Brews News: Change is a constant at craft breweries

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If, as Albert Einstein apparently said, the measure of intelligence is the ability to change, then we have a lot of savvy brewers out there.

Among head brewers and their accounting department friends, tweaks to familiar beers are a frequent fact of life.

They’re often geeky, so nuanced only a cicerone or skilled beerologist picks up on it.

Other times, everyone can’t help but notice. When New Belgium updated its recipe for Fat Tire, its original homebrew recipe that launched a Colorado giant, the colour changed to a light gold from its original amber. The tweaked taste was described as less sweet and, I suspect, aimed at bringing more Bud Light drinkers into the fold.

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Boston Lager, another of the big-selling craft beers, also has changed. Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch has said there have been many changes to his marquee lager during the years, including using hops harvested a couple of weeks after they ripen and start turning from green to grey. Turns out, it improves aroma.

It’s not all about adjusting grain bills or nerdy things like lauter time. It’s also about changing tastes of customers to keep revenue flowing, sourcing ingredients more economically to keep sales high and costs low.

Here in Southwestern Ontario, one of the region’s prominent brewers has rewritten a longtime recipe and is eager for patrons to try it.

The new version of Iron Spike by Railway City Brewing of St. Thomas will be in the fridge this month with an adjusted recipe inside and a fresh yet familiar look outside.

The new label for the red ale is one of Railway City’s most distinctive nods to its home city, featuring a series of railway tracks leading to a red sky framed by the current Elgin County Railway Museum and historic passenger rail station.

For every tweak that rejuvenates interest in a beer like Iron Spike, some changes leave head brewers throwing up their hands.

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In Petrolia, Black Gold has done well with its Victorian Delight, a crisp pale ale with vanilla. But the supplier of the vanilla has stopped producing it. Black Gold tried several other extracts, but none nailed the Victorian Delight flavour quite the same way, according to the brewery. They brewed one final batch with the original vanilla and when it’s done, so is Victorian Delight.

NEW AND NOTED

What’s the holy trinity of beers at Railway City? If the brands promoted by the sales team to gas and convenience stores are a clue, the popular three are Dead Elephant IPA, Boxcar Juicy IPA and Red Rocker, the new Mexican-style lager brewed in St. Thomas for rock star Sammy Hagar.

Sons of Kent in Chatham has a new beer raising money and awareness for the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund. Downie Wenjack Pilsner is brewed with Saaz hops and pilsner malt, a homage to Downie’s favourite beer European beer style. The can label, simple in design, features a drawing of the Tragically Hip singer’s signature hat. The beer debuted at the brewery’s Hip Fest in August. The Downie and Wenjack Fund helps with understanding and reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous people.

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Wellington Brewery in Guelph marks its 39th year in beer with a Pin Party this weekend, Sept. 6 to 8. A pin is officially a cask of 20.4 litres (or 4.6 imperial gallons or 5.6 U.S. gallons). Admission is free.

Cowbell Brewing has a new IPA in the LCBO and at the Blyth destination brewery, Experimental is peachy and clocks in a 6.5 per cent alcohol. Experimental uses two new hop varieties, HBC 1019 from Hop Breeding Co. and HS 17701 from the Hopsteiner breeding program.

Czech beer fans will want to sample Sawdust City’s new dark lager, Fire Glow. Brewed with Saaz hops, German pilsner yeast and a five-part malt bill, Fire Glow is inspired by the U Flecku, a brewpub in Prague visited by Sawdust City brewer Sam Corbeil. Bready with a spicy finish from the Saaz, it measures a light 4.8 per cent alcohol.

Peach saison, anyone? Anderson, in London, has a fresh farmhouse ale, with added peaches to celebrate the harvest.

Wayne Newton is a freelance journalist based in London.

BrewsNewsTravels@gmail.com

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