Ontario's Extreme Beer (EXTREME BEER PART 2)

As I mentioned in part I, extreme beer is beer with more of the traditional beer ingredients, or with ingredients outside of the traditional ingredients. The U.S. has a thriving extreme beer scene, with Dog Fish Head, etc. Quebec's scene is Belgium inspired - and the Belgians are kings of extreme beer. Ontario, unfortunately, is lagging behind. I'm not sure why it is, exactly-whether it's because we were founded by puritans, or because of our archaic liquor laws (it's not prohibition anymore!), or for whatever frustrating reason I don't pretend to be an expert in.

All I know is that our scene is behind the times. Fortunately, that's starting to change - our craft brewers are really starting to have some fun brewing some out there seasonals and one offs. This week, I had Great Lakes Saison with Citra Hops at Bar Volo (a Belgian style farm ale with American style hops) and it was great! But, generally, at the lcbo and Beer Store, I can only get, at the most extreme, a really hoppy IPA. Nobody here is doing Belgian well yet (on my same trip to Bar Volo, I also had a really terrible local Tripel from a brewery that will remain nameless.)

I can sense things the change is accelerating, too. Along with the local, established breweries that are venturing into extreme beer territory (I like Great Lakes (Toronto) and Flying Monkey (Barrie) a lot), there appears to be a mini-boom of new extreme breweries. I've mentioned Spearhead before. Their Hawaiian Pale Ale is wonderful. And I look forward to anything else they'll hopefully put out soon. In Toronto, there's also Indie Ale in the Junction (I tried their Belgian IPA at the same BarVolo trip (I don't get out that often, but when I do...) and it was very good - a hybrid extreme Belgian IPA. And there's Kensington whose Augusta Ale I've yet to find on tap, but have heard is good. This, I'm hoping, is just the tip of the iceberg we're heading right into.

But, still, I fear that these breweries, that are just starting to find their feet, will have to jump through such hoops to get their beer on the shelves, that it may curtail this boom. Lord I hope not. There's a great opportunity here, and I hope we seize it.. The Ontario beer drinker deserves it, and wants it. But let's get it on the store shelves, so that maybe next time I go to the lcbo, I can pick up a Spearhead rather than a B.C. Red Racer.

Thank you and good weekend.
I can sense great things happening in ONtario