Toast Dad on Father’s Day

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This article was published 17/06/2023 (1204 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If Dad loves beer — and, let’s be honest here, most dads do — there are plenty of options for raising a glass with pops this Father’s Day weekend.

Kilter Brewing Co. just released its Big Daddy’s Root Beer Float, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout infused with root beer spices, vanilla and more. In addition to launching the beer, the brewery is spending the weekend making three different types of beer floats (and a non-alcoholic option) in its taproom (450 Rue Deschambault) and on the patio. Kilter is open until 11 p.m. tonight and all day Saturday.

Over at Devil May Care (155-A Fort St.) they’re serving up a three-course Father’s Day craft beer brunch with Loaf & Honey Saturday at 11 a.m. that pairs each dish with a different beer. Tickets were still available at press time; they’re $65 plus taxes/fees at wfp.to/NBH. (Trans Canada Brewing Co. is also doing a Father’s Day brunch, but it’s already sold out.)

If Dad considers himself to be quite the funnyman, take him down to Torque Brewing Co. (330-830 King Edward St.) for Dad Joke Bingo, which takes place tonight at 7 p.m. There’s no cost for admission.

Sticking in the west end of the city, the second day of the Charleswood Beer Market’s beer fest takes place today from 1 to 5 p.m. at 6600 Roblin Blvd. Dad can try loads of samples, plus there’s food, giveaways and more, and there’s no cost to pop by.

If you’re also looking to grab your dad a physical gift, tickets for the second Ballpark Brewfest, which takes place Saturday, July 22, at Shaw Park starting at 1 p.m., are now on sale. Last year’s inaugural fest was a huge success; nearly every local brewer was represented, and they’re pretty much all back again for this year’s event.

Tickets are $60 plus taxes and fees, and include a souvenir sampling mug and a voucher for a hotdog, hamburger or slice of pizza. There’s also a designated-driver ticket option that’s $15 plus taxes and fees; both are available at wfp.to/NBQ.

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Beers of the week

This week’s half-dozen local brews reviewed offer a decidedly summer theme…

One of the many local radlers appearing on shelves heading into summer, the Kilter Crush Pink Grapefruit Radler ($3.99/473ml cans, brewery, beer vendors) is pale gold in colour and slightly hazy, with loads of ripe grapefruit aromas, as well as hints of pineapple, lemon candy and sweet orange. It’s light-bodied and brings some sweetness, with ripe grapefruit flavours, medium acidity and a very modest 3.5 per cent alcohol. Enjoy in the sun (but keep refrigerated if you’re not opening it right away. 3/5

Sticking with the citrus theme, the Low Life Porch Citrus Saison ($4.80/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors, Liquor Marts) is infused with blood orange, kumquat and tangerine; it’s medium gold in colour and slightly hazy, while aromatically it brings compelling tangerine, mandarin orange, melon rind and orange peel notes with a hint of spice. It’s dry and light-bodied, and the fresh orange fruit and melon flavours come with a hint of spice, while the 5.5 per cent alcohol is unobtrusive. 3.5/5

First up for a pair of pineapple pours this week is the Torque Brewing Pineapple Jeff Hefeweizen ($4.49, brewery, beer vendors). This wheat beer infused with pineapple is medium straw in colour and hazy, and brings subtle pineapple, wheat and spice notes. It’s mainly dry and light-plus bodied, with soft effervescence that works well with the wheat notes and the modest pineapple component; it all comes with very modest bitterness and just 4.7 per cent alcohol. Quite refreshing and well-balanced. 3/5

Next up is the Brazen Brewing Co. Tepache Gold ($4.70/473ml cans, brewery, beer vendors and Liquor Marts), a “pineapple fermented Mexican style ale” which also includes ginger, jalapeño and cinnamon. It’s pale gold and fairly hazy, while aromatically it brings a wallop of jalapeño and secondary pineapple notes along with some underlying spice. On the light-plus bodied and dry palate the spicy pepper notes persist, working quite well with the tropical fruit and the other spice flavours, which linger on the slightly punchy, 6.5 per cent alcohol finish. Intense and quite delicious. 4/5

Keeping things tropical, the Sookram’s Brewing Co. Hawaiian Cosmos ($4.75/473ml cans, brewery, beer vendors) is a riff on its Cosmos sour, here infused with passionfruit, guava and blood orange. It’s pale gold and hazy, with a saline note that comes with the tart tropical and citrus fruit. There’s loads of tartness on the dry, light-bodied palate, with mouth-watering acidity from almost-sour orange and that slightly salty note balanced by modest malt notes and finishing at five per cent alcohol. A very vibrant, zippy brew. 3.5/5

The One Great City Bonsai IPA ($4.29/473ml cans, brewery, beer vendors and Liquor Marts), meanwhile, is infused with green tea, lemongrass, lemon verbena and mint; it’s medium gold in colour and hazy, with the mint and tea showing prominently on the nose, followed by lemon oil, herbal and malty aromas. It’s light-plus-bodied and dry, with a slightly resinous note accompanying the tea and mint flavours, an almost-reedy herbal/green tea component coming with citrus rind flavours, a solid bit of bitterness from hops and a gutsy 6.5 per cent finish. There’s a lot going on here, but it all seems to come together nicely in the end. 4/5

uncorked@mts.net

@bensigurdson