Beer Sessions are better with IPAs

It was early in Beer Sessions - IPA when Sheila Mazur, our host at this deliciously beery event was asked a very important question: Why, she was asked, did IPAs become so popular?

"I think people were just rebelling against mediocrity," she responded.

That was an answer that warmed the heart of this IPA lover and was the line of the night until Sheila was talking to our group about aromatics in beer a little later in the evening. She was explaining how wood - especially cedar - was a common aroma in many styles of beer.

"And who doesn't like a little wood?" she asked rhetorically. "Besides me."

That sent our table of a dozen or so beer enthusiasts - most of whom knew Sheila and her wife Tracy well - into convulsions; hilarity ensued and the tone was set for the rest of the night.

Our host - Sheila Mazur

And an evening tasting West Coast IPAs, East Coast IPAs, Imperial IPAs, Session IPAs, White IPAs, British IPAs, IPAs with brettanomyces and IPAs with lupulin powder is most definitely a fun way to while away a few hours, yes?

Beer Sessions is a monthly event at Buster Rhino's in Oshawa hosted by Sheila, who is a certified BJCP judge and one of the happiest people I know. I creeped her Facebook page looking for a picture to use in this blog and couldn't find one without a huge smile on her face; that kind of happy.

Each session is devoted to a different style of beer and when the IPA event came up I knew I had to plunk down my  $29.95 and show up.

We enjoyed the oft-told tale of the history of the IPA; a science lesson on hops (with feedback from Matt of Brewer's Pantry, who was in attendance with the lovely Jessica); campfire and survival skills; and talked some on sexism in craft beer marketing.

And I haven't even got to the best part yet: the beer.

Eight flights, plus a couple of bonus samples at the end. Until the 'bonus' round, only the Passion Fruit Day Game from Left Field - which I enjoyed a pint of before the session thinking, "what's one more 3.9 per cent beer gonna hurt?" - was under 6.7 per cent ABV. Three were Imperial IPAs as well and all were awesome.

Our happy group definitely got our money's worth.

Sheila hit us with a palate crusher to begin the session, opting for Scary Mary, a, Imperial IPA from Old Flame, and while most of the others were getting the mango and peaches as advertised. I picked up none of the that and got mostly pine.

Bellwoods Runes-
Galaxy & Enigma

I was a little closer to the brewer's intention with the second beer: Runes (Galaxy and Enigma) from Bellwoods. I got the citrus and stone fruit in the aroma as per the billing, but the black tea and basil in the descriptive was a bit of a reach for this rookie nose.

I did get a peppery aftertaste. Close enough.

Juicin, a New England-style IPA from Sawdust City was up next and the discussion centred around how the beer seems to be so much better on tap than from the brewery's 473 ml can. We had samples from the can, and it was unanimous that the aroma was understated.

Monogamy - Columbus, another IPA from Bellwoods, was next ("tropical fruit; earthy") and the Passion Fruit Day Game Session IPA from the clever minds at Left Field followed.  "Jammy, tart and delicious" was how Sheila described it and I agreed.

A glass of Thrust!, a much sought after IPA from Great Lakes (it's only released a few times each year), was then placed in front of us and the bready, piney citrus brew sparked a little dialogue on the West Coast (Thrust!) vs East Coast (Juicin) beer styles debate.

Thrust! from GLB.
Matt's favourite

I cast a vote for Biggie, but it was clear that Matt was in the West Coast camp after Darryl, the silver-tongued, steadfast and surprisingly sensitive proprietor of Buster Rhino's (who joined us for the first half of the session), told us the story of when Thrust! was first released and ended up on tap at the bar. Matt was there, glass in hand and seated comfortably on a bar stool, when the first tap was opened.

"What's going on Matt," Darryl greeted him when he walked into the bar that night. "I'm staying here," Matt replied, "until the Thrust! runs out."

Laser Show, an eight per cent Imperial New England-style IPA  (the only one I know) was the seventh beer on the agenda, and it was followed by Witchshark, a nine per cent hop monster from Bellwoods that has always been one of my favourite beers.

But I didn't need to praise the brewery; Sheila had done it already, urging the handful of beer lovers who hadn't visited the iconic Toronto brewery to go. Right away even.

"If you haven't had a chance to go to Bellwoods you're missing something."

Rabbit of Caerbannog
White IPA from Indie Ale House

Sheila encouraged our group to experiment with beers to try and pick out the different flavours. Witchshark, she said, was dank and piney and resiny. "Imagine a campfire in the bush. What would that taste like?"

"I don't want you to have an inflated opinion of my capabilities," she added playfully, "but there are some beer tips and survival skills too."

We finished the night with a lively discussion on women in craft beer and that was followed by a few bonus beers: the delightfully spicy Rabbit of Caerbannog, a Belgian-style White IPA from Indie Ale House named after the famed killer rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail; Brettal Head, a pale ale from Bellwoods with brettanomycees (wild yeast) added for extra 'funkiness;' and another Bellwoods beer:  Mosaic and Citra IPA.

So many fantastic beers. So much information on the art of tasting beers. So much fun.

Thank you Sheila. I promise I don't have an inflated opinion of your capabilities. Just an informed one.

See you next time.

Witchcraft and women in beer

There are still a lot of people who haven't heard the story of brewers - almost exclusively women - who were burned at the stake as 'witches' half a millenia ago for the crime of making beer.

The pointy hat, by the way, was a marketing tool to identify them as brewers when they went to market to sell their wares (dubbed "medieval Gatorade" by Sheila). The cauldrons of boiling liquid are somewhat obvious and the cats (often black) were used to keep vermin away from the grain.

It all makes sense, yes?

Witches? Or just early brewers?
You decide

(I can't explain the cliched 'cackle,' but perhaps they were sampling the product too much. I would too.)

The story illustrates how difficult it has always been to be a woman in the beer business. Brewers aren't burned at the stake anymore, but modern women in the craft beer world have their own crosses to bear and flaming hoops to go through to gain respect.

"Sometimes it's weird being a woman in the craft beer world," Sheila admitted. "We don't want to be seen as 'square.'"

Sexist marketing is just as prevalent in craft beer as it is in the macro beer world, I pointed out, citing three of my favourite beers as examples. Naughty Neighbour (American Pale Ale) and Immodest (IIPA) from Nickel Brook both feature scantily clad women on the can design and while Juicy Ass from Flying Monkeys has nothing suggestive on the label, but that name...

Immodest Imperial India Pale Ale
from Nickel Brook

"Sex sells, for sure," Sheila said. "But I think it's just as sexist towards men too."

The sexist imagery is changing as the demographics of craft beer change, as evidenced by the demographics at the Beer Sessions table. Fully half of those in attendance were women.

"It's a complex and touchy subject but I'm glad there are finally more women in beer," Sheila said. "I'm glad there's 50 per cent women here."

Many of Ontario's up-and-coming new brewers are women, pointed out Matt, who, when he's not milling grain for his customers, brews his own beer AND sports an awesome brewer's beard.

"And I've seen a lot of women go from not drinking beer at all to drinking ONLY craft beer."

I'll drink to that.

Cheers!