Brews News: Lots of choices for dry, drier January

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See snow, go slow. See beer, go low and no.

Motorists heading to ski hills and snowmobile trails know the advice and now craft beer drinkers have their own take on the earworn rhyme. Dry January – whether you’re participating in the fundraising program or informally – signals a month of attention for the burgeoning near-beer category. Now, brewers are giving patrons a new winter choice, fresh batches of light beers normally seen in the summer, an appealing option for those who aren’t into near-beers but want to scale back.

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Another option? Pace things by mixing orders of traditional strength beers with super low or non-alcoholic options.

Whether buying by the case or dropping into old favourite breweries or road tripping to unexplored ones, the options are impressive.

Here’s what’s out there to pique your interest.

By the box. Non-alcoholic beer curator and distributor Designated Drinks of London offers the January Super Pack. It’s 31 brews from the likes of Harmon’s, Triple Bogey, Perth and Lake of Bays.

Fresh year, fresh beer. While non-alcoholic beer works best as a pale ale, try Sober Carpenter’s Black IPA brewed to look like a stout, smell like an IPA. It’s a limited edition that Sober Carpenter brewed with Amarillo, Magnum and Mosaic hops along with 2 Row, Chocolate and Carafa II malts.

Bayfield beckons. We like the Lake Huron village of Bayfield best in summer but winter works, too. The popular day trip for Londoners has to include cozy Bayfield Brewing where there’s a 0.5 alcohol IPA launched as Near the Shore.

Light in winter. Storm Stayed Brewing, set to celebrate its seventh anniversary this month, marks the month with a batch of Southcrest, a 2.4 per cent alcohol extra light lager. The name is a nod to a nearby London neighbourhood. This bubbly beer gets its spicy notes from Saaz hops.

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Playing ball. Left Field, Toronto’s baseball-themed brewery with locations in Liberty Village and Leslieville, serves Harmon’s non-alcoholic beer. But they’ve also got a low-alcohol beer they’ve brewed themselves. Champ Micro IPA is 2.8 per cent alcohol and hop-wise blends Nelson Savin with thiol-loaded Phantasm. Think green grape flavour.

NEW AND NOTED

Not everyone is into light beers in the middle of winter. In the snowbelt, Neustadt Springs Brewery has a new imperial stout. It’s nine per cent alcohol, best paired at home riding out a Lake Huron squall. Tasting notes point to its dark chocolate, cherries and coffee flavours.

In Sarnia, Imperial City’s Barrel Series makes its brief return with volumes three and four available in one-litre bottles suitable for sharing. Proper Porter Whisky and Winter Warmer Whisky beers were aged in freshly emptied barrels from Wolfhead Distillery.

Railway City in St. Thomas has a new hazy IPA for January. Phantom Express is brewed with Phantasm and Sauvignon Blanc grapes from New Zealand’s Marlborough wine growing region. There’s sweetness in the taste. Aromas are described as grapefruit and guava.

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The newest brewery in the area has a new brew to pair with its sister restaurant. Port Stanley Brewing launched a light and crisp Italian pilsner brewed with Eraclea malt from Italy and dry hopped with Saphir.

Smoked beer fans, malty beer lovers and firefighters alike will find a hero at Black Gold in Petrolia. Ladder 13 is a new smoked amber ale, 5.2 per cent alcohol. The earthy Chinook hops deliver pine and grapefruit notes.

Wayne Newton is a freelance journalist based in London.

BrewsNewsTravels@gmail.com

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