Welcome to my BBQ: have a dark, thick chocolatey Great Lakes porter

I know what you're going to be thinking at 5:01 this afternoon (or 3:01 if your bosses are awesome), when you're unleashed into the sunshine for three blissful days:

"Dude, MAY 2-4."

then:

"Bro, gotta get some beers."

(stop at beer store/lcbo)

then:

"Dude, lager city!"

then:

"Maybe something with limes in it?"

then:

"If I put them in the freezer the minute I get home, they'll be cold enough for my BBQ on Sunday, then it's time to C-H-I-L-L with my boyz/girlz and some tunes and some cold brews, y'all."

I'm here, obnoxious dude/dudette, to present to you an alternative scenario.

Follow the above steps, but stop right before "Dude, lager city." Don't say that, it's annoying.

Be at the lcbo. And do something that may sound absolutely ridiculous: Buy a Great Lakes Robust Porter. This is what it looks like:

Pretty, right? Gorgeous, even. That's one classy looking bottle.

Here's what I'm thinking: buy a bunch of your usual Ontario craft beers (that's what you usually buy, right?) Maybe a Muskoka Mad Tom, a great choice. Perhaps a Neustadt Lager (just don't freeze it). For sure some Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA (new to the lcbo, and I'll take more about it in my next post). Whatever your little heart desires.

Then, put a few Robust Porters in your overflowing basket.

But, bro, you ask? Why? It's chill outside weekend. I just want to sit in the sun with some lite brews.

There are a few reasons:

1. Because it's around now. And it's in limited quantities and it won't be around forever. DO NOT miss your chance at this seriously good beer. And buy a few extra, and store em for the fall, when the weather cools down.

2. Because it's rare that we get good, risk taking local beers like this at the lcbo. And if we collectively buy all these bottles quickly, it's sending a message to a) the breweries that there's a market for things that are outside the norm, and b) the lcbo, that local beers that are outside the norm will sell and to please allow us to have more.

Eventually, this weekend, at some point, unless it's the end of days, the sun will go down. And you'll still be sitting outside, but with a light jacket on. And, after a day outside drinking lagers, you'll be in the mood for something different. And that's when you'll remember. You'll go get the classy bottle of Robust Porter, and you'll fiddle your way with the wax. And you'll impress your friends with the classy bottle. And you'll pour yourself a responsibly sized glass. And you'll do the same for whichever friends are still hanging around. And you'll cheers to an awesome weekend, and to an awesome beer that hits just the spot once the sun goes down. There's a beer for every occasion, and this is that beer and that occasion. And don't say I'll buy it later, it won't be around later. Buy it now. Go. Go at lunch. Just go.

But, what does it taste like?

Great Lake 25th Anniversary Robust Porter

Briefly: Huge head. Pitch black colour. Smell of roast coffee and chocolate. Taste: Sharp taste. some bitter. chocolate and coffee.

If you want to read more about it, The Toronto Star's Josh Rubin had a nice piece on it here:
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/drinks/article/1178762--great-lakes-brewery-s-anniversary-brew-is-dark-and-aromatic-what-s-brewing

...And to find it, visit lcbo.ca and type in Robust Porter. It's the only one.

Summer Preview: Go local

Ahhhh.... the bland nondescript summerscape....

So the lcbo announced their summer release. And here it is...

Lindeman's Cuvee Rene / 5.5% / 355 ml / $6.45
Dieu du Ciel Rosée d'Hibiscus / 5.9% / 4 x 341 ml / $11.85
Phillips Ginger Beer / 5% / 650  ml/ $5.15
Schneider Nelson Sauvin / 6.9% / 750 ml / $8.95
Weihenstephan Kristallweissbier / 5.4% / 500 ml / $3.10
Ayinger Brau-Weisse / 5% / 500 ml / $3.45
Schneider Hopfen Weisse / 8.2% / 500 ml / $3.25
Birrificio del Ducato Nuova Mattina (New Morning) Saison / 5.8% / 330 ml / $4.15
Thornbridge Kipling South Pacific Pale Ale / 5.2% / 500 ml/ $4.75
Celt Golden Crafted Ale / 4.2% / 500 ml / $3.50
Fuller's Organic Honey Dew / 5% / 500 ml / $3.25
BrewDog Punk IPA / 6.2% / 330 ml/ $2.60
Shipyard Smashed Blueberry / 9% / 625 ml / $7.95

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this list. If you ask me, which you did by coming to this site, it's a GREAT list (yay!)... If you like German style wheat beers (meh!). CLOVES! BANANAS! WHEAT! EASY DRINKING! You can find out more about these individual beers by plugging in their names into beeradvocate.com.

I'm psyched about two of these: New Morning (a Saison at the lcbo. woot.) and Lindeman's Cuvee Rene. Otherwise, it's a pretty bland lineup, particularly after the last few stellar releases. That said, it IS summer, and people want to quaff* sessionable* beers in the sun. so let them have their wheat beer. I'll be saving my pennies for what I'm REALLY excited about: the slew of new Ontario craft beers that'll be hitting the lcbo shelves this summer. Why do I need German beer to quaff* my sessions* with, when Ontario is starting to have all I need. Plus: they're fresher. And even more Plus: They're NOT wheat beers. Hopefully, as more and more Ontario craft beers are available to us, the seasonal releases, which generally are from Germany, England, Belgium, etc (bee tee dubs: more from Belgium please, lcbo.), will serve to complement the local stuff. We're not there yet, but I sure hope we will be soon. Anyway, about the stuff I'm excited about:

Expected imminently:

Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA should be hitting the lcbo shelves this week. Note: This is one awesome IPA - one of the top available to us. I want. Bad. Hurry up, Mr. Boneshaker. (edit note: this beer started arriving at lcbos this week).

Great Lakes Robust Porter: I mentioned my excitement at this in a past post. I've heard it'll be out in the next few weeks. Waiting patiently... (edit note: this beer has started arriving at lcbos this week too, but in very limited quantities so hurry!)

Also expected at some point this summer:

Kensington's Augusta Ale - I've heard June...

Nickelbrook Naughty Neighbour Pale Ale - Not sure when...

Spearhead Hawaiian Pale Ale - I've heard Canade Day

Double Trouble's Hops & Robbers IPA - not sure

I'll write more about these in the future, closer to when they come out, but this is all just to say that, if you want some quaffing* sessions*, more and more, you'll be able to do it with great local beer this summer. Give them all a try. You may not end up liking them all, but you won't know unless you give them a shot, and these local craft breweries need to be supported. We're headed in the right direction, and that direction isn't from Europe to boat to Canada, it's from brewery to belly.

*I sincerely apologize for using the two most pretentious, annoying, non-sensical and overused words in beer geekdom: "quaff" and "sessionable." If you ever hear me say these words out loud, you reserve the right to dip your finger in my beer, and then poke me in the eye with it, and then call me a weiner one time. I'll use them on this site, however, because a) it's hilarious, and b) you can't reach my beer/eye through the internet.