle tropical notes. It’s dry and light-plus-bodied, with decent creaminess texturally that ramps up the malt and tropical notes, while the more modest citrus flavours from the soursop comes with medium acidity and effervescence before the modest 4.8 per cent alcohol on the finish. For those who find fruited sours too tart, this might be the one for you — tasty. 3.5/5

Medium salmon pink and slightly hazy in appearance, the Nonsuch Brewing Co. Celeste Blueberry Kölsch (Winnipeg — $4.50/473ml can) brings slightly jammy blueberry aromas with an almost-chalky, Flintstone vitamin note as well as fresh malt and slightly doughy notes. There’s a hint of sweetness to the blueberry flavours on the light-plus bodied palate that’s quite pleasant before the malt/oat notes kick in — and then the chalkier, vitamin-like note (a good thing!) lingers on the modestly punchy finish (it’s 5.4 per cent alcohol). Fans of Nonsuch’s strawberry kölsch will find plenty to like here — the fruit here tastes more authentic than some other blueberry-infused brews. 4/5

Pale straw and very hazy in appearance, the Kilter Brewing Co. Super Soaker Hazy Pale Ale (Winnipeg — $4.50/473ml can) is a dry-hopped brew featuring Superdelic, Citra and Motueka hops. On the nose there’s a touch of dankness to the hops that comes alongside grapefruit pith, lemon zest, white pepper and light malt notes. It’s light-plus-bodied and mainly dry, with tropical and citrus flavours arriving alongside slightly dank and grassy hoppy notes, modest bitterness, a dash of pepper and, at 4.5 per cent alcohol, a modest and summer-friendly finish. Fairly similar to Kilter’s Waves juicy pale ale; IPA fans looking for something a little on the lighter side of the brewery’s flagship Juicii, take note. 3/5

Made with spruce tips sourced from Fireweed Food Co-op and Wildland Foods, the Sookram’s Brewing Co. Spruce Almighty Spruce Tip Pale Ale (Winnipeg — $4.79/473ml can) is medium gold and clear in appearance, with a pronounced pine note that comes with modest resinous hops on the nose along with grassy, light citrus and fresh malt notes. It’s light-plus bodied and dry, with the malt and spruce working well together, producing an almost-minty note that comes with grassy, citrus rind, chalky and malt flavours. At 5.5 per cent alcohol it brings a modest kick; typically you’d think of this style of beer in fall or winter, but this excellent brew will work well in warmer temps too. Make sure to check out today’s Better Together collaborative event the brewery (479-B Warsaw Ave.) is running with Low Life Barrel House (298 Daly St. N) until 6 p.m. 4.5/5

The “Raspberry Edition” on the can of the Obsolete Brewing Co. Tug of War Witbier — Raspberry Edition (Dauphin — $4.25/473ml can) is in fairly small type, so it was a bit of a surprise when this wheat beer poured very deep pink and hazy in the glass. Aromatically, the raspberry purée is front and centre, with secondary oat and malt notes and just a hint of orange peel and coriander. It’s medium-bodied and just a touch off-dry, with chewy raspberry flavours showing exceptionally well, while the oat, ripe orange and spice notes are quite subtle and the 4.8 per cent alcohol modest. It’s certainly not your classic witbier, but it sure is tasty. 4/5

winnipegfreepress.com/bensigurdson