As if I needed more encouragement to drink beer, this blog has invigorated my passion for trying new brands and styles and at the same time revisit ones that I have had in the past. This weekend gave the occasion to add several fine specimen to the collection. I will start with a beer that I only recently discovered: Lug Tread by Beau's Brewery in Vankleek Hill, ON. It is a lagered ale, which basically means it is a Kölsch, as was confirmed in the brewery. I have sampled Kölsch made in North-America on a number of occasions, and the experience has usually been disappointing. But this one is truly a fine effort - it manages to capture the subtle bitterness of the authentic style from the city of Cologne (the name of the style is derived from the German name of this city - Köln - and I believe in the EU it is a protected designation by place of origin - a beer can only be named Kölsch if it is made in the Cologne area). Lug Tread has grain flavors that are wonderfully bread-like and slily peek through the hops flavors at the end of the palate. This makes the malt's sweetness seem dry like a Moselle wine cuts sweet grapes with acidity. The pale golden color and thick white head are also very reminiscent of a real Kölsch, and it goes down as easily as the stuff from Cologne, which is of course a dangerous thing. Because Beau's takes pride in using organic raw materials and brands itself as the "Natural Brewery", I took this picture of Beau's mighty 600ml bottle in the fields coming back from my visit to the brewery. The ride on the motorbike from Montreal is about 45 minutes, well worth it all the way. This may become a regular trip for me in the future because in Canada, inter-provincial commerce in beer is stuck in a temperance mentality that makes me want to cry.

Beau's Lug Tread is also noteworthy for its cap, featured below. 

The second beer I would like to feature is another Canadian entry - this one from Montreal: McAuslan's St Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale. I am not normally a big fan of fruit beers, but if done right, they can inspire and please at the same time. This beer really does inspire. If you think fruit beer means sweet, think again. The Apricot Wheat manages to evoke flavors of the apricot pit by balancing the fragrant aroma of dried apricots with a hops bitterness unlike any other fruit beer I have tasted. The wheat malts give this beer a base that lets the other two dominant flavors take centre stage while creating a background palate that makes you think ale, not fruit. I guess that explain the official full name. The colour is apricot all the way, as is the nose. Indeed, the nose of this beer alone is worth a try. We will see more from McAuslan in the weeks to come, and I dedicate this photo to the founder of this fine brewery, Peter McAuslan, who is a graduate of Concordia University. The picture taken on the Loyola Campus of Concordia to give the beer an appropriately majestic backdrop.