Join Club

Your Beermonger: From the Great White North

Your Beermonger logo

Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).

By now most of us are familiar with many of the more boutique Canadian craft brewers; Quebec-based outfits like Unibroue and Dieu du Ciel whose more esoteric offerings are usually Belgian in style or inspiration. But when we think of Canadian beer, it’s usually of big Lager houses like Molson or Moosehead (or Elsinore for the Strange Brew fans out there). But there’s a full spectrum of Canadian craft brews out there, some of which a new importer is bringing to our area.

Canada’s Select Brews (CSB) is dedicated to finding Canadian craft breweries as of yet undiscovered by Americans and bringing them here. CSB is so young that at this point they are only representing two breweries in the U.S., both of which are located in British Columbia, and both of which are now available in Virginia.

Right now I’m not carrying everything from both, but here’s a quick rundown on them and some of the beers of theirs I’m going to be carrying starting this week:

Parallel 49: Vancouver’s “hipster” reputation didn’t materialize from thin air, and its artisan scene has led to a burgeoning craft beer industry. Three friends who grew up in east Vancouver opened a restaurant in 2008, and as its success grew they realized their dream of opening a brewery. I’ve only been able to try a couple Parallel 49 beers, but already my far-and-away favorite is Salty Scot. Based on traditional Wee Heavy Scotch-style Ales, Salty Scot plays with the flavors found in a classic Wee Heavy. Where Wee Heavy beers have lots of caramel notes from the malts used, Salty Scot uses actual caramel to make it “go to 11” along with some sea salt because sea salt and caramel are delicious together. The final product isn’t nearly as sweet as you think it should be, and much lighter than its 7.5 percent ABV suggests.

Howe Sound: About 45 minutes north of Vancouver you’ll find the mountain town of Squamish, where the Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company has been hosting guests and brewing beers of many styles. Howe Sound uses unique “pot-stopper” 1-liter bottles with Grolsch-like rubber flip-tops, and I’m kind of in love with them. With nearly a dozen year-round beers and many seasonal and limited releases, you’re going to be seeing lots of Howe Sound beers out and about. For my money, the Total Eclipse Of The Hop DIPA, Wee Beastie Oak-Aged Scotch Ale, and Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout are the ones to snag. All three are bold in flavor yet show the kind of balance present when a brewer truly cares about keeping their beers “drinkable”. The Megadestroyer is especially impressive, as I usually dislike beers that use star anise and/or licorice: the trick here is that Howe Sound uses the star anise flowers, which impart all of the flavor you’d expect without the intense medicinal “burn” that comes out most of the time.

Try some of these beers out if you see them around, and let’s hope for more great beers to come from Canada’s Select Brews in the future. Until next time.

Nick Anderson maintains a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger. Sign up for Arrowine’s money saving email offers and free wine and beer tastings at www.arrowine.com/mailing-list-signup.aspx. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Community discussion guidelines: Our sponsored columns are written by members of the local business community. While we encourage a robust and open discussion, we ask that all reviews of the businesses — good or bad — be directed to another venue, like Yelp. The comments section is intended for a conversation about the topic of the article.

Recent Stories

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar. 🕗 News recap The following articles were published earlier today…

An explosives detection K-9 celebrated his retirement at Reagan National Airport today. Messi, an 8-year-old yellow lab, was feted this morning in the historic Terminal 1 lobby with a surprise…

Walk to Lee Heights shops from 1930s Tudor on beautiful terraced lot

Arlington’s response team for people in mental health and substance use crises is on track for a substantial buildout. An additional $478,286 in federal funds would allow Arlington to hire…

Unlike our competitors, Well-Paid Maids doesn’t clean your home with harsh chemicals. Instead, we handpick cleaning products rated “safest” by the Environmental Working Group, the leading rating organization regarding product safety.

The reason is threefold.

First, using safe cleaning products ensures toxic chemicals won’t leak into waterways or harm wildlife if disposed of improperly.

Second, it’s better for you and your family. Fragrant chemicals in surface cleaners can expose you to a similar amount of pollutant particles as a busy city road, New Scientist reported.

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Northern Virginia Family Practice (NVFP), known for its comprehensive concierge healthcare, is thrilled to introduce Mark Sullivan, MD as the newest member of its family medicine team.

Dr. Sullivan brings a wealth of experience in family medicine, underpinned by a passion for delivering personalized, patient-centered care. He has a distinguished background in managing various medical conditions, emphasizing preventive care, health education and chronic disease management. Dr. Sullivan is adept at employing the latest medical research and technologies to enhance patient outcomes.

Beyond his medical expertise, Dr. Sullivan is committed to the well-being of his community, demonstrating this through his active engagement in local health initiatives and educational programs. His approach to medicine is holistic, focusing on integrating physical, mental and emotional health and patient education to achieve optimal patient wellness.

Dr. Sullivan is now accepting new patients at their newly established Arlington office at 2445 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA, 22206. The office, known for its patient-friendly amenities and state-of-the-art medical facilities, continues to provide the exceptional, personalized care NVFP is known for in its newly upgraded Arlington location.

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

ACFCU’s Free Homebuying 101 Webinar: Steps to Getting Pre-Approved

Are you ready to jump into homeownership, or have you started considering it but don’t know where to start?

Financial preparation is key when thinking about purchasing your first home and the first step to getting pre-approved. Join ACFCU for

Sweeney Todd

A victim of a gross injustice that robbed him of his wife and child, Sweeney Todd sets about exacting a terrible revenge on society.

×

Subscribe to our mailing list