Beer Pressure

(and the last of the Octopus)

beer pres·sure

noun

1. influence from members of one's peer group to drink really awesome beer

I'm feeling some pretty strong beer pressure these days. I blame the brewers.

I'm sure the changing of the season has something to do with it, as brewers rush to get the last of the summer IPAs off the line before the dark beers of winter get their undivided attention I'm equally sure I am also to blame, as loose change previously spent on beer is now being funneled into other projects, like rent and stuff.

But I still blame the brewers.

And bartenders too, as it all started when Samantha at Buster Rhino's told me to finish up the keg of Swamp Juice from Great Lakes (GLB) because they had one small keg of Octopus Wants to Fight in the back: perhaps the last keg of this Beer-of-the-Year front runner left in the free world.

So, just to recap, the brewers and the bartenders are to blame.

While I'm doing my duty by drinking the Swamp Juice, I'm hearing that GLB is re-releasing Karma Citra and even though it will eventually trickle into the LCBO system (so they say), I have no choice but make a pilgrimage to Toronto's south-west corner and get some. Immediately, if not sooner.

I'm also responding to a message from Trevor, the World's Sexiest Cellarman, who told me Liquid Swords, Manantler Brewing's excellent IPA, is back at the brewery, along with "the best batch" of Dark Prince Black IPA they've ever produced.

Dude. You had me at 'Liquid.'

The lovely and talented Octopus
Wants to Fight IPA

There was more social media beer pressure. I'm on Facebook and Beer Bro Don and I are raving over a beer just released by Brock Street Brewing: Fox's Two Thumbs West Coast Unfiltered Triple Dry-Hopped IPA.

Yeah, that's a big step up from their usual Blondes, Browns and Reds.

I also had tentative plans to make a Toronto beer run, with the Junction neighbourhood on my radar. Rainhard Brewing, Indie Ale House and promising newcomer Halo Brewing make this the best four kilometre stretch of breweries (seven if you keep driving south-east to Bellwoods) in Ontario.

I don't know if I can handle all this pressure. I don't know if there's enough loose change in my couch either.

My priority, as it should be, was the Octopus and I returned, ever hopeful to see it on tap, to Buster Rhino's on the following Monday, only to find Big Rig Brewery's Alpha Bomb IPA where my Octopus was supposed to be.

Alpha Bomb is an excellent IPA; but it's no Octopus. Still, I had a made a sworn oath to do whatever I had to do to get Octopus back on tap, so I had to get back to work.

"A pint of Alpha Bomb, please."

I was back mid-week and and found the tap taken over by another interloper, this time No. 1 Pilsner from brand new Scarborough brewery Common Good.

I looked at Sam like, what the hell? and she threw her hands up in the air. "I had a plan," she said, looking skyward. "I really had a plan."

She assured me that the bar really, really, did have a keg of Octopus and it will be tapped really, really soon. Which was good to hear, because I was starting to seriously have some doubts. So I drank the No. 1 Pilsner and pronounced it a really, really good Pilsner. But it was no Octopus either.

The next day I received a message from Jessica, "I hear there's an Octopus who wants to fight you tomorrow," she said.

Finally.

With all this Beer Pressure, there had to be some sacrifices made. The Junction beer run, for example was postponed to a later date and that Two Thumbs (triple dry-hopped) IPA from Brock Street didn't last one day after its release.

(Don and I were still talking about it on social media, in fact, when Paul Thebeerguy jumped on the thread to tell us it was already sold out.)

I did make it to Manantler, but too late to find any Liquid Swords in the fridge. I did, however, enjoy it on tap and it was a glorious as always. The Dark Prince, which I got into that evening at home, was exactly as advertised ("the best batch ever"), with its fantastic aroma of chocolate pie, licorice nibs and ripe citrus.

Me: Is the Octopus on yet? Sam: No. But
let me distract you with this Pokemon Jynx

The GLB Karma Citra run was an unqualified success and I nursed those 12 beers most of the following week. I also ran into Troy, GLB's community, sales and social media star, at the brewery and he told me I was doing a great job with the blogs (aw...shucks!) and he assured me that despite everything I'd written about him, Brewmaster Mike Lackie still loved me.

"I'm pretty sure, anyway," Troy said.

But it was the last keg of Octopus that was my focus so I was at Buster Rhino's the next day after work and every day thereafter for a pint or sometimes two. I wouldn't even have to say a word when I walked in. Samantha or Jessica or whoever was behind the bar would just set me up with an Octopus Wants to Fight IPA.  And I would happily drink it.

It was actually a new bartender who served me first, though Jess and Sam were both there at the time when Kimmer - the history-making first-ever male front-of-the-house hire at Buster's - asked me what I wanted to drink.

"He'll have the Octopus," Jess told him, and Kimmer quickly figured out who I was. "You're the guy who keeps talking about this."

Yup. That's me.

The wait was worth it for the aroma alone. Just an incredible bouquet with this beer, with big helpings of  mango, pineapple and pine tickling the nostrils making it, to quote myself, "the best smelling beer ever."

And when I stopped in Saturday for lunch and the Octopus keg was empty I was only momentarily disappointed. It had its run (several, actually) and I had my share. I was satisfied.

Besides, there was a pretty good replacement on tap.

"Karma Citra, please."

.

*

1. 
   
2. .

Finding David (at last) and more U.S. beer

I was sitting at the bar at Rib-Eye Jack's in Burlington, enjoying free beer courtesy of my buddy Don, and thinking I should be somewhere else.

I was on my second pint - a sessionable Naughty Neighbour from nearby Nickel Brook Brewery - when it hit me: I was supposed to be at work in Oshawa. Right about...aah now.

Sorry Heather. I'm on my way.

It was the end of a border run and I was dropping off a care package of U.S. beer for Don. He was the one who suggested we meet at Rib Eye's and I didn't argue: I was thirsty and he was buying.

It was the second run in two weeks for me, which is more often than my bank account can take but necessary because the last trip was a bit of a disaster. Not so much for the beer - though I struck out on both brews on my wish list - but because the real reason for the trip was to visit my Father-in-law David, who has Stage 4 cancer and was recovering in a Hamilton hospital from recent surgery.

That 'visit' didn't go so well. I thought I was doing fine when I made it to the right hospital after a wrong turn or two and found a man I thought was David . Less so when I discovered the man I had just spent twenty minutes with was not the David I was looking for.

Embarrassing, yes, but just a day in the life for me.

Anyway, I had to make things right so another trip to the Hammer (and to the American border) was in order.

Premier Gourmet in Amherst, N.Y.

I got away earlier, which was handy because I had planned to head in the direction of Buffalo if my usual go-to store in Niagara Falls didn't have the beers on my list. No traffic issues or customs delays on this day either, and I made it to Consumer's Beverages (Niagara Falls,NY) in record time.

I found one of the Stone Brewing (Escondido, Cal.) beers on my list - the 20th Anniversary Citracado IIPA - but not the Unapologetic IPA re-release. So I filled up my basket with a few American beauties and pushed on to the Premier Gourmet store in suburban Amherst, just a stone's throw from the Buffalo city limits.

I think I've found my new go-to U.S. beer store.

Most of the store is devoted to fancy foodstuffs, but the beer aisles had plenty of IPAs and their friends to offer - all conveniently organized by state. The price was right as well: I had resisted buying the wonderful Stone Ruination 2.0 IIPA at Consumer's Beverages because the $19.99 US price for a six-pack was too rich. Here? $10.99.

So I filled up my basket (again) and headed back to Canadian soil with thoughts of my Father-in-law on my mind.

This time I found St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton and David's floor easy enough. But no David and the nurses didn't recognize his name. Sure. Give me a goddamn heart attack, why don't you.

Turned out he had been moved out of the recovery/intensive care ward and into a regular room just down the hall. And of course he wasn't in his room either, but no worries, I was told. He could be found in the TV room.

Damn, it was nice to finally see him. And David looked better than I thought he would. I was happy.

St. Joe's - My Father-in-law's home for just a little while longer

We ran into Lene in the hallway and I got taken up to speed on the condition and prognosis of David, her husband for more than 35 years. And then I told her about my visit a fortnight prior.

"I was almost sure I saw you here two weeks ago," Lene told me as we sat with David in his hospital room. "I remember the nurse saying he had a visitor and then no one showed up."

"Yeah, that was me," I admitted sheepishly as I showed her the blog I wrote (I'll be Back), which had all the details about me consoling the wrong man on my previous visit.

Ah well. I am here now, I thought. And that's the main thing.

With my work deadline looming I said my goodbyes and jumped back on the highway to deliver my care package to Don, with the now amended destination of Rib Eye Jack's in Burlington.

I don't even remember what was in his beer package, but I know there was a bomber of the Stone Citracado IIPA, a Stone RuinTen (Triple IPA) and a couple of bottles of the bargain-priced Ruination 2.0, which just happens to be Don's favourite U.S. brew.

It's no wonder we call Stone The Brewery That Can Do No Wrong.

I threw in one of each of my other smuggled goodies and we went inside to talk about them, as well as my visit with David. And to drink some beer, served to us by the lovely, talented and dynamic duo of Cara and Kylie.

But when I saw on my phone that it was already 4:30 and I had a long drive ahead of me I said my goodbyes and went on my way.

And wouldn't you know it? I hit major traffic jams and had to detour off the highway twice (okay, once was because I had to pee really bad) before I could finally make it to Oshawa and my delivery job.

I was nearly two hours late but I made it. And that's the main thing. Right Heather?

Beer O'Clock (U.S. standard time)

It was Beer O'Clock all week for me, what with an extra-large bounty of U.S. beers from two different beer stores.

I had so many beers, in fact, I had to share.

Beer Bro Don, as mentioned, received his care package, and I also found time to stop by Manantler Brewing and deliver a few bottles to Trevor (aka the World's Sexiest Cellarman). A die-hard Dogfish Head fan, I made sure he scored a nine per cent ABV 90 Minute IPA, as well as a bottle of Ballast Point's Habanero Sculpin (spicy!) and a Duet from Alpine Brewing.

I would have brought him a Grunion Pale Ale from Ballast Point, but by the time I saw Trevor I had already drank all the Grunions. They were that good.

Grapefruit and tropical fruit on the nose, with a little pine as well. Pungent. Taste is citrus and mango with some peach and earthy notes. More like a wonderful session IPA and right up there with Naughty Neighbour for my favourite Pale Ale of all time.

I want more.

The Mango Even Keel Session IPA was an eye opener as well. With mango added to the boil, this came with an incredibly strong mango aroma. Mango and her buddy pineapple dominate the taste buds, with a tropical fruit candy sweetness. It was like a sessionable dessert IPA!

The Habanero Sculpin was something different entirely. The beer smelled like peaches and tropical fruit but the taste is where this beer brings the heat. It’s like a craft beer Caesar! Some pine and citrus in the background but it’s mostly hot pepper and lots of it. A little too spicy for me.

The 90 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head was stellar, with dark fruit and pine, ripe orange and loads of sweet malts. Big malt bill with booze.

There was my first IPA from Oskar Blues (Longmount, Colorado) and it did not disappoint. Lemon zest and grapefruit with a hint of spruce. Very well balanced and beautifully bitter.

I have enjoyed Alesmith Brewery's IPA before but this was the first time drinking their delicious Double IPA. Pine and tropical fruit on the nose.Smooth on the tongue and resiny on the finish, with more pine, ripe citrus and a  solid caramel malt base.

The Duet (Alpine Brewing) tasted sweet, with grapefruit, caramel and pine. Dry finish.

Citracado, the 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA from Stone, was made with Citra hops (natch) and avacado flower honey and it was smooth as silk sweet and resiny, too. Beautifully done.

Cheers!